DAN'S PAPERS, August 1, 2008 Page 96 www.danshamptons.com
Health/Fitness
Get Off the Lounge Chair, Pick Up a Rake With the lush landscape a backdrop for your labor and the environment a perfect setting for numerous outdoor adventures, you should be able to find a few activities to partake in. Let’s take the most obvious. Walking, jogging, hiking and biking all offer a pretty good aerobic turnout. There are parks, trails, quiet roads, miles and miles and miles of beach, so many options for fitness travel. There’s also plenty of water out here between pools, the ocean and the bay. What about actually SWIMMING when you are at the beach or lounging by the pool? Even for a little while? It’s invigorating and it’s good for you – and you may actually enjoy yourself. Kayaking is also gaining popularity. If you don’t own
S. Galardi
By Maria Orlando Pietromonaco For a brief stretch during our summer vacations and weekend getaways, we are removed from the doldrums of the office and the monotony of home life. There’s another bonus resulting from our reality sabbatical – we are also relieved from dreaded workouts at the gym. However, skipping a formal workout here and there, although blissful and blessed, could prove disastrous for the fabulous figures we’ve been working so hard to pare. The lollygagging, lounging and cocktail parties are inherent forms of calorie-burning deferment. Not only is your body feeling the effects, but you are probably awash in guilt and frustration.
one there are plenty of places to rent them, and it’s a beautiful ride combined with a great upper body workout. You can paddle into the bay if you are ready to take on some mini swells, or journey down the Peconic River for an easy flow and tranquility. What about summer games and sports? Tennis is a great bet at around 500 calories an hour (for a singles game – you can double it up if you’re willing to forego the burnout). Golf is also fairly aerobic, if you leave the cart. There are water sports like skiing, surfing, fishing (I guess if you reel in a shark you could break a sweat), windsurfing and more. Plenty to fill the hours between sunrise and happy hour. If you’re looking for just a little bit more than recreational exercise, what about a beach workout? Jeffrey Thayer of JT Personal Fitness in Southampton sees more than “panoramic Hamptons oceanfront” when he goes to the beach. “I see a fully stocked workout space,” says Thayer. “Most movements you see in a gym can be transplanted onto the beach. With a bit of imagination, two pails, a shovel and a towel turn into an entire set of free weights.” He recommends a basic workout including jumping jacks, jogging, jumping in and out of the waves, and swimming back and forth. In addition, you could incorporate a mini-circuit of stretches, lunges, squats and beach-bucket weight training. Thayer also encourages use of any resources available. “Picnic tables and benches can be used for dips, pushups and vaulting. A significant slope from shore to dunes can be great for sprinting uphill.” If you choose not to indulge in any of the aforementioned activities, you can still slow-burn with moderate results. Here are some ways to simmer a handful of calories here and there: - Cancel the gardener and do it yourself - Leave off the bug spray. Slapping mosquitoes at a rate of 50 an hour has to be good for 25 calories. – Summer lovin’ – Shopping – Dancing the night away – Flipping pages in your favorite book, or better yet, Dan’s Papers
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There are only a few weeks left of summer, and if idleness is more your speed, then go for it. At worst you can pack on half-a-dozen pounds and worry about it in the fall, at the gym. You’ll have about nine months to get back in shape before next bathing suit season.