It’s getting hotter and hotter beneath the lower mainland sun. So hot in fact that instead of writing this article yesterday during the day when it was due, I sat under the sun for a few hours and now I look like a lobster. So this is being written a mere 20 hours or so ago (depending on how quickly you open the newsletters).

It’s all about balance, right? The sun is only around for so long in this neck of the woods. And no, I’m absolutely not complaining – I did grow up in Edmonton after all. So few know better than me that you oughta enjoy the sun and the summer while you’ve got the opportunity to do so.

But sure, you still want your kids to train for their sport of choice over the summer, right? Parents, you still want to stay in shape during beach season, correct?

Well, here are a few ways you can embrace both health and leisure this summer.

1. Kids & Parents: Don’t…

This one is mostly for the youth athletes out there, and for the hockey player crowd most of all. It seems like every few weeks we talk about balancing hockey training, but there are still young players on the ice twelve months out of the year. Don’t do this. Don’t saturate your children with so much hockey that they’re less than hungry when tryouts roll around. In the longrun you’re doing a lot more harm than good.

2. Parents or Kids: Use Your Feet

Although you might have found a comfort zone in the fitness centre, it’s never a bad idea to switch up your training. Take it outside, as they say. Wait, as I say? Anyways, North Vancouver is home to some of the most epic cross country trail runs you’ll find on planet Earth, so dust off your camelbak and get runnin’!

3. Parents: Switch Up Your Routine

What are your fitness goals for the year? For the summer? For next week? I’ve had a lot of success recently as I switched up my routine to include a mixture of high rep weight cutting and low rep, high weight mass building. And yeah, some days I feel like I might faint, but the impact of surprising my body has me finding muscles in painful places I never knew existed. Too much information? Yeah I thought so, but it’s good to speak from experience every now and again, right?

Yeah sure. Anyways…

4. Everybody: Try Something New

Hockey players could learn a lot about their coordination and agility by picking up the tennis racquet this summer. Tennis players could learn a lot about their endurance and strength by hopping into the pool this summer. And swimmers could learn a lot about their, um, their…

Ok, so swimmers are already strong and fast and coordinated and can exercise for hours.

Maybe we should all just get in the pool?

For real, there’s something magical about picking up something new and dedicating yourself to it. It’s not just the physical benefits that will pay dividends, it’s the impact on your mind. Confidence is an incredibly powerful tool that doesn’t care which sport it’s engaged in.

So give tennis a try. Go for a swim. And yeah, grab some skates and a stick and go shoot a puck.

You might surprise yourself.

Alright, that all sounds fun, but for now I’m going to go sit outside and find some more balance.