6 ways to spring into your fitness goals for summer 

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Pickleball is fun and provides a number of health benefits. (unsplash)

Longer and warmer days are ahead as spring arrives in the South. There’s no better time to start or maintain an active lifestyle. 

Please consult with your physician before beginning any new fitness regimen. Please consider all health risks when using any new health exercise, movement or activity. 

Here are six ways to help you spring into your fitness journey by taking advantage of the warmer weather and sunshine: gardening, cycling, racketing sports, walking/running, swimming and hiking. 

  1. Gardening

According to many sources this is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. Most can expect to burn around 300 calories per hour during typical gardening activities. 

Gardening helps improve your cardiovascular health and also has an array of other health and wellness benefits. 

Along with assisting your physical health, there are many mental health benefits, including improving your mood and reducing stress and anxiety.

Spring is the perfect time to get outdoors and get your garden ready for summer. 

  • Cycling

Studies find that it reduces heart disease, improves cardiovascular fitness by strengthening the heart and lungs, improves lower body strength and flexibility, and helps tone the legs, core and upper body. It can also improve joint mobility and reduce the risk of arthritis. It can be a fun outdoor exercise and social period with friends while reducing stress and anxiety and releasing endorphins.

Cycling/biking provides a low-impact and fun way to get your cardio in, outside or inside.  

  • Racket sports

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing games that is played by all ages. Developed in 1965 by three dads in Bainbridge, Washington, the sport was originally designed as a backyard game that the entire family could play. Plus, you cannot beat the fact that pickleball offers a number of health benefits, too.

Playing this fun sport improves your flexibility, lowers your blood pressure and can also improve your cardiovascular health and your hand-eye coordination. 

Sports like tennis, paddle ball and pickleball combine physical activity, mental stimulation and social interaction, which all have positive impacts on brain health and overall well-being.

Research has shown that regularly participating in racket sports can provide a wide range of benefits for the brain, potentially leading to a longer and healthier life.

  • Walking 

One study found that regular aerobic exercises, such as walking, can reduce belly fat and potentially help people manage obesity. 

Walking is known to help lower blood pressure, reducing your risk of chronic diseases, boosting your immune system and strengthening your joints and bones. 

Walking also can boost your mood and help sharpen your brain. 

  • Swimming

Swimming is a great low-impact exercise that has a wide variety of applications no matter your goal. 

Whether you swim competitively, to stay in shape or to help recover from injury, a workout in the pool can leave you with phenomenal gains in many different key health areas.

Like any form of physical exercise, swimming releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. Being surrounded by water, you won’t feel yourself sweating because the water will actively cool you down. 

Swimming is low impact, decreases stress and can help with joint brain, heart health and weight loss. 

  • Hiking

Hiking is one of the best ways to get fun, stress-free exercise. No matter what type of trail you find yourself on, hiking is a great whole-body workout — from head to toe and everything in between.

A few benefits of hiking include building stronger muscles and bones, improving your sense of balance, improving your heart health and decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems.

Whether you find yourself scrambling up a steep incline or walking on a winding dirt trail or path, hiking is an opportunity to get an outdoor workout in! 

Give one of these outdoor, stress-relieving forms of exercises a try!


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