Hi all! Happy Monday!
In case you couldn't tell from THIS post, we love love love the Olympics! It's such a fun thing to watch every evening. Not sure if you all feel this way, but we have felt SO inspired by all of the incredible athletes. Some of the things that they can do is just crazy-impressive! The sprinters for example- how can their legs even move that fast? Because of all of the recent hype, we thought it would be fun to let the Olympics inspire some new activity routines. Here are some simple ways to refresh your fitness routine, inspired by the world's best athletes!
Take the Plunge!
All of the swimming events are clearly a crowd favorite. The events are fast. The athletes are spunky. There's a lot of history in the events. It's just an overall, great, category! Something else interesting with the swimming events, is that, as impressive as they are- they're sort of the most relatable. Meaning this: if you can swim, and you have swam at least one pool length before, you can immediately appreciate how insane they're strength and speed is! Some of the other events are so off-putting that it's hard to actually understand how impressive and complex they are (pole vaulting for example!).
Simple activities inspired by Olympic Swimming:
- treading water for timed intervals
- trying all of the different stroke styles for a few lengths of the pool
- your typical stretches or movements, underwater for extra resistance
- timing yourself trying an Olympic length of a certain swim
- ex: 100 meter breaststroke
Change of Pace!
Another Olympic favorite, are all of the track and field events. All we can say is WOW!! Something great about track events is that there is something for everyone. You like distance running- watch the mile, two-mile, or steeple chase. Maybe you're more of a speedster- watch the 100 meter dash, or any of the relays! Similarly, there are many diverse activities that these running events can inspire!
Simple activities inspired by Olympic Running:
- Power walking for an Olympic distance
- Start with 400-800 meters and build up from there
- Add some fun obstacles to your typical jog, inspired by the steeple chase
- Exchange your typical long jog for some shorter timed 100 meter sprints
- Instead of struggling through one sprawling run, jog a function speed for 200-400 meters at a time, several times
A Star Studded Cast!
Something that we've really loved, during these Tokyo Summer Olympics, are all of the new athlete brand endorsements! Specifically, we've really loved that some athletes have teamed up with at home workout companies like Peloton or Nordic Track. We think this was in motivation to both showcase some of their at-home training methods AND connect with you, the fan, more deeply!
Here are a few cool ways to "train with the stars" at home!
Rely on the Relays!
Other great Olympic events are all of the relays, triathlons, and combination routines. Next time you're looking for a unique workout combination, look no further than the current prime time event!
- Create an at-home modified triathlon
- Combine a few different swim strokes for your own solo relay
- Find a teammate or two to create a running or swimming relay team. This will give you time to rest in between sets!
Of course there are a million and one ways to be active this summer. These are just a few Olympic inspired ideas. Don't forget about the basics either: a pick-up basketball or volleyball game. Perhaps try a family tennis match (tabletop, also counts!). Take your pals out to the gold course for a few hours of the links. Grab a canoe and hit the water! Which is great for upper-body strengthening! Whatever the activity may be, don't get too caught up in the struggle. Simply try to enjoy the movement! That, in it of itself, is podium worthy!
What events inspire you?? Comment below!
Happy tracking!