Now that the weather is warming up and summer is on the way, you may be itching to ditch the gym for a little time out in the sunshine. Who could blame you? Not I! But instead of foregoing your gym routine all together, why not take your usual strength moves and cardio activities into the great outdoors? Read on for five exercises to do just that!
5 Exercises That Easily Go From the Gym to the Great Outdoors
1. If you normally hit the treadmill…try trail running or hiking! The change of terrain when trail running or hiking will work your legs in new ways and you’ll have much more beautiful scenery than the sweaty guys lifting weights!
2. If you normally walk on the stairmill…try running stairs. Create your own StairMaster by finding stairs at a sports arena, park or even your office building. Set a goal to run them for as long as you’d stay on the stairmill at the gym.
3. If you normally hop on the elliptical…try the ElliptiGO. This combination of a bike and an elliptical lets you tool around a neighborhood or park while cross-training.
4. If you normally attend spin class…try joining a community bike ride or club. Contact your local bike store and ask if there are any beginner-friendly group rides coming up. Then hop on your bike and ride — all while making a few new fit friends!
5. If you normally do strength training…try the playground and a park bench. Your body weight can give you a great workout if you know how to get creative. Use monkey bars for pull-ups, a park bench for tricep dips, a tree for wall squats and good ol’ grass for push-ups (on your toes or knees). For a full workout, try our playground strength training routine. The sky is the limit!
The key here is to make sure that you’re doing the same number of reps, sets and/or the amount of time exercising outdoors as you normally would while in the gym. And if you’re someone who needs a little more direction when it comes to working out indoors or out, consider asking your gym if they offer personal training (individual or small group) or bootcamp classes outside. It could be the perfect combination of inside and out!