Outdoors Exercises

Following your many requests, here are some outdoors exercises ideas. Because of the current hot weather season, many athletes enjoy working out outside. On your next visit to the park with your kids, give yourself the objective of trying these exercises, and discover how you can use your environment to strengthen your body and improve your cardiovascular system. You will come to see the park and its benches in a new light!

Cardiovascular exercises

Traditional Jogging
Even though this exercise is a classic, I will use this opportunity to make you try new paths as well as diversify the distance and length of your trips. To make things more challenging, alternate jogging, walking, and sprints. Combine hiking trails, alleys, and sidewalks to create surface and slope variations. Lastly, give yourself the chance and time to improve.

Alternate “Tapping”
On a rock or any kind of step, lightly brush your right, then left foot toes quickly so that your feet jump in an alternate manner from one leg to the other. Try to perform this exercise for 1 to 2 minutes without pause. Take a 30 seconds break, and repeat 4 to 5 times.

Quick step-ups
Like the alternate “tapping” exercise, you have to do this exercise as fast as possible, but this time you have to put both feet on the step before stepping down. Try to perform this exercise for 1 to 2 minutes without pause. Take a 30 seconds break, and repeat 4 to 5 times.

Muscular exercises

Plank on the swing
This exercise may seem easy when looking at it, but it is very demanding. All you need to do is take position with your hands on the inside on the swing and your feet set back so that your body creates a plank almost parallel to the ground. Your shoulders need to stay right over your hands. Hold the position without moving as long as possible. The fact that the swing is unstable makes this exercise harder.

Target areas: Abs, pectorals, back, and various stabilizing muscles throughout the body

Slide lunges
This exercise, often performed in gyms, can be done just about anywhere. In this example, the top of the rear foot is placed on the bottom of the slide, but it could also be placed on a bench, the first step of a stairway, etc. When flexing the front knee, make sure that it doesn’t go over the front foot toes. If this happens, bring your front foot further away from the slide. Lower your body until the front knee forms an angle of 90°. Perform 20 to 30 repetitions for each leg.

Target areas: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and small stabilizing muscles of the legs and trunk

Bench dips
This other classic exercise is also very good to tone up the triceps. With your heels raised, flex your elbows until you reach an angle of 90°. Make sure that your keep your shoulders right over your hips.

Target areas: Triceps

Abs on the bench
On a park bench, lay down in a V position, and then bring your legs toward yourself in a tuck position. Return to initial position.

Do you have other ideas for effective exercises that can be done outdoors?

By Karine Larose

Outdoors Exercises is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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