Tag: water

Movement, Seasonal - Spring

Outdoor Fitness: Taking Your Workouts Outside After Winter

Corie Muldoon

After months of indoor workouts, spring finally invites us back outside!

Transitioning your fitness routine from the controlled gym environment to the great outdoors requires some adjustments, but the benefits:

  • Fresh air
  • Vitamin D
  • Changing scenery

…make it well worth the effort.

Why Take Your Workout Outside?

Outdoor exercise offers unique advantages over indoor workouts:

  • Natural vitamin D exposure improves mood and immune function
  • Varied terrain challenges different muscle groups
  • Changing scenery reduces exercise boredom
  • Research shows outdoor exercise can feel less strenuous while burning more calories

Smart Transition Tips

1. Start gradually: Begin with 20-30 minute sessions as your body adapts to different temperatures and terrain.

2. Layer appropriately: Spring weather can be unpredictable. Wear moisture-wicking base layers and bring a light jacket you can remove as you warm up.

3. Modify your routine: Convert gym exercises to outdoor versions. Swap treadmill runs for trail jogs, or stationary bikes for cycling paths.

4. Fuel yourself: Stay hydrated, and consider adding LMNT or Tailwind to your water bottle for longer cardio sessions.

5. Embrace the elements: Use nature as your equipment—park benches for step-ups, hills for resistance training, or trees for balance exercises.

Simple Outdoor Workout Ideas

  • Park circuit: Alternate between walking, jogging, and bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups against benches.
  • Stair workouts: Find local stadiums or public stairways for powerful cardio and lower-body training.
  • Nature walks: Start with brisk walking before gradually incorporating light jogging intervals.
  • City date days: Put on your favorite running shoes and explore new areas of your local city or town.

Remember, consistency matters more than intensity. The joy of moving outdoors after a long winter can reinvigorate your fitness journey and help you build sustainable healthy habits.

Are you looking forward to more outdoor workouts!? What’s your favorite way to get active outside? Leave a comment to share with the group and inspire others!

Nutrition

Daily Water Intake: Half a Gallon or Gallon?

Corie Muldoon

While a gallon of water a day might seem like a good idea, aiming for at least a half a gallon is a good starting point.

Whether you should aim for a gallon a day varies based on factors like activity level and climate. Let’s dive a little deeper:

Factors Influencing Water Needs:

  • Activity Level: If you exercise or sweat a lot, you’ll need more water

  • Climate: Hot, humid weather increases water loss through sweating

  • Diet: Certain foods (ie. high in sodium) can increase fluid needs

Drinking a Gallon of Water:

Not Harmful for Most: Drinking a gallon of water a day isn’t inherently harmful for most healthy individuals

Potential Issues: Excessive water intake can lead to hyponatremia (low sodium levels) if you’re not replacing electrolytes. If you are drinking a gallon a day, doing a water fast, or hungover, consider adding a salt supplement like LMNT or Flash IV to your daily diet [*]

Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to thirst cues and urine color (clear or pale yellow is a good sign)

Tips for Staying Hydrated:

  • Carry a water bottle: Keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day

  • Eat hydrating foods: Fruits and vegetables with high water content can contribute to your daily fluid intake

  • Don’t wait until you’re thirsty: Drink water regularly throughout the day, rather than waiting until you feel thirsty

  • Make fruit-infused water: Add lemon, cucumber, strawberry, or orange slices to ice water for a refreshing drink

What’s Right for You?

Here are three questions to help you determine if you should be drinking a half gallon or a gallon of water per day:

  1. What’s my activity level and environment?

    If you exercise intensely, work outdoors, live in a hot/dry climate, or sweat significantly throughout the day, you may need closer to a gallon. For moderate activity in temperate conditions, a half gallon might be sufficient.

  2. What physical signals am I getting from my body?

    Are you frequently thirsty? Is your urine dark yellow rather than pale or clear? Do you experience headaches or fatigue that improve with hydration? These could indicate you need more water.

  3. Do I have any specific health considerations?

    Certain medical conditions, medications, pregnancy, or breastfeeding can increase water needs. Conversely, some kidney or heart conditions might require limiting fluid intake.

Remember that individual hydration needs vary significantly. The often-cited “eight 8-ounce glasses” (about half a gallon) is a general guideline, but your specific needs may differ based on the factors above.

Happy hydrating!

Healthy Habits

Drink water when you first wake up

Corie Muldoon

A great habit to implement in the morning is to drink water when you first wake up.

Ideally water is the first thing you’re drinking after a slumber (and yes, that means drinking some water before your morning cup of coffee).

Drinking water on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning has a ton of benefits…

An important one being that it helps to kick start your body after it has been resting for an extended period of time. 

Some other key benefits:

  • Keeps your internal organs hydrated and healthy
  • Helps flush out toxins
  • Increases the efficiency of the intestine to absorb nutrients
  • Helps with gut health and fighting infections

A quick rehydration period first thing in the morning is a must, even if it’s a small amount.

Start your day with a hydrated, happy body!
x Cor

PS – keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day is equally important! Make sure you’re sipping water during shift, at home, during your workouts – a little bit goes a long way.