Tackle the Spring With These Tips!

Spring is the perfect time to go outside and have fun. It's one of my favorite times of year because there are so many outdoor activities to choose from. Everything is more fun outside, whether you're swimming, running or cycling.

For most people, working out usually means driving to an indoor gym and exercising in a temperature-controlled environment. Indoor exercise could be a blessing during the cold Fall and Winter months, but as Spring and Summer roll around it’s important to take time to get outside and have some fun, too!

Cultivating and growing your overall wellness builds resilience, reduces the risk of illness, and ensures positive interactions on a daily basis. Your well-being not only affects your life, it also influences others you are closely connected to. Your mental wellbeing greatly improves when you exercise outdoors. One of the reasons for this is the awareness that your mind has throughout the exercise, particularly in regard to the changing terrain and weather.

Well, experts unanimously agree that outdoor activities exponentially boost your mental health, which makes your physical exercise even more fruitful. Finding time for outdoor exercise, even if it is as little as 15 minutes at least 2-3 times per week, will make you feel energized and less stressed; it will boost your capacity to do more and achieve more. I guarantee you. Here are some quick 12-15min home workouts that require zero equipment and will help you a lot! Cortisol – The hormone that indicates the level of stress in humans- reduces greatly when you spend time in the forest, say, watching birds and taking part in low-intensity outdoor activities. Whether it’s a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood or a functional band workout in your yard, any kind of outdoor exercise brings along many great benefits that you just can’t get inside.

What are some cautions we should take when exercising outdoors and how do we prevent things such as dehydration, cramps and tiredness/weakness while playing outside?

As more people seem to get more active during spring/summer days and choose activities such as running, biking, outdoor yoga, swimming, frisbee, soccer, baseball, and etc, the search for electrolyte replacement drinks and supplements tends to grow as well. With the amount of options available today, it becomes very frustrating to pick something when you don’t quite understand what exactly you should be looking for in terms of recovery and rehydration.

Sports drinks, or electrolyte-enhanced beverages, help to replenish water, electrolytes, and energy lost during exercise. They often contain a source of energy-boosting carbohydrates, as well as a balance of potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium, which help combat dehydration, replete glycogen stores, and delay fatigue.

Electrolytes play vital roles in our cell functions, nervous system functions and immune system. Just because they are microscopic and trace elements, they should never be neglected. An electrolyte imbalance may cause severe health issues, which can be avoided simply by including electrolyte-rich foods in our daily diet. As I always mention, keeping your body hydrated is the bare minimum you can do to optimize mental and physical well-being. As a professional swimmer, I always have to make sure my body is at its maximum level of hydration, so I can perform at my best during everyday workouts and swim meets. Walking around with a water bottle or sports drink bottle has become part of who I am. When I go to that morning run or workout I always make sure I have a bottle of Hydra-Guard with me. Staying hydrated not only helps me to stay on top of my physical performance, but also I make sure I am always at my best mentally.

Hydra-Guard Premium Sports Drink is my favorite way of replenishing and giving my body exactly what it needs. It is strategically formulated with the 5 major electrolytes to replace the fluids that we lose through sweat at optimum levels. My favorite thing about it is that it's also low-Calorie, low-Sugar, and VERY tasteful even though there is no artificial coloring, flavoring and ingredients!