Gearing up for a Summer Outdoors

Spring is here and summer is coming! As the weather warms up and you’re spending more time outdoors, you might benefit from increasing your training - especially if you’ll be doing longer backpacking routes or climbing bigger mountains. 

Today we’re going to be talking about some ways that you can get your body ready for outdoor movement, no matter if you’re taking strolls by the river or summiting The Grand.

Getting Started with Fitness

If you took the winter off, the snow interrupted your hiking plans, or even if you’re recovering from a ski injury, you can still get back into the swing of things and spend a summer enjoying the outdoors. 

To get started, first make sure you’re cleared to increase your activity if you spent the winter injured, and then start slowly - even just adding a mile to your daily walking route. Once you’re comfortable, try adding additional cardio or distance to your walks or easy hikes.

 Start slow, and listen to your body! Going to fast can lend itself to injuries, which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid. 

If you’ve been active all winter and want to add more intensity to your fitness to get ready for a busy summer, you can increase your workload by adding additional strength workouts to your routine. Box Squats, lunges, and farmer carries are all great ways to strengthen your legs and endurance for more intense hikes. 

Regardless of your fitness level, strengthening your core will be a necessary training component for preparing for summer hikes - especially if you’re going to be carrying weight on your back. 

REI has a great article detailing some workouts and a training schedule you can follow that we love. 

Get Outside

The best way you can get ready for longer excursions outdoors is by simply getting outside and having fun doing so. Even if you’re just going on a longer walk with your family, moving your body outdoors can get you ready for hiking up mountains - and is also one of the best parts of spring and summer before it heats up too much. You can even do some of your strength workouts outside just with your bodyweight. 

There are some great workouts in this article from Men’s Journal that you can incorporate into even a park visit with your kids. Regardless of the intensity of your excursion, the most important part is that you get outside!  Like we’ve said - start small and then pick a big goal you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to go on a 20 mile hike in the Enchantments. 

Maybe you want just to get your kids to the river more. Whatever you’re shooting for, pick a goal, pick a date you want to accomplish it, and start working toward it. No matter what you’re hoping to do, getting a workout or two done outside will help inspire you, remind you how great being outside is, and get another day of training down. 

Managing Recovery

As you increase your fitness workload you may experience sore muscles, fatigue, or even some stress injuries. Make sure you take it slow and prioritize your recovery. This is where we come in. 

CBD can help your body recover and potentially reduce the risk of sore muscles after a big workout, on top of helping you sleep better - all of which can help your muscles heal!

CBD is a great resource for muscle recovery and promoting rest. Our Max CBD cream can ease pain following a hard workout, help with shin splints and even ease the pain of pulled muscles. Additionally our CBD PM tincture can help you sleep better to promote recovery after an intense workout. 

One study recommended taking CBD immediately following your workout to best aid your body's recovery. 

We suggest taking 1-2 ml of any of our CBD tinctures after your workout and letting it sit under your tongue for about 30 seconds to help your body absorb the CBD more effectively. Each of our CBD products can help aid in your recovery and get you back up on your feet in no time. 

Wrapping Up

CBD is a a great  tool to keep in your toolkit - especially as you’re increasing activity. CBD can improve your workout recovery, and can help you feel your best. No matter what fitness stage you’re at, we have something for you. As always, give us a shout if you have questions or want help finding the perfect product for you. We’re here to help!