Summer Sweat Sessions and Smoothies

During the warm summer months of Austin, there are so many fun activities you’ll want to take part in. Between picnicking at Zilker Park, watching over one million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge or checking out what’s blooming at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, there’s no shortage of summer fun in Austin. 

But what about your workouts? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an efficient workout that you could quickly knock out? And even better — what if you had a yummy smoothie made with summer fruit to sip while you made your way from your workout to, say, the Wildflower Center? Well, you’re in luck! 

Here are some quick summer workouts that you can do anywhere — no equipment needed — and delicious summer smoothie recipes!

Workout #1 — Sprints with a Twist

All you need for this workout is the great outdoors and your phone. Download a free timer app like Interval Timer and set continual 30-second intervals for a total of 20 minutes. During the intervals, perform the following exercises:

• Interval 1: Brisk walk
• Interval 2: Sprint as hard as you can
• Interval 3: Brisk walk
• Interval 4: Squats
• Interval 5: Brisk walk
• Interval 6: Sprint as hard as you can
• Interval 7: Brisk walk
• Interval 8: Pushups
• Interval 9: Brisk walk
• Interval 10: Sprint as hard as you can
• Interval 11: Brisk walk
• Interval 12: Walking lunges

Repeat the pattern above for 20 minutes (40 intervals) or as long as you’d like.

Smoothie #1 — 4-Ingredient Mango Green Smoothie from Well Plated

Mango has a ton of health benefits! One cup of fresh mango provides nearly 67% of the daily value for vitamin C as well as a good source of the minerals copper and folate. Mango is also packed with polyphenols, which are plant compounds that act as antioxidants to protect your body. This smoothie only has four ingredients but is big on flavor!

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups frozen mango pieces, about 10 ounces
• 1 ripe banana cut into chunks
• 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions: 

Place all the ingredients in your blender. Blend until smooth. 

Workout #2 – Total Body Circuit

Using the timer on your phone, set your intervals to one minute of work and 30 seconds of rest for four rounds, which totals six minutes. There are four exercises in the circuit. Do each exercise for one minute and then rest for 30 seconds before moving to the next exercise.

• Burpees: Bring your hands to the ground, jump or step back into a plank. Lower your body all the way to the ground and then press back up. Jump or step back in. Stand up tall or jump at the top.
• Alternating Lunges with a Core Twist: Start standing tall with your hands at your head. Take a step back with one foot, bending the back knee toward the ground. Keep your chest lifted and shoulders back. While you’re in the lunge position, twist your upper body toward the front leg. If your left leg is in front, twist left.
• Elbow to Tall Plank with Two Mountain Climbers: Begin in a tall plank with your shoulders over your hands, hips in line with your shoulders and holding your belly to spine. Drop down into an elbow plank, one elbow at a time, and then back up to a tall plank. Perform two mountain climbers, keeping your hips low.
• Layout to Four Russian Twists: Sitting on the ground, balance on your tailbone with your feet elevated and arms reaching forward. Extend your legs out while reaching arms overhead and leaning back. Come back to balance in the center and twist your arms across your body four times.

You can perform this circuit as many times as you like but at least three times is recommended.

Summer Smoothie #2 – Healthy Strawberry Smoothie from Allrecipes

Strawberries are always a popular choice for smoothies! They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving — about eight strawberries — provides more vitamin C than an orange.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 banana 
• ½ cup frozen strawberries
• ⅓ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds

Instructions:

Blend almond milk, banana, strawberries, yogurt, oats and almonds together in a blender until smooth.

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No need to sacrifice your workouts for the sake of making time for summer fun! These quick workouts pack a big punch in a short amount of time. And knowing there’s a healthy smoothie waiting at the end of your workout is a great incentive to finish strong!

About the Author

Whitney Otstott is the owner of GirlPower Fitness, a private fitness studio in southwest Austin that’s just for women. Whitney has been in the fitness industry for more than 25 years, teaching numerous group fitness formats and offering personal training in a way that helps women get stronger and healthier in a nurturing and empowering environment. Learn more at https://girlpoweraustin.com/.