Bring on Summer!

On this Motivation Monday, we are six days away from the official start of spring. As you can probably tell from my last few posts, this bona fide beach bunny is very excited about the arrival of my favorite season. So for my last pre-summer post, I thought I’d offer a few fitness-related items to add to your shopping list as you gear up for fun in the sun and new chances to get outside and get moving.

1) Re-usable water bottle:  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. My rule of thumb is unless you’re playing a sport for 90 minutes or longer, stay away from sugary energy drinks.

2) Sportsfood strips: Whether you’re hitting the trails for a run, the beach for a swim or the park for a picnic, throw a cartridge or two of these no-calorie, no-sugar electrolyte strips in your bag. Click here to see why I never go anywhere without them. (And when you order them, don’t forget to use coupon code Laura for a 15% discount.)

3)  Moisture-wicking clothing: Sometimes the gear I wear makes all the difference between sweating it out and throwing in the towel.

3) Portable / non-perishable snacks: Open any of my backpacks or beach bags, and chances are you’ll find almonds, a banana and a protein bars. At this time of year, some of my other favorites to pack in a cooler are celery, watermelon and frozen grapes.

4) Jump rope: My favorite portable workout tool that can be used just about anywhere.

5) New kicks: You may recall I get a new pair of cross trainers twice a year. Since I tend to ask Santa to leave one pair under the tree for me on Christmas Day, this is the time of year I look for the next pair that I can start wearing down.

6) Sunscreen: I did a lot of damage to my skin with all the sun worshiping I did in my teens and 20s. After developing Rosacea in my 30s, I’m much more diligent about protecting my skin. I look for products that are lightweight, waterproof and formulated specifically for sensitive skin.

7) Good tunes:  I simply cannot get into my workout without some heart-pounding beats. Here are the five songs currently giving me the biggest boost for cardio, Tabatas and weight training (some are old, some are new):

• “Girl Gone Wild (Dave Aude Remix)” – Madonna
• “The Walker” – Fitz & The Tantrums
• “Ease off the Liquor” – Timbaland
• “Love Runs Out” -One Republic
• “Bigfoot” – W&W

Now bring on the start of summer 2014 and plenty of sun-filled days and chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous right through Labor Day!