LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: TRAINING IS WHERE YOU FIND IT
To be a good athlete, you must be evenly trained, with a full physical balance. Muscles and heart must both be strong. Lungs and ligaments must both be able to stand up under extreme effort. Any weak link in your training will pull your competitive ability down to its weakest level.
But it's summer, and hot; a good time to go to amusement parks or watch a movie in a well air conditioned theatre. The idea of getting sweaty in a gym or on a bike in July is as appealing as---well, as overbroiled broccoli.
Not to worry. A disciplined and regular routine may be the most efficient method of development, but you won't turn into a slug if you try other ways of working out. Like, for example, a waterpark.
You can stay cooled off while plunging down various slides into a shallow pool of water, and it's so much fun that you don't realize what a workout your legs are getting as you climb the many stairs to get to the top of each slide. To make it a workout, go early before the waterpark gets crowded and do speed runs up the stairs. Aside from working every muscle in your lower body, you'll burn an amazing amount of calories. Run up taking two stairs at a time. Try stretching your legs to take four steps at a time; hold on to the stair railing, but don't pull yourself up with your arms.
No matter how early you show up at an amusement park, there will probably still be lines. Pass the time working out. Do dips on the metal railings by putting your hands behind you on the rail and bending your elbows to lower your body and push it upright again. Use the rail for support and do one-legged squats. On the rides, use your core muscles to resist the forces slinging you around. Your abs and obliques will certainly feel it the next day.
Even an ordinary hike with the dog can be a workout if you walk backwards up a steep grade. Walking backwards uses muscles that rarely get worked and also improves balance and coordination. As with every exercise, speed increases the training effect. Try agility jumps while walking uphill (but only if you're wearing good supportive shoes).
As we head into the triple-digit days of summer, there's a great temptation to slack off on maintaining fitness. But don't feel bad about letting that Gold's membership go to waste. If you think creatively about how to put your body to work, you can keep and even build your athletic ability without ever stepping inside a gym.
Wina Sturgeon
Editor