Whether your regular summer activities have been put on hold or you’re looking to try something new, we’ve got 10 great ideas for staying active and having fun this summer.
You may have noticed that rollerblading is trending among Millennials. If you’re a beginner, then inline skates are much easier to master than the quad style skates. Be sure to get yourself a helmet and some wrist-protectors while you’re at it (maybe some elbow and knee pads too if your balance could use some work).
Find an empty parking lot or quiet street and start practicing the basics: stopping, turning in both directions working towards narrower turns, and going up and down curbs.
Once you’ve worn out your glute muscles, be sure to check out the Chicago Recovery Room for some post-workout recovery at your nearest IMPACT Physical Therapy clinic.
Instead of just taking the stairs, make doing the stairs a regular part of your daily physical activity. Some might live or work in a building with multiple flights of starts but if you do notget yourself outdoors and enjoying the sunshine, look up staircases in parks near you. The Swallow Cliff Stairs in Palos Park features 125 steps of pure summer fun.
To spice things up, try taking the steps two at a time, doing a sideways grapevine up the stairs, or hopping up the stairs (forwards or sideways – best when there’s a safety rail present).
Whether it’s choreographed or free-style, lessons or simply freedom of expression, dancing is a great way to get your body moving. Thanks to platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, you can get free dance lessons for all your favorite songs. If you’re looking to master a particular style of dance, many studios are offering Zoom and socially distanced dance classes. Your easiest and the most relaxing option might of course to just be to blast your favorite playlist and unleash whatever dance moves that are just itching to see the light of day.
18 holes might be a big commitment for those who are new to golf or coming back from the off season, but at the driving range, you can practice the fundamentals all morning or afternoon for just a couple of bucks.. If rental clubs aren’t an option at your nearest driving range, try asking friends to borrow or share, or pick up a cheap club online.
The key body mechanics for golf require that you’re able to keep your back flat while slightly bent over and have a good capacity for thoracic rotation and relative internal rotation of your front hip. If you struggle with any of these or the classic golfer’s elbow, be sure to check out our Golf Rehab.
No weights, no problem. If you’ve got a body, you’ve got a built-in weight machine. Calisthenics is all about using your own bodyweight in creative ways to get a workout just as, if not more, intense than what you can achieve with classic weights.
You may already know the staples like pull-ups, push-ups, and crunches, but there is an endless variety out there if you do a little research. Exercises range from basics like lunges to advanced skills like the human flag. You may get lucky and have a calisthenics park open up near you this summer.
Additionally, plyometrics are all about creating explosive power behind your bodyweight. Box jumps are a classic but other plyometric exercise include clapping push-ups, mountain climbers, burpees, and jumping rope.
Nothing relaxes one’s nerves like a gentle breeze rolling through the trees and the sun’s rays warming your shoulders. Take that yoga mat outside and find a quiet place to ease your mind.
You can memorize a sun salutation or pull up a video on your phone and spend 20-30 minutes or more focusing on relaxation. If you’re new to yoga, Hatha is a great style to start with and includes basic poses like tree, chair, and triangle pose.
An oldy but a goody, hackysack will really challenge your foot-eye coordination and balance while you soak up some sun. Alternatively, you can practice your soccer juggling skills and try to beat the record of 339 touches in 60 seconds.
If you are into mastering tricks and jumps, then skateboarding is for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for longer rides and mastering curves and turns, then you might enjoy taking up longboarding.
A longboard is far less likely to fly out from under you but can pick up much more speed on hills and is a great alternative means of transportation.
Planning a day or just a couple hours for a trip to the great outdoors to take in some of the natural world might be in order. Grab the family or hit the trails solo. On a sunny day, just a couple of miles of hiking the trails will build up a good sweat. Grab a pair of comfortable shoes, sunscreen and some water and take on a new adventure.
Find a free self-guided architecture tour of the city online. Spend the day gazing up at the amazing architecture Chicago has to offer, discover new places you’ve never been, and learn some fun facts to impress your friends and family.
At IMPACT Physical Therapy, we embrace “movement is medicine”. No matter how you do it, your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for keeping active this summer. It’s our job to help you get back out there and keep enjoying the things you love to do.
