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9 Unconventional Exercises to Try This Summer 

The new year may get all the hype for resolutions. However, do you remember how cold and icy January can get? Summer is a far superior season for starting a new program, with fresh air and sunshine beckoning you to get outside and move your body.

 

However, there’s no need to stick to the tried and true. Why not mix things up and engage muscles you typically neglect by finding something completely different from your routine? Doing so might be just the ticket for busting through that plateau. Here are nine unconventional exercises to try this summer.

 

Rock Climbing 

Are you seeking a hardcore yet low-impact fitness regimen that works every muscle while making you feel like the amazing Spiderman? If so, rock climbing may be your ideal unconventional exercise to try this summer. Begin by honing your skills in an indoor facility, then graduate to the big mountains as you attempt increasingly more difficult climbs.

 

Rock climbing won’t only keep you strong. Do eye problems run in your family? This sport increases your visual acuity as you scour the next spot to place your hands and feet. It also improves overall speed and agility, stretching your muscles as you reach for the next rock while strengthening them and getting your heart pumping all at once.

 

Aqua Yoga 

Summer is the perfect time for enjoying hot yoga — some days might reach the 105° mark with 40% humidity, especially if you live in parts of the desert southwest. However, what if you don’t like the idea of slip-sliding across a sweat-slick mat while you hold a downward-facing dog?

 

Why not give aqua yoga a try? You can find classes for all levels, and you might discover pool workouts are easier on your joints if you have creaky knees and better for holding poses like a dancer, thanks to the water’s support. However, opt for yoga on a paddleboard if you want a balance challenge. You’ll strengthen your core and getting a bit wobbly means enjoying a cool dip in the pool.

 

Uniwheeling 

Have you met the Onewheel? This combination fitness gadget and transportation device looks like a skateboard with a fat tire smack dab in the middle. Using one works your core and balance while getting you where you need to go.

It takes a bit to feel comfortable, but it shouldn’t take long to get the knack of riding this device. When you want to accelerate, you lean forward. If you’re going to stop, you lean back. Please always remember to wear your helmet — safety first.

 

Ice Skating 

The swimming pool isn’t the only place you can beat the summer heat. Why not head to your local ice skating rink for a cool workout that blasts your quads and hamstrings.

You might want to take a lesson or two if it’s your first time on the ice. Are you partnered? Why not try this activity together?

 

Parkour

What’s the fastest way to get from here to there? It’s a straight line — but sometimes, pesky objects like fences and stairwells get in the way. Enter parkour.

This sport has you running, jumping and vaulting over obstacles while you improve your overall strength, fitness, balance and spatial awareness. It’s a terrific confidence booster that encourages self-reliance and creative thinking — what’s the best way to get over that wall?

 

Live Action Role Playing 

Do you live to indulge your nerdy side? If so, live-action role-playing might be your ticket to a fitter summer.

This activity lets you dress up in costume, transforming into a medieval knight. Sword fighting gets your heart pumping and builds impressive shoulder strength — just be sure to use a wooden prop instead of the real thing.

 

Geocaching 

Perhaps you live to solve a mystery. Geocaching has you seeking hidden treasure around your town, forcing you to go for that walk by giving you a purpose.

You need to find a group and download the app to participate. Then, select a cache to find. Once you locate your hidden treasure, take a picture to share with the group on social media and leave it there for the next seeker.

 

Video Games 

Did you think of video gaming as an activity for couch potatoes? Not necessarily. It all depends on what you select.

For example, Zombies, Run! casts you as the protagonist during the ZA. It provides that extra motivation you need if your response to “do you run” is, “only if something’s chasing me.” Fitness Boxing has you throwing hooks like Tyson while you punch your way to a leaner shape.

 

Dance Parties 

Do you love to party? If so, why not get the whole family involved and have some fun while getting fit?

You don’t need equipment to throw an impromptu dance party in your living room. Merely dock your iPhone and boogie down, taking turns and seeing who can invent the most creative moves.

 

Unconventional Exercises to Try This Summer 

Forget new year’s resolutions. Summer is the ideal time to start a new fitness routine.

Why not try one of the above unconventional exercises this summer? You’ll have a blast burning calories and getting in shape.

 

About The Author

Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy.