Longer days, more sunshine, bigger smiles and that feeling in the air that can only mean one thing: spring is back. Warmer weather signals more outdoor time for frolicking, barbeques and adventures. It’s also the ideal time for outdoor workouts. No more waiting in line for equipment to free up in stuffy gyms. The great outdoors beckon!
Getting fit outdoors offers multiple benefits for body and mind. After a long day at work, going outside for some exercise helps relieve stress and tension, while also helping release natural endorphins which reduce pain and release positive feelings throughout the body. Evening workouts invite restorative slumber, ushering in a refreshed feeling in the morning and clearer mental functioning during the day.
Here are some fun ways to make the most of outdoor workouts:
Bench Workouts – Head to a local park or boardwalk and get the blood flowing with simple outdoor bench workouts. Aerobic step-ups, adjusted push ups and reverse tricep dips are just some of the effective exercises that build strength and balance. That park bench or step can be put to use as your personal outdoor fitness and post-workout stretching tool.
Jumping Jacks – Simple and effective, jumping jacks are a full body workout from head to toe. This quick and easy workout technique we learned in elementary school is a full cardio exercise which increases both heart rate and metabolism. The increased oxygen flow it produces offers an excellent way to keep your energy up during your workout, helping you last longer and push yourself further. Start with three sets of ten, and work your numbers by tiny steps.
Hiking – Underrated as a form of physical exercise, hiking is a great way to get your body and mind in shape this season. Beautiful scenery and the enjoyment of being surrounded by nature helps distract our minds from the tough inclines, uneven terrain and rise in heart rate we experience during a hike. Hiking helps tone muscles and improve lung capacity, while also promoting healthy and active living. It is the ideal way to workout, without feeling like you are actually working out.
Running and Jogging – With roughly 53.2 million Americans regularly running and jogging, this exercise mode is ideally suited to the outdoors. Whether you want to shed a few pounds or add some cardio to your workout, running and jogging helps increase oxygen and blood flow throughout the body.
A good tip can be to stagger your speed when running, which can help increase weight-loss and make your workout feel more impressive and effective. New to running and jogging? Visit your local school track and begin by walking the straights and jogging the curves. Before you know it, you’ll be jogging around the entire track. Bleachers (usually found at high school and college tracks) are another option for careful climbing to build strength and agility.
Outdoor Fitness Parks – Want to improve your core strength, aerobic threshold, coordination and flexibility? Outdoor fitness parks have got you covered. Often located near playgrounds, these family-friendly parks are free and open to the public, with specially designed equipment geared to strength, resistance and endurance training.
Consistent users are able to define, build and tone muscle while enjoying fresh air and a range of equipment to use. From chin-up and monkey bars to balance beams and motion machines, outdoor fitness parks are suited to workouts before dusk. Many outdoor fitness parks offer group classes on weekends.
As the fresh air and warm weather makes winter a thing of the past, explore areas suited to hiking, running, weight-bearing or simply meditation. Outdoor workouts expose us to sunlight which shores up our supplies of essential vitamin D while views of nature help calm the mind.
It’s easy to get motivated to push your fitness limits outdoors on a beautiful sunny morning. Pairing an active lifestyle with a healthy diet can have great effects on both your body and your mind. No gym? No excuse, the outdoors are now your own personal training partner.
Cian Laurence, a Brooklyn-based writer hailing from Dublin, has a passion for healthy living, nature and running.
22 thoughts on “Fun Outdoor Exercises You Don’t Need Equipment For”
I love outdoor time with my family dog, my favorite way to exercise is to walk him every day!! Thank you for sharing with us all these wonderful ideas, great lists you come up with 🙂
I’m a big believer in outdoor time and fitness! Its so easy to just put on your shoes and go for a walk! Not to mention relaxing and good for you!
Great fitness outdoor ideas. I love that the warmer weather is here now and I can do more outside.
I really love jogging instead of going to the gym, other than that, yoga is also great and you don’t need any equipment at all. These are awesome exercises! Thanks for the list.
I love biking and doing yoga in the mornings. Thanks for all the great tips! Hiking is also a favorite as you get to see such beautiful parts of nature.
What a great list of suggestions. I love that jumping jacks made your list. What fun. We also love to go hiking.
Nature is definitely the best playground. Looking at your pictures on the sand, it reminds of how I love the workout that walking and running on the beach in the sand makes me feel – so strong!
Great workout inspiration! I love walking, hiking and jogging! I should probably also give outdoor fitness parks a try!
This is my favorite type of exercise! We love swimming, hiking, photography, and walking in the rain.
This is great. I love doing outdoor exercises but never have anything on hand to do anything. These are some really great ideas!
Thanks for sharing this, I do agree that you can do a lot of fun outdoor exercise without equipment. I like to run back and forth (well speed walk) while my sons are riding their bikes on our road 😉
Love this! We all need to be more conscious of our fitness and health, and it can be done without investing money. I even saw a news piece once on a homeless man who used what he could find to exercise.
Wow sounds like it is super easy to get exercise these days. Appreciate some tips!
These are some really good ones! You have to take advantage of the warm weather to make your workouts more interesting.
These are great ways to stay active outdoors without any special equipment. I’m focused on keeping myself healthy and so regular exercise is part of that equation. Thanks for these ideas on keeping fit.
Such Great Ideas I Typically Take The Family For Walks Around The Neighborhood To Get Them Out Or The Beach Or Pool!li
I got a bike for my birthday. My kids and I are planning on spending a lot of time on the various bike paths this summer.
We go hiking a lot in the spring, summer, and fall. There are a lot of fun places to hike around here. We are surrounded by great trails and national parks.
So many great fitness ideas. I love taking walks along my country road. It is nice to exercise and be able to take in the beauty of the outdoors.
My favorite exercise is walking and I don’t need a gym for that. I’m always looking for more ways to exercise outside, so these are all great ideas.
I walk when I can.Real issue lately with rain so I do the walk on my stairs in the townhouse.Just had my right big toe fixed and also have herniated discs in the lower spine!
Sophia,
This is super you have this drive to take a few options to keep yourself moving.
BRAVO, no less!