Warm Up Your Workout

Cheri Lewis of Lake in the Hills has been kayaking for 14 years and is a member of the Chicago Kayak Club. (Photo provided)

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It’s summertime, and that means it’s time to go outside and get active.

Whether it’s biking, hiking, fishing or getting in the water, there are plenty of outdoor summer activities to help you get in shape — and stay in shape, too.

Taking a bike ride on one of McHenry County’s many bike trails is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, experience nature and get active. 

“There is a pretty good feeling you get while you are on a bike,” says Jay Marshall, 43, of Richmond. “You are getting exercise. You are not hurting the planet. You get to enjoy nature. And you get to see and hear and smell things you just don’t experience in a car.”

As a science teacher at Antioch Upper Grade School, Marshall is able to get on his bike a lot in the summer. He aims to ride at least every other day, and the majority of his rides are between 25 and 60 miles. Last year he rode about 4,000 miles in all.   

Bob Mauch, 60, of McHenry, says planned rides with other bikers make riding very enjoyable. Mauch, president of the McHenry County Bicycle Club, rides about three times a week, logging in about 35 miles each ride.

Mauch says most of the bike club’s rides include a stop for a meal and lively social discourse. 

“One of our unofficial slogans is, ‘We ride so that we can eat,’” he says. “I concentrate on that meal when peddling up a long steep hill.”

Mary Winkel knows about health, and she takes hers very seriously.

The former physical education teacher from unincorporated Hebron Township is now retired and spends her time doing activities to stay in shape. During the summer, she bikes 35 to 40 miles three times a week and participates in group rides with the MCBC.  

Fishing, archery, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, hunting, camping, backpacking and baby-sitting her granddaughter are among the other activities in which Winkel participates in the summer. 

“If it involves being active, you’ll probably find me out there testing myself and enjoying just the sheer joy of being alive,” Winkel says.

Kayaking is a great outdoor exercise that’s good for your body and spirit.

Cheri Lewis of Lake in the Hills has been kayaking for 14 years and is a member of the Chicago Kayak Club. Now that kayaking season has begun, she gets in the water at least once a week in waters such as Woods Creek Lake in Lake in the Hills. 

Lewis says getting out on the water in a kayak enables you to see the earth from a different perspective than you would on a boat or from a shore. 

“When I was kayaking on the Mississippi River, it looked like the river was ‘boiling’ with fish,” she says. “I was so close to the water’s surface.”

If you enjoy swimming, biking and running to stay in shape, you ought to look into participating in a triathlon. Triathlons have become very popular in recent years, and shorter triathlons have become even more common.

Laura Mraz, 40, of Crystal Lake, got the triathlon bug a few years ago and wanted to join in on the fun. Her husband and children participate in triathlons as well. Swimming is Mraz’s favorite portion of the race, but she loves crossing the finish line even more. 

“It feels so good to run across that finish line, and it’s worth every training session,” says Mraz, who participated in the Lake in the Hills Triathlon in June. “[My] kids also are enjoying the sport, and what a great lifestyle to share as a family. We try to maintain balance as much as possible, so my philosophy on workouts is simply to get in what I can. If I miss one, I don’t get too upset about it.”   

Laurie Teper, 53, of Cary, also participated in the Lake in the Hills Triathlon last month. She started running in 1985 and transitioned to triathlons in 1986.

“There was a 10-year period that I didn’t compete due to an injury and then kids, but I rediscovered it in 2003 and fell in love with it all over again,” she says.

Teper enjoys the benefits of cross training, competition and physical and mental fitness. She says goal setting is her key to success. 

“Boredom never sets in when I set goals and work toward achieving them, and I like to see how much I can push myself and how my body responds,” she says. “So far, so good. I hope I can continue to be active for the rest of my life.”