Do you only workout if you’re at the gym? Do you think you can only train in the gym to get your daily dose of exercise? You can gain some of the same results from an outdoor workout than you can gain in the gym.
Fall has just begun and it’s still a good time to get a great outdoor work out. Although working out in the gym allows you to monitor your progress, there is something freeing about being outside, enjoying the weather, and freeing yourself from the constraints of gym machines and equipment. People who train outdoors tend to burn more calories due to changes in weather, wind resistance, and body temperature.
No matter what the season, it’s important to switch up your workouts. Don’t let your body expect and adapt to the same mode of exercise. The change of seasons is an excellent time to “trick” the body.
Here are some helpful outdoor workout ideas and routines that will keep you in great shape during the fall.
Park Bench Push-Up
1. Stand facing bench or sturdy elevated platform. Place hands on edge of bench or platform, slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Position forefoot back from bench or platform with arms and body straight. Arms should be perpendicular to body. Keeping body straight, lower chest to edge of box or platform by bending arms.
3. Push body up until arms are extended. Repeat.
4. Do two sets of 10-15 reps or two sets timed at 30 seconds.
Weighted Jump Rope
1. Keep your elbows close to your body, your shoulders down, and your upper body steady. Holding your hands level with your hips, turn the rope with your forearms and wrists.
2. Do two sets of 10-15 or two sets of timed at 30 seconds.
Park Bench Dips
1. Sit on the edge of a bench, your hands gripping the bench directly outside your hips. Place your feet on the ground in front of you, your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Shift your weight forward, sliding your butt off the bench so that you’re supported only by your hands and your feet, your arms fully extended.
3. Bend your elbows backward, and lower your butt toward the ground.
4. When your elbows form a 90-degree angle, reverse the movement and return to start, stopping just shy of locking out your elbows.
5. Do two sets of 10-15 reps or two sets timed at 30 seconds.
Box Jumps
If you aren’t sure you can jump up onto the seat of a park bench, work on form by jumping up on a lower surface like a curb.
1. Stand behind a park bench, leaving about 8 to 10 inches between your toes and the bench seat. Bend your knees slightly and tip your hips backward as you lean your torso forward, and swing your arms behind you.
2. Explode up off the ground as you extend your ankles, knees, and hips, swinging your arms forward as you jump up onto the bench. Aim to plant both feet firmly on the bench.
3. Once on the bench, stand up completely and step backward, one foot at a time, down off the bench. Do not jump down off the bench.
4. Do two sets of 10-15 or two sets timed at 30 seconds.
Planks
1. Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder.
2. Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.
3. Do two sets of 10-15 or two sets timed at 30 seconds.
Zahra Williams is the CEO and Founder of 3D Xplosive Performance. She specializes in personal training and fitness.
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