FRIDAY FIVE: Trendy ways to stay in shape

The good thing about Sarasota's predictiably static weather is that it's never too late to start developing a well-sculpted beach body. It may be the middle of summer, but you can jump into a new fitness routine and be ready to show off your losess (or gains) on the white sands of Siesta Key this fall.

Here are five trendy ways to get in shape this summer:

+ Try stand up paddleboarding

Though this aquatic hobby has been popular for a while now, don't call stand up paddleboarding passe quite yet. Strenuous excercise while maintaning balance — as one does while cruising around on a paddleboard — works out the core.

+ Take a long bike ride

The streets of Sarasota aren't the most conducive to cycling (Sarasota County is undertaking a major pedestrian and bicycle trail overhaul), but tackling the barrier islands on your bike can be a fun fitness test. Longboat Key and Siesta Key both have ample bike lanes, and why not stop in Siesta Key Village for a drink — you earned it.

+ Sweat it out with hot yoga

Yoga studios around Sarasota are turning up the heat this summer with hot yoga classes. The high temperatures, which fluxuate around 105 degrees depending on the location, are supposed to flush toxins and make muscles more flexible.

+ Take a walk

There's not much trendier than being in the know about new developments in retail and real estate, so why not head to Lakewood Ranch Main Street, downtown Sarasota or Venice, or one of Sarasota's historical districts and go for a stroll. Burn calories while keeping tabs on the comings and goings of our smallish town this summer.

+ Join a hardcore gym

What's cooler than flipping tires and getting punched in the face? The Observer, in a new series, checked out Stomping Ground Fitness and MMA and Stephen Kelley Fitness to see the secret behind hadcore fitness, and what's driving the growing trend.