It’s been a crazy week. Thanks for letting me vent yesterday. I feel much better! Sometimes just getting our feelings out in the world relieves a lot of pressure and anxiety. If you haven’t tried it before, I highly recommend it!
Thursday was my son’s last day of kindergarten. It’s been a really fast year. I remember when we first moved to this house days before he started school, and putting him on the bus for the first time. It went by in a flash!
I’m equal parts looking forward to this summer and dreading it. On the one hand, it’ll be awesome to hang out with my kids without being on any schedule whatsoever. On the other hand, it’s going to be physically draining trying to keep up with both of them all summer long.
Last week I mentioned the reasons I love being a fit mom. This week I want to give you some ways to be fit and active over the summer. To make sure we stay busy, active, and keep from going bananas on one another, I’m filling up our calendar rather quickly. The activities I’m including in this fabulous list aren’t just for families and those with kids. In fact, I did most of this stuff without kids and had the time of my life. Whatever you choose to do this summer, get active, stay busy, and be happy! To make sure you have time for these types of activities though, you may want to make sure that your children are kept occupied, especially if you want to do them on your own. Maybe you should think about enrolling them in a summer camp, one that is similar to Maine Summer Camp as they are bound to have great fun. I remember doing one as a child and I loved it. So if you want some alone time to do these activities, then this is definitely an option to consider. The most important thing though is that you have fun with whatever you decide to do.
Summer Activities to Keep You Busy, Active, and Happy!
1. Swimming.
Admittedly, I am not a good swimmer. I used to love swimming as a kid, but that’s when I could use a nose plug and goggles and not be judged because all the other kids were doing it, too. I can do backstroke and breaststroke fairly well, but none of that fancy diving, too. Oh don’t you wish there was nothing left to do? But swimming is a really therapeutic activity, it burns a lot of energy, and it’s fantastic to take a dip (what, am I 80?) when it’s hot out. I need to get a one-piece bathing suit or maybe I might look at some full body wetsuits for some outdoor swimming. The idea of swimming outdoors regularly sounds so invigorating to me but I’ve never given myself the opportunity to do it. Maybe next year?!
2. Creek walking.
Creek walking is the best! You get the best of all the worlds. You get to cool-off on a hot day, experience nature and wildlife, and you don’t have to fully submerge if you don’t want to. Plus it’s easy to do with kids and dogs. Or yourself!
3. Canoeing.
Canoeing is by far my favorite activity in the world. I haven’t been canoeing in forever but it’s so calming and relaxing. The sound of the paddle going in and coming up out of the lake or river. The arm strength that you build from hours on the water. The quiet and solitude of the wilderness. Canoeing is one of the most fun, relaxing, and rewarding activities of the summer. I can’t wait to take my family canoeing this season.
Kind of like real canoeing. Kind of.
4. Hiking.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is hiking. Hiking is pretty fabulous and I do love it, but it’s nowhere near as calming and relaxing as canoeing. It takes brute strength to climb hills and mountains with a giant load on your back. Ok I might be stretching this to include backpacking, too. Day-hiking, even just for a few hours, is tons of fun, a fantastic way to get close to nature and enjoy the outdoors, and fully exhausts children and dogs which is great news for parents. Though you may want to pack one or two outdoor summer tents and camp chairs so you have a shaded spot to rest up on the trail. Hiking all day long can give you a major case of jelly legs so make sure to pace yourself otherwise you might regret it (if you’re a parent, you’ll thank me later.)
5. Running!
Quite obviously one of my most beloved activities to take part in is running. (Running on Happy and all that…) Running in the summer, in my very humble opinion, is the best. It’s nice and warm and usually sunny. And even if it’s not sunny, it’s still warm. Plus it’s an activity you can easily do with children of all ages and dogs if you have them, too.
I’m looking forward to all the busyness we’re going to embark upon this summer. I hope I get to show my kids the ropes in the great outdoors. Such fun and adventure awaits!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Have you been canoeing before?
Linking up with the Friday Five, Fitness Health & Happiness, and Friday Favorites.
