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Think back to your childhood. If you are a child of the 60’s like I am (Vintage 61) you probably remember playing outside most of the day. Summers were the most fun because we would get up early in the morning and head outside as soon as we scarfed down our breakfast. Play for hours until mom called us to come in for lunch. Inhale our lunch and right back outside we went until we were called for dinner. Eat, clean the dishes and back outside until the street lights came on. And even then, we would stay outside in our yards catching lightning bugs. Magical memories and I was born and raised in the city so can only imagine how much more those folks in the country were able to do outside during the summer.
Yes, I get it. Things were different then and these days we’re all running around like chickens without heads trying to get everything ticked off our to do list. But does it really have to be this way especially when it comes to our fitness? Yes, I know your family, spouse, parents, kids, grand kids, work are all priorities in your day to day life and they should be but you should also be a priority in your day especially when it comes to your health. Think about it – without your health where will you really be with your family and friends?
This summer try to do things just a little bit differently each day. Think back to what you did when you were a kid and how much fun it was and try to incorporate those activities into your life if not every day, at least a few times during the week. The things I remembered having a blast doing can also be done with your family especially if you have kids or grand kids. And the best part? You’re getting much needed exercise at the same time. Here’s a list to jog your memory:
- Swimming. All the kids in our neighborhood took swim lessons in the summer. Many great memories spent at our local pool.
- Picnics. We had the Metroparks that circled the city of Cleveland. Several times during the summer, our moms would pack up the kids and we would head to the park for the day. It was even more special when the whole family could go on the weekends.
- Biking. Also in the Metroparks was a 5 mile bike trail. We would bike to the beginning of the trail which was probably at least 3 miles from our houses. Our “treat” was a drink at the marina before turning around and heading back.
- Hiking. Where ever we would head during the summer whether it was on vacation or to visit family, we would often head to the nearest trails and hike with our cousins or friends.
- Simply playing outside. Starting from the moment our feet hit the ground, we were on the go playing tag, bull rush, baseball and other games during the day to catching lightning bugs at night.
Playing for kids is serious business but we can take a lesson from our childhood and remember how much fun it was to play outside too. Take the time to enjoy your summer and head outdoors.
To your health,
Denise
Denise Sanger is a high energy business owner with over 30 years experience in the marketing area. She has transitioned her love of fitness and marketing into helping others succeed in getting fit and running their own businesses. She founded How To Stay Fit Over 50 to provide hope and support to others by motivating them to take the first step in their fitness journey no matter what age. Email her at denisesanger@gmail.com or denisesanger@beachbodycoach.com
