Las Vegas boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year! Not only that, but temperatures this time of year are perfect for taking your workouts outside. Not only does Vegas have plenty of sunshine and great temps, but it also has some of the most scenic and popular places to hike, climb, rock climb, bike, water ski, or just about any outdoor activity you can think of.
First, you need to decide what you'd like to do:
- Hiking- hiking is a great cardio workout. Hiking can be adapted to any fitness level, from short flat trails, to long altitude climbing treks! Hiking requires balance, strength, and stamina and can help increase endurance as well
- Skiing/Snowboarding- about a 45 min. drive from town there is a mountain in the desert! Snowboarding and skiing are excellent exercises for balance, agility, coordination, and endurance.
- Bicycling- besides the beautiful bike trails in Summerlin, Southern Highlands, Anthem and other master-planned communities, people come from all over the world to road bike at Red Rock Canyon or Mountain bike at Mt. Charleston. Riding a bicycle is a great lower-body workout as well as cardiovascular exercise and is low-impact, so it can be adapted for almost anyone.
- Rock Climbing- Red Rock Canyon is recognized world wide as a rock climbing Mecca. Rock climbing requires balance, upper body strength and a little bit of guts!
Before embarking on your outdoor adventure; make sure you have the proper equipment; shoes, water, proper clothing, guides or guidebooks, and let someone know where you are going.
It helps to have a base fitness level, but many of the activities are great for beginners and will only help to increase your fitness. Many people enjoy outdoor fitness activities more because it gets them off the treadmill for a change of scenery!
A few local resources to check are:
http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm (Valley of Fire)
http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/
http://www.nps.gov/lame/index.htm (Lake Mead)
Maybe its time to start making an Outdoor Adventure part of your weekly routine!
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