Five Outdoor Exercise Ideas for Spring

It's time to shed the pounds that winter inactivity produced. As the weather warms and we move closer to bathing suit season, why not take your fitness regime outdoors? Forget the gym and the treadmill and bask in the joys of spring while you tone up and trim down. Read on to get a refresher course on some of your favorite exercises and learn a few new and unusual ones.

1. Skipping-rope. Haven't skipped rope or played a little Double Dutch with your friends since you were in grade school? Well, it's time to pick up an old habit. It's fun, trendy, and family-friendly. Get the kids involved and get everyone's fitness curve on the upswing. Women all around the country have rediscovered jump-rope, both as a means of getting in shape and as a healthy form of competition. There are exhibitions and festivals going on throughout the United States and Europe. As for weight loss, twenty minutes of jumping is the equivalent of an hour of aerobics. The best part is that skipping-rope is a great lower-body workout.

2. Geocaching. This fun, walking-intensive activity - essentially a technological scavenger hunt - is sweeping the nation. All you need to participate is a hand-held GPS device. Here's how it works: people hide objects almost anywhere you could imagine (the caches), and list them online only by their latitude and longitude. Geocachers become members of these online groups and select caches to find based on general location and difficulty of the search. Caches are inexpensive, fun and quirky. When you find a cache, you leave something else for the next person. To learn more, go to www.geocaching.com.

3. Yoga at dawn. For you early risers, join the ranks of yoga enthusiasts who
spread their mats on the beach as the sun makes its appearance for another day. Yoga has both physical and psychological benefits that often seem enhanced when combined with awe-inspiring natural events. Alternatives to practicing your asanas (yoga poses) at dawn include yoga in the moonlight and yoga in a quiet glade.

4. Fitness trails. Instead of simply biking, jogging or hiking, check out a fitness trail near you. Fitness trails are paths that have a series of stations featuring different exercises. As you jog down the trail, you periodically come upon a chinning bar, parallel bars or, perhaps, a horizontal ladder, all designed to give a different part of your body a workout. Fitness trails are often sponsored by colleges, community groups or your city government, so there's probably one nearby.

5. Amateur leagues. It may seem as if we've become a nation of couch
potatoes, getting our thrills vicariously through our local university or professional sports teams. In reality, amateur participatory sports are alive and well. If you love baseball, why not find a local league designed for people just like you? Most cities and towns have organized programs in baseball, softball, basketball and soccer that are perfect for adults and kids of all ages. It's great weather for sports, so join in, have fun and get fit.

When the weather warms up and sunset comes later and later, it's human nature to want to get outside again. While these activities are great for you and your family, take a minute to make sure your health insurance policy is up to date. If you're simply comparing rates, or looking for a new policy altogether, NetQuote can help. We can connect you to our nationwide network of agents who can find a policy for you.

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