7 Ways to Extend Your Fitness Routine Outside
Have you grown tired of your present workout routine? When the weather is nice, do you get tired of going to the gym to work out? Are you stuck in a fitness rut and need some fresh ideas to get back on track? Now that the weather is getting warmer, why not take your workout outside?
Let's be honest. When the weather is nice, driving 30 minutes to the gym to walk on the treadmill and do weights makes little sense. Not to mention that you've been cooped up all winter, that your exercise routine is boring as hell, and that you haven't seen any progress in months.
Put your feet up and relax. I'm going to share some ideas with you that will get you outside, rekindle your enthusiasm for training, and allow you to make gains you haven't seen in years. Interested? I'm hoping you said YES!
In my ten years in the fitness industry, I've discovered that there are a few essential points that keep coming up. One, you should make an effort to do more from one training session to the next. Two, we all require regular variety in our workouts (for psychological and physiological reasons). Today, I'm going to talk about the second point and show you how mixing up your workouts can help you get back on track. To add some variety to your regimen, try these outdoor training ideas:
- 1. Mix it up by taking your weight training outside:
I love taking my strength training outside during the warmer months. I enjoy lifting weights in my home or at a nearby park. It's a terrific idea to do it with a loved one or a group of committed friends. Kettlebells (shown below — looks like a big bowling ball with a handle), clubbers (a weighted bat), medicine balls (fun to throw around), sled dragging (great for athletes), weighted vest workouts, sandbag training (nothing fancy here, just sand in a bag), and good old dumbbells are some of the training tools that work well for outdoor training.
- 2. Increase fat loss by doing some interval training:
The so-called "fat-burning zone" is a hoax. Sure, your body uses fat as an energy source after 30 minutes of continuous exercise at a certain intensity, but sports scientists have shown that shorter bouts of higher intensity exercise are even more effective at lowering body fat percentage (ever wonder why sprinters are so lean without having to run for 30 minutes???). Warming up for 5-10 minutes and then alternating 30 seconds of more intense work with 30 seconds of more moderate effort is a simple method to include interval training in your summer training. This can be done on a mountain bike, a road bike, hill sprints, kayak sprints, jump roping, track sprints, or even a bodyweight callisthenic like jumping jacks. Enjoy!
- 3. Do mini-workouts throughout the day:
Choosing any exercise and taking brief exercise breaks outside is an easy method to get some outdoor training in. Squats, walking lunges, raised push-ups, stair climbs with skipped steps, and even calf raises may be done right outside your office door. It's vital to remember that it's your entire energy expenditure at the end of the day that matters, not accomplishing everything at once.
- 4. Do some yard work:
The yard is a disaster, so you might as well get some exercise while being productive. Stacking wood, raking leaves, creating a rock wall, digging a hole (for whatever reason), walking with a loaded wheelbarrow, carrying stuff across the yard over your head, spreading mulch around your new plants that you just put in the hole you dug earlier are all activities you can try.
- 5. Get some fresh air:
Turn the world into your gym. Mother Nature has nothing on commercial health clubs. Go for a walk in the neighborhood park, head hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, or go to the beach to run in the sand or jump in the surf. Getting outside can be a fantastic way to start a fitness routine and add diversity to your current workout.
- 6. Take obstacle walks:
Mixing in some bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and jumping jacks into your summer walks to improve calorie expenditure and test your body is a fun way to add some diversity to your routine. Treadmill walking is monotonous and predictable. Going for an obstacle walk in your neighborhood park might be a lot more fun, and the "chaos" of going outside can be just what you're looking for.
- 7. Go on obstacle walks:
Adding bodyweight activities like squats, push-ups, and jumping jacks to your summer walks to increase calorie expenditure and put your body to the test is a fun way to spice up your routine. Walking on a treadmill is tedious and predictable. Going for an obstacle walk at your local park might be a lot more enjoyable, and the "chaos" of being outside might be exactly what you need.
That's all — seven ways to take your fitness training outside and add some diversity to your routine. One option is to go to the gym a couple of times a week and do your other training outside. Mother Nature has presented us with some fantastic opportunities, so get outside this summer and make use of them, and I'm confident you'll see fresh improvement (and have a great time doing it!).
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