A-Z Of Summer Activity
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With the days getting longer there is just so much more to do, so we thought we’d do an A-Z of summer activities to give you some ideas to get you, your friends and family out and active this summer. A – Aqua Aerobics If you’re going on holiday and the hotel has a pool, you can almost guarantee they will put on an aqua aerobics class during their program of activities. So why not give it a go, you’ll be surprised at how much fun it is. What a great way to exercise in the summer sun and still stay cool! B – Basketball Activity for both mind and body as you need quick reflexes and good judgement as you try to read your mark's next move. Just don’t let the kids (including fully-grown ones) play near the barbeque – it can and will end in disaster! C – Cricket Cricket has seen a bit of a revival in the UK since we won the Ashes in 2005, and is a great summer activity to take with you on days out with friends and family. Cheap cricket set are available from supermarkets and the likes of Argos - then all you need is a patch of grass. D – Dodgeball One of my PE teacher's favourite gym activities, and although you don’t need silly uniforms as modelled by Ben Stiler and co. in the movie, it may well help put your opponents off! E – Equestrianism Whether riding a horse on a pony trek at the beach or in a show, horse riding is great for your posture and core muscles. Riding a horse for the first time is something you’ll never forget, a well worth experience if you get the chance this summer. F – Football Don’t just watch it on the telly, get out there with your mates, partners, neighbours and kids, and actually play! It’s inexpensive, great fun and easy to play with people of all abilities. G – Golf 18 Holes, Pitch & Putt or Crazy Golf, they all get you walking as well as perfecting your hand and eye co-ordination. Plus how to play is easy (it’s just the technique that needs perfecting). H – Hiking Hiking is walking, not in a town or city, but out in the wilderness, up mountains, round lakes, through forests, pretty much anywhere there isn’t tarmac. Hiking is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of our surroundings and native wildlife, and it’s free making it a top summer activity and ideal for a day away. I – Ice Hockey & Ice Skating Not normally considered summer sports, we know, but ice rinks often extend their opening times, put on extra sessions or summer schools for these sports during the summer holidays. What better way to cool off when it’s too hot! J – Jogging All you need to jog is a good pair of trainers. You can jog alone, with the dog, with a friend or even the kids (tell them all the celebrities do it so it is cool) and because it’s jogging (not running) you can do it with people of all fitness levels and no one gets left behind. Tip: The best times to go jogging tend to be early morning and evening when it is cool. Jogging near lakes and rivers is also lovely as you get a refreshing breeze off of the water. K – Kayaking Kayaking or Canoeing is an activity that can be as active and adrenaline filled, or as relaxing as you like, and so is suitable for all that don’t mind getting a bit wet now and then. However whether coastal or inland waters take your fancy always get started with some professional help, and if you are not experienced get a guide to take you. L – Laser Quest / Laser Tag For big kids as well as actual ones, Laser Quest is tag using laser guns to zap your opponents. A game usually lasts around 20 minutes for up to 20 players, at a cost of around £4-5, however it’s worth asking about discounts for block or group bookings as you’ll almost always get a better deal. M – Mowing Did you know that half an hour mowing the lawn will burn over 200 calories! So make sure you mow the lawn before the BBQ and earn yourself an extra hot dog. N – Netball Another of our relatively free activities, you just need a ball and a court with a hoop (or two). O – Orienteering A timed activity where participants use a map and compass to visit (in sequence) checkpoints marked on their map. Competitors start at intervals to ensure each finds their own way to the checkpoints, as this is a sport of skill and endurance as well as speed. P – Paddling What better excuse do you need to go to a beach? Need more persuading? It’s free, no equipment, special clothes or planning is required, and everyone can paddle. Q – Quoits Usually played on ships decks but could be played on the beach, it’s a bit like ten pin bowling with smaller skittles and rope rings. You throw the rings round the skittles. (that one is thanks to Karen Seager of Fitness Australia) R – Rounders Another school favourite, and in fact a very old game dating back to the seventeenth century, and unlike the chicken and the egg question we can definitely say Rounders came before Baseball. S – Swimming Backstroke, Breast Stroke, Butterfly, Freestyle and even Doggy Paddle, in indoor pools, outdoor pools, rivers or in the sea. Wherever and however you choose to swim you’ll be getting a full body workout, raising your heart rate and toning your muscles, making swimming the best physical summer activity in our alphabet. T – Tennis Seeing as we haven’t had a British Wimbledon champion for some time now, I think it is our duty to get on the tennis court and give it a go. Not sure where to stand or what the rules are, that’s no excuse, read our tennis page and pick up some tips too. U – Ultimate Ultimate or Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact sport played with a... Frisbee. The aim of the game is to get the Frisbee into your opponents’ end zone much like in American Football, you have 7 players on each team, it is non-contact and you can’t run with the Frisbee. V – Volleyball Playing Volleyball is the number two summer activity after swimming, as it will give you a fantastic workout. It’s also a lot cheaper than you might think, with a net costing as little as £14! Put it up in your garden, playing field or on the beach, it's even easy to roll up and put away or take away on holiday. W – Walking Some of the best summer activities are free and easy, and walking certainly falls into that category. Did you know you should try to take 10,000 steps a day? That’s roughly 5 miles, most of which you’ll walk without even noticing, so why not go for a walk, rediscover pathways you took before you could drive and clock up those miles. X – Xare Bit of an unusual activity for summer is Xare. For this game you need to wear a helmet as it is a racquet sport played with a rather hard ball, played on an indoor court called a Trinquete, much like a tennis court. Due to the loosely strung nature of the racquet the ball is neither caught nor struck to return it to the player, more of a lob like in lacrosse one presumes. Y – Yoga If next-door's kids are driving you mad this summer, try a bit of yoga to de-stress. Although having an exercise mat is ideal to do yoga on, a soft space on the ground can sometimes do just as well and sometimes just being out in the summer sun is enough to improve your mood. Z – Zorbing You know those hamster balls that you put your hamster in and let it roll around the living room? Well zorbing is basically a bigger version of that ball, big enough to put you in and then roll you down a hill! Some Zorbs have straps in, others are strapless and can have water put in them so your experience is more like a tumbling water shoot! |
