It is important to take advantage of the outdoors while we can, before having no other choice than going inside. Exercising outside is a natural antidepressant and a great destressor. Another added benefit is that it’s free! Here are some workouts that you can do almost anywhere outside.
1. Stairs
Stairs can seem intimidating at first, but once you find a workout that fits you best, stairs can actually be a lot of fun. When starting off your fitness journey, I recommend simply walking up and down the stairs until you get tired. The more familiar you get with this workout, the higher you can raise the intensity. Once you feel more confident, you can start sprinting up the stairs and jogging down until you get tired or switch off between a sprint and a walk/jog.
2. Interval run/walk
This workout is great for beginner or advanced runners. Choose a distance you want to run and break it up into quarter mile or half mile intervals. Run one section and then speed walk the next. Repeat this process until you have met your goal distance. The purpose of this workout is to not stop moving, even if you have to slow down your walk, constantly moving forward is better than stopping all together and will help you build endurance.
3. The courts (basketball/tennis)
Find a basketball or tennis court at your local park or recreation facility. Playing a sport can be a great way to increase your fitness in a fun way that takes your mind off of actually working out. Get a game or match together with friends and spend a few hours breaking a sweat.
4. Paddleboarding
This is one of my favorite summertime activities. Paddleboarding helps build skills like strength and balance to increase your fitness. This activity is great because you can spend time on any body of water and is a great way to cool down on a hot summer day. Once you are more advanced, you can try paddleboard yoga (which is exactly what it sounds like) to heighten the intensity of the workout.
5. Find a bench
Bench workouts are great to build muscle in any part of your body. For these workouts I recommend finding a few exercises that you enjoy, create a circuit based on your favorites and repeat the circuit a few times. A few workouts that are great for park benches are: triceps dips, fast feet, bench jumps, push-ups and single-leg split squats.
Bonus: Fitness scavenger hunt
Hide sheets of paper with different workouts written on them around a park or trail and grab some friends. Create teams and run to each location and complete each workout. The team that finishes first wins. This workout turns fitness into a fun competition.
Doing an outdoor workout is a great way to change up your normal fitness routine. The benefits of exercising outside seem to be endless. Being outside can help cure your insomnia, burn more calories, increase your exposure to sunlight, along with many other factors. So, grab a friend and your gym shoes and get outside.