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The sun is shining, the days are long, and it feels like everyone is outside exercising. Building a fitness habit takes dedication and creativity, and summer is the perfect time to start.
Being disciplined about movement doesn’t mean you have to be a gym rat or a marathon runner; part of developing a routine that sticks is finding a way of moving that makes you happy.
Of course, the first step happens before you put on your shoes. We all have our favorite excuses for not exercising enough, and some of them can be paralyzing. The path to getting there starts with setting comfortable expectations and creating some responsibility. You may have to hack your brain occasionally to get started, but the most important thing is to be persistent and forgiving when you relapse.
Here are a few of our favorite workouts so far this year—whether your goal is to lift 230 pounds, improve your pickleball game, or simply introduce a high-intensity routine when you barely have time to exercise .
Building strength
Power hungry
We’ve written a lot about the importance of building and maintaining strength, especially as you get older. But you don’t just need strength, you need power, or the ability to apply force quickly. Power helps you dig a shovel of snow, power helps you dump it. Power gets you down into a chair, but power gets you out of it.
Building power doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does require collective effort. Try our 30-second power test first to see how well you perform. Then take a look at our short workout to get started on your way to real strength.
Break your power rut
Even for those who strength train twice a week, every week, it’s easy to fall into a routine and become stagnant. And while any form of strength training is good, it’s important to know how to build on it too.
If you want to break through to the next level, the key is what experts call “progressive overload.” It’s a simple concept – just consistently increase the weight or intensity of your training each week – but it can be difficult to actually succeed. Here’s a three-month program to help you know how far you can push yourself without overdoing it.
Move like an animal
There’s been a quiet revolution in exercise circles over the past decade. Maybe your trainer suggested a bear-crawling exercise, or your favorite HIIT workout now includes a crab walk.
These animal-inspired exercises go by many names, but they can be an excellent way to build functional strength that can help you during everyday activities. They may look a little strange at first, but they generally require no equipment and can be done just about anywhere. This training can help you get started.
Getting better at…
…Pickleball
Anyone who’s tried pickleball can tell you it’s fun, almost addictive. And it’s pretty good for your fitness, with all those short sprints and lateral movements. But like any form of exercise, it doesn’t cover everything.
In this article, we’ll give you a series of exercises designed to improve your pickleball game while filling in some of the gaps (like strength training and endurance cardio) that everyone’s favorite paddle game might leave in your training regimen.
… Misuse
A lazy summer bike ride to your favorite picnic spot is one of the great pleasures of summer. But if you’re honest: it’s not a hard effort, right?
If you love cycling but have never tried serious cycling training, consider stepping up your game a bit. Any bicycle is suitable; with the right strategy, even that dusty old cruiser in your garage can become an effective fitness tool.
… Sex
Sex isn’t something you can (or should) do in the gym, but it’s still exercise. It requires endurance, strength, and the ability to perform short bursts of intensity.
And so you can train to get better at it. Yes, increasing your cardio is important, but how strong are your pelvic floor muscles? What about your hips and core? If you want to set yourself up for more satisfying sexual experiences, try adding a few of these exercises to your regimen.
Work it out quickly
Pilates on the go
Pilates is generally associated with expensive studios and spring-loaded equipment. But you can also do a quick session without having to leave the house or buy special equipment.
Here’s a 10-minute routine you can do in place of a studio workout if you’re short on time.
HIIT That doesn’t hurt
Looking for something a bit heavier? High-intensity interval training is perhaps the most efficient, exhausting workout available. But not everyone is up for the jumping and other high-impact moves that make up most HIIT routines.
High intensity, low impact interval training, or HILIT, can be an effective alternative. Our 20-minute workout is as intense as HIIT, but focuses on movements that are gentler on your bones and joints.
A sprint, not a marathon
One of the most effective workouts is also the simplest: just run as fast as you can. For some of us, jogging just isn’t enough. We want to feel the wind in our hair as we sprint, flat out.
If you want speed in your workout, you can do it safely if you train your body properly. Like any intense workout, sprinting requires planning and careful attention to your body’s signals. And stay off the local track — at least in the beginning.
