Does anyone else LOVE Summer but despise humidity?!

If you’re lucky enough to live in a region with little to no humidity, you should feel #blessed by all accounts. You should also know that I secretly envy you daily from roughly June 10 – September 15, give or a few days on either side. There are so many excuses reasons I hear from people on why they don’t workout regularly, one of the biggest around this time is due to the heat & humidity. Girrrrrrrrl {or boy!}, I feel you. Like, I totally and completely understand where you’re coming from and sympathize x100. This week in Omaha we haven’t had a day below 90* and that isn’t accounting for what the heat index says. Now I am much more a warm weather girl than a cold weather girl–helllllo, no need for temps under 40* EVER!–but the humidity can be a major buzzkill. When it feels like you’re bathing in your own sweat walking from your office to your car, that is less than ideal and can obviously make the desire to get your even sweatier on nonexistent.  But like in everything, it’s mind over matter. Live somewhere with weather similar to this at least 1/4 of the year? You’ll need a LOT of mind over that matter. All it takes is a little, or a lot, of motivation {and in my case, a plan to start the week} and you can accomplish so much.

Sweat = Success.

At least to me the above is true. If I’m not sweating profusely, I don’t feel like I got a solid workout in. That doesn’t mean I didn’t but mentally I feel like without working up a solid sweat, I must not have pushed myself hard enough. Again, I know that’s totally false–HELLO amazing results from things like Yoga and Barre that don’t cause me to break much of a sweat at all. When it’s hot & humid, sweating is kind of inevitable. Instead of a rundown of this past week’s workouts, I’m sharing some alternatives to your typical routine that are fun options to do when it’s horrifically hot out and your motivation is waning along with a few musts for me when it comes to Summer exercise:

Exercise Alternatives:

• Stand-Up Paddleboarding (or any water sport for that matter) – Working a ton of muscle groups from your abs to your glutes to your traps, SUP is a great way to burn calories and get some sun while literally being on top of the easiest way to cool down! I love the way this feels more like an activity than a workout. Plus anything that engages my core the entire time is perfection. Just be sure to spend the majority of your time actually paddling instead of laying out on your board. 😉
• Cycling – Sure you can head instead and take a traditional Spin class, but cycling outside gets you fresh air and is another total body workout. The plus side of this is being able to create your own breeze when there may not be one. The lower-impact nature of biking is also a great compliment to things like HIIT and long-distance running that can really take a toll on your joints.
• Rollerblading – Dust off those roller blades that you haven’t used since you were a teenager and hit the pavement. Sure it might feel a bit awkward but you can totally get some solid cardio in and cover more distance than a basic run. Like cycling, you can create a bit of your own breeze as well.
• Tennis – You don’t have to be good at Tennis or even know ‘how’ to play for that matter, to get a good workout in. Side to side shuffling works various leg muscles and the swinging of the racket works abs and shoulders among other things. I guarantee playing for an hour will go by quickly and you’ll love it. {Bonus: you can look cute while doing it!}

My Musts:

• AM Workouts – I find it nearly impossible to workout in the evenings, especially as it is now the hottest part of the day. Knocking out my workouts first thing in the morning is key to me because it sets the tone for the entire day. Plus the sun isn’t beating down on me during a run and it’s the coolest part of the day.
• Moisture-wicking gear – This is a no-brainer. I need to feel as cool as possible while sweating like crazy. If a top is stuck to my body during a run and not ventilating properly, the run is over. Gear is everything to me!
• Hydration – This is also a no-brainer. I drink nearly 100oz. of water each day, sometimes more if it’s an intense workout day. Because you are sweating more than usual when it’s hot & humid, your body needs to replenish itself more than it might typically. Of course you don’t want to overdo it, but if I am not properly hydrated the day before, I can 100% tell the next morning.
• Dry Shampoo – Ain’t nobody got time to wash, dry & style their hair every day {if you do–God Bless you} so dry shampoo is a necessity. It saves time, involves minimal effort and allows me to get a full workout in without feeling the need to cut it short because I have to spend 30 minutes on my hair. Life saver for sure.

How do you stay motivated to workout throughout the Summer? Any tips/tricks that have worked well for you!? Please share–I’d love to know more! And DON’T FORGET…the NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE begins tomorrow for card holders. My list is made and ready to be purchased! 🙂 I’ll be coming at you with shopping guides starting tomorrow and going through the weekend so be sure to check back.