There’s nothing quite like walking outside to your car after a long day at work, only to be stopped in your tracks by a sudden (and pleasant!) realization: it’s still bright outside! After the wet winter we had, spring could not be a more welcome sight. As the weather slowly (we emphasize slowly) creeps to warmer and sunnier, why not take advantage by adding in an outdoor workout to your daily routine?
Go ahead: chuck on some sneakers, grab a buddy or two, and head over to a local park. You’ll be amazed at how great of a workout you can get in the great outdoors!
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4 Fun Ideas for Your Next Outdoor Workout
Running is awesome, but there are way more ways to get your heart rate up than just hitting the pavement. For instance, why not honor your inner child and head over to your local playground or park?
There are plenty of movements to choose from:
1) “Fartlek” Sprints
Swedish for “speed play,” a fartlek is a challenging spring workout that you can easily do around a little league field. To do:
- Jog around 3 edges of the field, then sprint.
- Next, jog for 2 and sprint for 2.
- Then, jog for 1, sprint for 3.
- On your final turn around the field, do an all out sprint.
Sure, it’s a running workout–but it’s so intense that you’ll be glad it’s short-lived.
2) Shuttle Sprints
This high-intensity interval workout is even more simple than a fartlek. Simply choose two points about 10 yards apart, and then sprint as fast as you can between them. Be sure to touch each point with your hands before turning around (like the sprinters do in this video). Keep going until you reach a set time or until you simply can’t keep up the pace anymore. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then repeat.
3) Park Bench Dips
This video shows a great way to work your triceps using a park bench. Try adding in a set of 5 to 10 every time you pass one on a jog (or every other time, depending on how many there are). Similar “stop-and-drop” movements? Try air squats, jumping lunges, or bench push-ups (and make it super hard with feet on the bench instead of hands!).
4) Monkey Bars
That’s right: when was the last time you ever took a spin down this fun little ladder? This video has a bunch of awesome movements you can do while hanging from the monkey bars. Just be sure to give all the other kids a turn!
Got a favorite outdoor workout movement? Let us know about it so we can give it a try this spring!
