Health: Sweat Like You Mean It

Since you’ll be down the shore this summer, you’ll need to find a way to stay in shape that doesn’t take up all of your beach time. “Instead of training muscles, we train people to move in an effective, powerful and athletic way, and this involves engaging the whole body." says Wil Vicinus, a trainer at CrossFit South Philly.

Most programs meet six times a week, letting you combine kettlebell, dumbbell and bodyweight exercises (like squats, lunges and pushups) with good, old-fashioned heart-pumping cardio work. It’s all part of CrossFit’s plan to boost your stamina and endurance, fine-tune your metabolic pathways and train your body for all kinds of common — and even uncommon — physical demands. (Backpedaling 75 meters with a tire tied ‘round your waist, anyone?)

You can feel the burn at over 400 locations worldwide and locally with CrossFit Philly and South Philly, and in Bryn Mawr and Cherry Hill. And with another convenient location in Avon-by-the Sea, you’ll keep cool and score a tan out in the fresh sea-salt air.

Just don’t go overboard — these guys work out so hard that here have been occasional rhabdomyolysis cases, a condition brought on by intense athletic activity (though Philly’s CrossFit groups report no injuries). So make sure to check with your doc before starting.

But the best part? With Avon-by-the-Sea and other CrossFit gyms obsessively posting different “Workouts of the Day” (WODs) on their blogs, you’ll be able to kick off your flip-flops and burn calories anytime — even if you’re ‘stuck’ on the beach and can’t make it to class.