Take Your Workout Outdoors

Over the past two years I have worked hard to take my fitness status from couch potato to workout regular. I have tried many different workout programs, and spent countless hours in the gym. 

But my best advice to someone just starting out or who is looking to sustain their current exercise regimen is to add variety to keep things interesting. Not all fitness goals have to be accomplished at the local gym.

One of the biggest reasons why people don't work out is because it's too much of a hassle to get to the gym. Or, when the weather is warm like it is these days, it is too nice outside to be inside working out. Therefore, I thought I would start off my posts on Cranberry Patch with a way to make your workouts fun while taking advantage of the summer weather. 

There are plenty of exercises that can be done with no weights and in the comfort of your own backyard or a local park when the weather is nice.

Where I live, there is a nice common area over the hill that includes a baseball field, a kids playground, a basketball court, picnic tables and a 1-mile trail around a lake. There are any number of "normal" activities that you can do to take advantage of these amenities and get some good exercise.

We often take our dogs to this place to give them some exercise. They enjoy the wooded path around the lake and occasionally even jump in for a post-walk swim.

One day I looked at the amenities at this park a little differently. Soon I turned this area into my own personal gym by adapting normal gym exercises to the equipment available to me there. I try to incorporate the below workout into my routine every other weekend or so, especially on nice sunny days...

Warm up - After a good stretch I run around the neighborhood to loosen up before heading down to the common area.This leads into the following exercises, performed in a circuit for two or three sets:

1. Pushups

2. Pull-ups or chin-ups (get creative and use the monkey bars)

3. Bench Jumps - Stand to the side of a bench, propel yourself up onto the bench then back down.

4. Bench Dips - Crouch in front of a bench with your hands behind you to hold yourself up, feet on the ground. Lower your body down and then press back up.

5. Body weight split squat on bench - Stand in front of a bench, put one leg back and rest the top of your foot on the bench. Using your lead leg on the ground, perform a squat. Switch legs and repeat.

6. Sprints on the basketball court - Run baseline to foul line, baseline to mid-court, baseline to opposite foul line, baseline to opposite baseline.

Note: You may want to do this early in the morning as it is not all that common to see a grown man or woman hanging from a set of monkey bars!

The above is a great total body workout that will leave you energized for the day. However, the truth is your workout doesn't have to look anything like this. The key is getting outside and introducing your body to something else besides the every day gym routine. So make it a point to get out this weekend, enjoy the weather, and maybe sweat a little bit. 

Let me know what kind of workouts you come up with!

To read more please visit my daily blog at http://distinctfitness.blogspot.com.