because the mercury’s climbing doesn’t mean you have to abandon your exercise regimen. Stay active and cool with these summer fitness tips.

With high temperatures and stifling humidity, mid-South summers can be a bit on the sizzling side. While skipping exercise in favor of a glass of sweet tea on the porch might sound nice, you’ll boost your health and energy level if you stay active this season. You don’t have to slog it out on a treadmill in the air-conditioned gym all summer, though. We’ve got some suggestions that will infuse some summer fitness fun into your routine and keep you cool to boot. Plus, we’ve included safety tips for exercising in the heat.

Get on the water

With plenty of lakes and rivers, Middle Tennessee has lots of on-water activities that will help you build strength and get your heart pumping. Try standup paddleboarding (SUP), kayaking or canoeing. If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent from a local outfitter. Many SUP rental locations also offer fitness classes on the board ranging from yoga to boot camp style.

Hit the trails

Paved run/walk paths will radiate heat. But if you opt for a trail run or hike, you’ll likely be treated to a cooler workout, thanks to a canopy of trees providing shade. In Nashville, the grass-covered back trails at Shelby Bottoms Greenway or the hilly trails in the Warner Parks system offer respite from the city. If you’ve got the time, head for one of Middle Tennessee’s beautiful waterfall hikes. Many — like Short Springs, Burgess Falls and Cummins Falls — offer swimming holes or places to take a cooling dip.

Join a sports league

When you’re hanging out with friends and playing a game, summer fitness will automatically feel like fun. Many sports league practices and games take place in the evenings when temperatures are a bit more tolerable. Plus, you can indulge in a cold beverage and camaraderie with the team after.

Relish the indoors

Some days are going to be too sweltering for an enjoyable outdoor workout. Try a new class where the beats and the AC blast, like indoor cycling. As an added bonus, many indoor cycling studios offer sessions in the dark, which can be a great escape from the bright sun.

Tips for keeping cool and safe while working out in hot weather

Steamy temps can present the dangers of dehydration and heat stroke or exhaustion. Plus, whenever you exercise outdoors, it’s essential to be mindful of sun exposure. Take these precautions.

Take time to acclimate. If you’re new to exercising in hot temps or if the season has just shifted to warmer weather, your body needs time to adapt. Keep your outdoor sessions shorter than usual and go easy. According to the journal Sports Medicine, your body may need one to two weeks to acclimate.
Be on the lookout for early symptoms of heat-related illness. Stop your workout and find shade if you feel weak, nauseated, feverish or dizzy or if you experience muscle cramps. Seek medical attention if your symptoms worsen or do not go away.
Avoid exercising outdoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. if possible. That window is when the sun is the highest and temps will be the hottest.
Keep hydrated. Drink water before, during and after exercise.
Wear sweat-wicking clothing. Fabrics, like bamboo or nylon, lift sweat away from your body and dry quickly. Avoid cotton. It traps moisture and heat against your skin.
Wear sunglasses and a hat too. Make these items a regular part of your outdoor workout gear.
Slather on a waterproof sunscreen of at least SPF 50. Reapply often if you’ll be outdoors for a while.

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Summer is already here and you know what that means: summer is just around the corner.

By now, you most definitely have a holiday planned to get the most of those warm days we all were longing for. If you’re a late planner and you haven’t booked your vacations still, that’s fine too. These exercises will help you achieve a common desire for this time of the year: toning up for summer. Or, as you might want to put it, get a beach-body shape quicker.

We’re advocates of the saying: summer bodies are made during winter. But this workout will make you want to get your swimming suit or bikini of the closet and get ready to use it in grand fashion this summer, after complete our workout for summer plan.

1 . ICE SKATERS

Not always this exercise makes it to workout plans around the web. But the fact is that it is a great exercise for someone that is interested in targeting the hips, abs, glutes and outer thighs. This is way it is such a faultless exercise for a summer body.

How to perform them:

a)Lay down a gym mat or a low platform.

b)Take a wide, low leap over it by bending into one leg and pushing off sideways, leading with the opposite leg. Swing your arms strongly in the direction you’re jumping and land solid with the toes and knee aligned.

c)Repeat on the other side – 20 reps.

2. V-UPS OR JACK-KNIFE

Now this is one exercise so effective that it even has two different names. We’re kidding. V-Ups are a must to work your entire core, especially the abs. On one important note: while doing this exercise, you should feel its effects in your stomach, not on your back.

How to perform them:

a)Lie on the mat, with your lower back pressed into the ground. Extend your arms straight back behind your head with your legs extended. This will be your starting position.

b)As you exhale, engage and squeeze up through your abdominal muscles while you raise your legs and extend arms to meet in a jack-knife position. Your upper torso should be off the floor and your arms should be parallel to your legs.

c)Inhale while lowering your arms and legs back to the starting position. 20 reps.

3. SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIGDE

The name of this exercise immediately gives away what it’s here for: it strengthens and tightens the glute muscles. Just in time for summer.

How to perform it:

a)Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor near your glutes and hip-width apart.

b)Brace your abs while keeping your knees in line as you extend one leg. Drive the heel of the other foot into the floor.

c)Exhale as you squeeze your glutes and push your hips towards the ceiling as high as you can go. Pause, then lower your leg until your glutes hovers just above the floor.

d)Repeat without touching the ground. 15-20 reps.

4. FARMERS WALK (ON TOES)

Time to focus specifically on the legs. This is the kind of exercise that is usually performed in strongman events, but summer is getting closer and closer: that’s why we thought would it be a good idea to include it in your routine. To make it, you’ll need some dumbbells.

How to perform this exercise:

a)Hold your dumbbells at your side at arms length.

b)Raise your heels and walk like that forward (on a circle) for about a minute.

c)And that’s one set. Simple, right? Repeat 3 times.

5. DUMBBELL SKIER SWING

We know that the name “skier” can create some confusion. We assure you: this is still the summer workout; we just brought a little winter inspiration. You’ll need a couple of dumbbells for this exercise that targets glutes, hamstrings, core, and shoulders.

How to make it:

a)Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides and stand with your feet hip-width apart.

b)Push your hips back as you bring the weights behind you, arms extended away from your body but not to high.

c)Quickly thrust your hips forward and swing the dumbbells back to shoulder height. That’s one rep.

d)Return to starting position and continue with fluid movements.