It is seemingly evident that snowshoe enthusiasts share a love of the great outdoors and want to maintain fitness. Who else would leap from a cozy, comfortable couch and go for a walk outside in cold and blustery winter conditions?
As wintertime offers variable snow conditions that capture our interest and attention, spring and summer are also unique times to go out and explore what the melting snow reveals. The end of the season doesn’t have to be a bummer for those hooked on winter sports.
When a blanket of white is exchanged for budding green grass, the snowshoes may have to be put up, but the body yearns to keep playing outside. We don’t have to let our fitness disappear like the last visible snow pile that vanishes before our eyes. Instead, we can enjoy the beauty of summer and complete a few exercises outdoors to maintain our fitness.
When the snow melts, we can continue to do our workouts outdoor and utilize the natural resources around us for the same intensity. Photo: Jill Lawson
Retain the Intensity
Revisiting our favorite snowshoe stomping grounds in the spring or summer can be just as challenging to our fitness and stamina as punching through deep snow in the middle of winter. By utilizing the natural resources we come across on our snowless adventure, it is possible to maintain the intensity of snowshoeing (sans snow) and have just as much fun!
The following workout is comprised of gratifying and effective exercises that you can do outdoors in the summer and with no equipment. Instead, you’ll use rock slabs, fallen logs, and fences. There is no need to give up being fit just because our healthy snowshoeing habits are on a hiatus. Springtime is a great time to keep up our amazing winter work and stay ahead of the fitness curve while experiencing the change in seasons.
Read More: Building and Maintaining Endurance All Year Long for Snowshoeing
#1 Knee Lifts
After hiking or running for at least ten minutes, find a fallen log about knee-high in height. Place one foot on top of the log with your knee bent no deeper than a 90-degree angle. If the log is too high, find a different log.
When you are ready, step up onto the log and raise the opposite knee. Lower down slowly, switch the lead leg, and continue to alternate for up to one minute. To further challenge your endurance, repeat on the same leg for 15 to 20 repetitions, then switch.
Read More: Exercises to Improve Balance: One Foot at a Time
#2 Puddle Hops
Puddles do not have to be a bane for your spring day stroll in the sun. Find one about one to two feet in width and have fun jumping side to side over the puddle!
Make sure you bend both knees equally and keep your feet parallel, hip-width apart. Jump for up to one minute for a challenging cardio blast and boost in leg power.
#3 Tricep Dips
To maintain or develop upper body strength, tricep dips are excellent exercises to do outdoors in the summer. All you’ll need is to find a flat rock or ledge at least one foot high or higher.
With your back to the rock, place both hands on the edge, shoulder-width apart, fingers facing forward. Bend both knees, or to make the tricep dips more challenging, extend one leg and hold it up or straighten both legs with heels on the ground.
Bend your elbows no deeper than a 90-degree angle, and then push back up to straighten your arms. Repeat for up to 15 repetitions for one or two sets.
Interval training via power lunges is a great way to increase your cardiovascular fitness. Photo: Jill Lawson
#4 Intervals/Power Lunges
Interval training is a superb way to rev up cardiovascular fitness. Many methods of this type of training can be incorporated, as the general guideline is to bring your heart rate up to a high level (on an effort scale of one to ten, be about an eight) for a short amount of time, recover in twice that time and then do it all over again. Hill running, sprinting, or performing power lunges and squats will suffice.
Begin by stepping onto a rock or a secure fallen log, no higher than knee height. Lean forward slightly, bend the lead knee and lunge back to lightly tap the other foot back down to the ground. At a rapid-fire pace, hop to switch the lead foot. Repeat this action for up to one minute, taking two minutes to recover before doing it again.
For more information about Jill Lawson, visit http://www.jilllawsonyoga.com.
What outdoor exercises do you do in the summer? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
This article was originally published on June 20, 2011, and was most recently updated on May 4, 2020.
Read Next:
7 Exercises You Can Do to Support Your Snowshoeing
Reap the Health Benefits of Snowshoeing
Don’t Forget to Stretch for Snowshoeing
Nutrition for Winter Activities: A Beginner’s Guide
