• May 31, 2022

Effective outdoor workouts

Cardio and resistance are two key components for your body to progress and keep you fit. Both provide muscle building, better heart health, increased stamina and endurance, tone muscles and increase strength. When the weather is nice, it can be difficult to get to the gym and stay on track. There are many workouts you can integrate into your program to allow you to be outside but keep your body moving. Try some of these moves to make your workouts fun and effective!

Warm up with some boxing drills. Try this for flavor!

1 min of alternating arm punches

30 seconds of high kicks on each leg

1 min alternating jabs

1 min of fast forward punches

REPEAT for 3 rounds

Add in some conditioning work to keep your heart rate up and keep your muscles working!

Here are some good moves that you can integrate between sets, as a circuit style or for active breaks.

Burpees: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. Squat down, place your hands on the ground, and jump your feet back at the same time. Make sure to keep your abs tight. Then do a pushup, jump off both feet, and come back to standing. Repeat for rounds of 15 or 30 second intervals.

Frog Jumps: Start in a squat position, feet shoulder-width apart. Start by squatting down with your hands on the floor between your legs. Quickly jump to a standing position as you jump off the ground. Upon landing, land in a squat position with your hands on the ground. Repeat for sets of 20 or 20 second intervals.

Jumping jacks: Start standing with your feet together and your hands by your sides. As you jump, jump with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and at the same time raise your arms above your head. As you jump with your feet together, bring your arms back to your sides. Repeat for 30 repetitions or for 1 minute between sets.

Ball Slams – A medicine ball can be a versatile tool for workouts outdoors or at home. Ball slams are a great full-body exercise that can be added to an upper-body circuit or used as a conditioning piece. Start with a heavier medicine ball (10 pounds or more is ideal). Holding the ball above your head with your arms outstretched, hit the ball as hard as you can against the ground. You want to keep your back as straight as possible, so make sure you bend your legs. You want to bend down to pick up the ball and return to the starting position. You can perform them in a circuit as fast as you can. You can also perform the desired number of repetitions and combine this exercise with other upper body exercises (ie push-ups, plank rotations or up/down).

Ice Skaters – A great way to get your heart rate up and focus on power generation. Start with one leg crossed behind the other. Jump up and switch feet, landing with the opposite leg behind the other. Repeat the movement, cycling through the jumps. Make sure to bend your knees to keep your back straight. Also, be sure to keep your weight on your heels to avoid shifting your body weight onto your knees.

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