Today on the blog we linked up with the fantastic Kristen Seymour of FitBottomedGirls.com to bring you some simple, effective and easy-to-modify outdoor exercises that can be done anywhere!
I’m currently sitting in my home office, which has a window looking out onto the sidewalk outside my house. In the last hour alone, I’ve seen three runners, two walkers, numerous cyclists and a lone skateboarder cruise by.
Who can blame them? It’s a gorgeous, sunny, summer day – all I want is to go get sweaty outside, too! But, I guess if I can’t do that right now, I can at least dream about – and share –some of my favorite outdoor workouts, right? Right!
Running
Running is my top outdoor workout. I can do it almost anywhere, and all I really need is a good sports bra, running shoes, and shorts that stay in place. I particularly love running trails, but if I’m visiting a new city, I’ve been known to take myself on a running tour – and let me tell you, that’s a fun way to discover the places you want to check out later when you’re less sweaty! And it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t have to be “a runner” to go running. I’ve been running for years and have done some pretty decent distances, and I still follow the Galloway run/walk method. If you can only run a minute, do that! Then walk until you feel like you can run another minute. It gets easier, I swear.
Bodyweight Circuits
If you have enough space to lie down flat and hold your arms out to the side, you have enough room to do a circuit. And if you have more than 10 minutes, you have enough time to seriously kick your own butt! While you can certainly put together specific supersets to really work a particular body part, I’m a big fan of making outdoor workouts super simple. So, I’ll often take a group of anywhere from 5-15 bodyweight exercises and do each for one minute, taking as short a break as possible in between. Once I’ve gone through one time, I’ll take a quick break (maybe two minutes), then do it again. Not sure what moves are good moves? Here are a few of my go-tos – just be sure to select a mix of upper and lower body exercises to get a full body workout!
Russian Twists
Plank
Side Plank (switch sides at :30 if needed)
Push Ups
Walking Push Ups
Inverted Push Ups
Tricep Dips (requires a bench or ledge)
Squats
Sumo Squats
Tuck Jumps
Walking Lunges
Calf Raises
Backward Lunge to Knee Drive (with a hop for bonus cardio!)
Ice Skaters
Single Leg Squat
Curtsy Lunge
Mountain Climbers
Spidermans
Burpees
Bicycles
Why make it complicated, right? If you’re a beginner, stick with a comfortable pace and give yourself a little time to catch your breath between exercises, and if you’re more advanced, go from one to the next quickly, giving your full effort.
Words by Kristen Seymour. Images courtesy of the author.
