Summer is a time of the year when more people are motivated to get active. The sun is out, the weather is inviting, and people are feeling up to staying active. Yet most people don’t know how much exercise they should be getting or which ones are going to help them look and feel their best. The National Institutes of Health reports that children and youth should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day, while adults should aim to get 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity exercise. For most people, if they can remember to get 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, they will be well ahead of the game.
“It’s a great time to get moving and make the most of your summer,” explains Coach Sarah Walls, personal trainer and owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc., who is also the strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. “By keeping active and exercising regularly this summer, you can look fit and fabulous. Now is the time to get motivated and get moving.”
There are many exercises one can engage in this summer to get fit and fabulous, but here are six tried and true ones that Coach Walls recommends to the athletes she works with:
The Turkish Getup – Using a kettlebell, this exercise will help stabilize your shoulder muscles and develop your core muscles.
The Pushup – This handy standard works your core muscles and offers the strength and conditioning your body needs to become more defined.
The Squat – Often referred to as the “king of all exercises” this is an exercise that can be done anywhere, and offers increased fitness for your whole body.
Metabolic circuits – This type of exercise will help you burn a lot of fat, but it’s also going to provide benefits to the heart. A metabolic circuit is going to include various exercises done one after another, so you are working various muscle groups.
The Inverted Row – This is a great exercise for working the muscles that you would pull with, including your biceps, back, and stabilizer muscles. This helps even out the work you are doing when you do pushups, which will provide more stabilization.
Turtle Rolls - Everyone wants a good ab burn, but traditional exercises can cause pain and big problems for the spine. Try this fun variation with a partner.
“Rather than stick to the same old routine, give these exercises a try and see the great results you can get,” added Coach Walls. “Not only will you probably have fun shaking up your regular exercise routine, but you will be working different muscles and challenging yourself in new ways. From that, you will end up liking what you see in the mirror.”
Sarah Walls has over 15 years experience in coaching and personal training. Owner of the SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc, founded in 2007, she offers coaching to develop athletes, adult programs, team training, online coaching, and more. She is also the strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and has over eight years of experience working as an NCAA D1 strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer. To learn more, visit the site:
www.saptstrength.com.
