Spring into Action

What’s not to love about springtime? Its arrival motivates us to dig in, clean out and open up – whether we’re talking about gardens, closets or even exercise regimens.

A great way to celebrate the return of warm, sunny days is by rolling out your bike or dusting off your hiking boots. You can hike or bike just about anywhere, either alone or with a friend or family member.

Ready to start enjoying the best of what the outdoors has to offer, but worried that you haven’t been very active in the past? Now is the best time to start – and it’s easy!

Start slow, commit to walking or biking for 10 minutes once a day, a few times each week. Slowly build up how much time you spend on your excursions, and how frequently you exercise each week.

Special tips for biking
There’s nothing quite like peace of mind to help encourage us to delve deeper into an activity. If you find that biking is the right outdoor activity for you, following these tips will help keep you safe:
• Wear a helmet.
• Check your bike’s tires. Are they properly inflated? Do the wheels spin freely?
• Check the bike’s brakes.
• Obey all traffic rules.
• Don’t forget to provide a clear signal when passing.
• Ride to the right of traffic, single-file

Check out adult leagues
To add spice to your routine, find your passion and then find a group of like-minded adults. Maybe you’ve longed to join a softball league, or perhaps return to golfing.

The benefits of blooming into a new healthy routine are immense. Consider that a 200-pound person burns about:
546 calories an hour hiking
364 calories an hour biking at a leisurely pace
637 calories an hour swimming
445 calories an hour playing softball
410 calories an hour golfing while carrying clubs

Once you find your best routine, you’ll crave that time you get to spend outdoors taking care of your body and relieving stress built up from the day-to-day grind.

Build up your exercise routine – and your enthusiasm!