From paddle boarding to roller skating and open water swimming, this summer’s hottest fitness trends all sound like so much fun.
What can be better for your body and your mind than getting outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, spending time in nature and getting a fun workout all at the same time?
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about trying these 2021 fitness crazes, and how to fuel your body to help you to get the most out of your summer exercise.
1. Roller Skating
Long associated with 1980s discos or throwback party nights, roller skating has officially made a comeback.
With the gym off limits to many over the last year, outdoor workouts have become just as popular as at-home workouts, and skating along at speed as Mother Nature whizzes by can be an incredibly thrilling way to raise your heart rate.
Roller skating works your lower body as you power yourself forwards, while it also requires good core strength to help keep you balanced. Keep it up and roller skating could be a great way to tone your body too.
Aside from a good pair of roller skates, make sure you’re kitted out with a protective helmet, knee pads and elbow pads in case of any beginner bumps!
2. Paddle Boarding
Paddle boarding is a water sport that’s enjoyed a surge in popularity since the easing of the first UK lockdown in summer 2020. Amid an uncertain landscape, people were keen to get out in the fresh air, enjoy open spaces and try new activities more than ever before; paddle boarding provided an opportunity for all of these.
Paddle boarding can be incredibly relaxing when you’re steering yourself through calm water, but it can also be a really good workout. The balance that paddle boarding requires exercises your core strength, while the paddling gives your upper body a workout.
3. Open Water Swimming
Open water swimming has been growing in popularity for a few years, but it’s an activity that’s become even more popular post-lockdown.
After months spent cooped up indoors, there are few feelings more freeing than diving into a body of open water, letting the invigorating shock of cold wash over you, before moving through the water surrounded by Mother Nature.
If you’re new to open water swimming, you might want to dip your toes in the water (pun most definitely intended) with a visit to a local lido, to get yourself used to swimming outdoors.
Once you’ve got a taste for outdoor swimming, research lakes, reservoirs and rivers that are labelled as safe for swimming in your local area; never swim in water if it’s advised against or you’re unsure of its safety.
Our recommended open water swimming kit includes a wetsuit, a brightly coloured swimming cap (important to keep you visible), goggles and swimming shoes to help protect your feet from any rocks or sharp edges.
Always let someone know where you’re heading before an open water swim and how long you plan to be out for.
The Benefits of Cold Water Swimming
Swimming in open water can be naturally extremely cold, but this can be an incredibly invigorating experience. The shock that your body gets when you enter cold water for a swim can release endorphins, which are also known as happy hormones, providing your mood with a natural lift.
During cold water swimming, your heart naturally has to beat faster to help keep you warm, which means your body is working harder than if you were swimming in a heated pool. As a result, cold water swimming can potentially help you to burn more calories.
How to Fuel Your Body for Exercise
When you find a new activity that you love, it can be easy to get carried away and spend hours practising your roller skating moves or paddle boarding along the river.
You can help to power your body by making sure you’re properly fuelled before you start. Drinking a protein shake or eating a protein bar before you start exercising can help to energise your body, while supporting growth and maintenance of muscle mass.
Try our Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder in Vanilla or Chocolate flavour, which contains 30g of clean protein per serving, alongside essential amino acids. Add this organic protein powder to a shake or smoothie within an hour of your workout.
