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Outdoor Workout Ideas – Make the Great Outdoors Your Personal Gym

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Does the thought of the gym make you exhausted? Have even set foot in the gym lately? Believe it or not, tons of people get that same type of anxiety when thinking about working out – myself included! Luckily, the gym isn’t your only resort when it comes to getting physically fit. There are so many options out there now to get the exercise you need, as well as the fun of feeling like you’re not exercising. For example, there’s Zumba, Hip Hop dance classes, pole dancing classes, and plenty of outdoor workout ideas.

outdoor workout ideas biking

Exercising outdoors is always a great alternative when the gym isn’t your thing and dance classes are a bit too much for you. So today I’m sharing a few outdoor workout ideas that will get you in shape and definitely turn the elements of the great outdoors into your personal gym.

Before you start exercising outdoors, remember to wear comfortable, well-fitting activewear whose breathability will keep you dry during exercise.

Riding a Bike

At this point in your life, I would say that it’s safe to take the training wheels off your adult sized bike and hit the ground cycling!

Cycling is a great form of cardio. It pumps up your heart, lungs, and blood vessels, and increases your overall body temperature which causes your body to sweat, and in turn burn calories.

There are so many benefits to riding a bike. And it doesn’t have to be extreme cycling. I’m not saying to put on your cycling boots and head to the mountains…a simple stroll through your neighborhood or a park will get the job done.

Here are a few more of benefits of riding a bike:

●     Builds muscle

Not only does bike riding burn calories, which in turn, burns fat, but it also builds muscle. Muscle gain from bike riding can really be seen in your legs and glutes.

●     Improves your mental health

Riding your bike outside can give you the ability to actually see the outdoors for what they really are, and that can  be very mentally relaxing. It allows you to see the trees and enjoy the fresh air; things you don’t always get to do when driving or exercising at the gym.

Walking

I love the flexibility that walking gives you. It allows you to customize your workout how you see fit. If you want to walk three blocks in your neighborhood, then you can do just that, and you can do it at your own pace.

Walking outdoors is definitely not the same as walking on a treadmill at the gym. The treadmills at a gym make you type in the pace you want to go and the incline. When you’re walking outdoors, your pace and incline adjust as you walk…there’s no buttons to push.

outdoor workout ideas walking

Another thing I love about walking outdoors is that you don’t have to do it alone. It’s always nice to bring a friend along with you. Walking with a friend gives you the opportunity to catch up with a friend, and before you know it, you’ve walked 3 miles!

If you’re a busy mom or dad, walking also allows you the flexibility of being able to put your baby in a stroller and take them along with you. This is also a great cardiovascular workout!

While you’re out there walking the trail, one great way to tell everyone about your fitness journey is to create a blog about it. You’ll be able to talk about your progression from where you were when you started and how much you’ve improved.

You’ll be able to get and give feedback to and from others that may be on the same journey as you. You’ll first need to get an attention-grabbing domain name. Once you’ve obtained that, you can let the blogging begin!

Tree Planking

You might be thinking “what in the world is that?” Tree planking is more of a toning exercise you can do outdoors. And you only need one thing – a tree!

The way tree planking works is, you want to stand with your back to the tree. You’ll then get down on all fours and place your heels a little bit up the trunk. Your forearms and elbows should be on the ground under your shoulders.

From there, you should be in a position almost looking like you’re about to do a push-up, but instead of doing a push-up, you’re going to just hold your position. While in this position, you should be squeezing your abdomen. Hold that position for a good 5 to 10 seconds, and then relax and repeat.

Once you’ve done this for a while and your endurance has improved, increase your hold time. Doing this is a great way to tone your stomach as well as your arms. This exercise, along with a well-balanced diet, can improve your results. Also keep in mind, tree planking is not the only outdoor option you have. There are many different ways to plank.

Calf Lifts

When exercising, you don’t really think about your calves. They have actual calf machines in the gym, but you can do these calf exercises outdoors and get the same results as if you hopped on a calf machine at a gym.

If you’re at home, you can go outside to your front porch steps and work on your calves. Place the balls of your feet on the edge of the step and raise your body up. After doing 2 sets of 10, you’ll definitely be feeling the burn.

If you turn your toes inward and do some lifts, you’ll feel it work a different part of your calf. You can also experience a different area of your calves being worked by turning your toes outwards, with your heels touching each other.

These calf lifts can also be done on solid ground. Doing the calf lifts on an elevated platform just increases the resistance and makes your calves work a little harder in lifting your body weight. These can be done at home, in the park, or even on the side of a parking block at your local grocery store!

In Summary

When it comes to outdoor workout ideas the world is your playground gym, and the range of fun and effective workouts is practically endless. Best of all, outdoor workouts are effective, too!  Your outdoor exercises can offer strength-building, fat-burning, and plenty of other health benefits. So get outside and enjoy!

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