By Juliana Spano
Staff Writer
As winter finally withers away, it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors. Now, you can finally perform your favorite outdoor workouts. So spend sometime sweating alongside spring flowers to get in shape for the summer!
Take advantage of the beach-lined island this campus calls home. With Jones Beach only five minutes away, there are many coastal sports to kick up your calorie crunch. Try beach volleyball – it only requires four people in total, and it will tone your legs and core. Sand is more difficult to move in, so you will end up burning even more calories than in regular volleyball without even realizing.
If you can’t reach the beach, try a court sport! Tennis is a great way to build your arms while working stubborn leg muscles because of the swift movements it requires. Playing competitive tennis is the equivalent of doing an aerobic workout.
It may be too cold to go for an outdoor swim still, but keep in mind that Hofstra has an indoor pool. You can swim some laps while dreaming about the summer vacation that is only a month away. Even just 30 minutes of leisurely swimming will burn 200 calories for a 140-pound woman. If you are really looking to torch off fat, laps will burn about 300 calories for the same weight.
If you have not played a sport in a while and are looking for a casual way to get your heart pumping, then find a place where you have never been and go sightseeing. This can be anywhere from a brisk, hour-long walk to a weekend getaway. Even if it is the park that is two towns over, the interesting new sight will nudge your mind from a redundant landscape.
Make sure to grab a bicycle when you get bored of walking. Thirty minutes of bike riding will burn nearly twice as many calories as walking.
If you can get your hands on a kayak, kayaking is a great way to enjoy the water as well as tone your six-pack. The turning motion of your torso will work on your oblique muscles.
Even grabbing a football or a Frisbee for a noncompetitive toss back and forth is a great way to be exposed to natural vitamins from the sun. Endorphins will release even from minimal exercise, which will leave you feeling happier. The least amount of effort will still provide a great workout, and after hours of enjoyment, you will find yourself feeling slimmer for the summer.
