Are you loving summer as much as we are at HEX?! We cannot get enough of the outdoors. We are over those air quality alerts and wildfires from Canada, though! Americans are typically 3x more active in the summer than they are in the winter, all thanks to nicer weather.
You may find yourself walking, swimming or biking. But what about some competitive outdoor activities! What are they and what are their benefits?
We break down some of the top summer sports, what they are, where you can find them near you and what the benefits they have on your health:
Pickleball Ball
- It’s all the rage! A combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, this sport is played indoor and out. This sport has grown rapidly in popularity over the last few years, it’s easy-to-learn(ish), playable by all ages and accessible (if you have a tennis court nearby, you basically have a pickleball court.)
- You can find more info here: https://usapickleball.org/
- Did you know 30 minutes of Pickleball can burn between 200-300 calories?
Frisbee Golf/Disc Golf
- Just like regular golf, this sport is not for the impatient! The goal of the game is to throw a disc at a standing basket, following rules similar to regular golf! Fewest number of tosses to get the frisbee into the basket, wins! Played across either 9 or 18 baskets!
- You can find more info here: https://discgolf.com/
- Did you know 30 minutes of Frisbee Golf can burn between 100-200 calories?
Swimming
- Competitive swimming has been around since the 1800s and was first introduced in London, England! Funny enough, strokes swam in some of the world’s first swim meets are still around today (like the breast stroke!). Today, swimming is largely enjoyed in the summer months by children of all ages and has lots of benefits including: accessible to most families in the US, works multiple areas of the body at once, helps teach necessary survival skills and it’s FUN!
- You can find more info here: https://www.usaswimming.org/
- Did you know 30 minutes of Swimming can burn between 150-300 calories?
Surfing
- Known to be one of the oldest sports in the world, if you are lucky enough to live by water, you should give surfing a try! The beauty of surfing is that the rules are universal all over the world! You don’t even need to speak the same language to compete with someone! Surfing requires a great deal of determination, strength and time, but if you have those, the sport has many benefits.
- You can find more info here: https://surfing-waves.com/
- Did you know 30 minutes of Surfing can burn between 150-250 calories?
Wiffle Ball
- Rumor has it we have our friends in Connecticut to thank for wiffle ball! Here in Baltimore, where HEX is headquartered, wiffle ball is enjoyed in the summer months with a bat in one hand and a beer in the other! It's as much of a competitive sport as it is a social sport! Good news for those wanting to give it a try: you can often find the equipment (and you don’t need much) in a drug or convenience store during the summer months!
- You can find more info here: http://www.wiffle.com/
- Did you know 30 minutes of Wiffle ball can burn between 100-200 calories?
