Take a deep breath, totally fill your lungs, and now inhale slowly! Look around, look up, look down; what do you see? Nature is all around us! Working out outdoors adds a sense of freedom, peace, connection and openness. Runners and walkers are well aware of the consciousness shift that occurs when you connect with nature through an exhilarating, outdoor workout. Whether at the park, a forest preserves, a beach, the lakefront or right in your backyard, working out outdoors promotes a sense of uninhibited connection between the inner self and nature.
When working out outdoors, observe the same rules for warming up and hydration you would indoors. In fact if the weather is particularly warm you may require more fluid than you would indoors.
Basing the number of sets executed on your current fitness level, the following workout is designed to help you accomplish these fitness goals:
- Increase flexibility
- Tone up
- Lose body fat
- Build muscular and aerobic endurance
After warming up sufficiently, begin stretching the major muscle groups (core, legs, back) followed by the smaller muscles (chest and arms), holding each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Remember not to bounce or stretch to the point of pain, while continuing to breath as you stretch, (some people have a tendency to hold their breath when stretching and exercising). You should feel a slight discomfort during each stretch, key word being slight! Spend at least 10 minutes stretching.
Moving on to the toning component of your outdoor workout, begin with the legs. Here are a few options for working your legs:
- Walking/running uphill*
- Walking lunges, with varying depth
- The trusty squat
- Hops or skipping*
- Shuffling or walking/running backwards*
- Mountain climbers, squat thrust (burpees)*
*These exercises will serve as aerobic activities as well
Core, chest, back and shoulder (delts) exercises:
- Push-ups (you can vary the width of your hands to increase intensity),
- T’s (from push-up position, lift one hand rotating body until hand is pointing toward the sky, lower hand and repeat with opposite hand)
- Downward dog pushups (works delts and triceps)
- Planks, side planks, (you can raise and lower hip from either position to increase intensity)
- Standing side bends (lift legs to bending side for more intensity, i.e. if flexing to right simultaneously lift right leg laterally)
- Superman
- Reaches standing on single or both leg (while bending forward at waist until back parallel to ground, extend arms horizontally or reach for the ground
- bicycle crunches (one of my favorites)
- Punches (straights, upper cuts, hooks), arm raises (to front, to side) overhead claps
Alternate between aerobic activities and strength/endurance activities to maintain desired intensity level. You can perform a series of strength movements, i.e. squats, push-up and crunches, followed by one or two aerobic activities, i.e. 50 skips followed by a jog/sprints; or mix the strength and aerobic activities to meet your goals.
After your workout perform stretching for all muscles worked. Breath deeply while stretching to release tension and energize muscles.
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." -Eleonora Duse-
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