- Are you looking for a new workout?
- Do you enjoy the outdoors?
- Do you have a friend to workout with?
Getting fit for summer doesn’t mean that you have to spend all your free time at the gym. Get outside! You can get a really killer cardiovascular workout — as well as tone and strengthen your muscles — without ever setting foot inside a fitness center. Instead, grab a friend, head outside and make a dash for your nearest public park or playground or any open space, really.
Exercise #1: Fartlek Training Yep, you read that right (and it sounds even funnier if you say it out loud!) The word ‘fartlek’ is Swedish for ‘speed play’. This type of training is used to increase both aerobic and anaerobic capacity in runners, cyclists and even in the military.
To try it, take an easy run with your friend around a loop in the park, or down a jogging path. Assign one of you to call out commands like, “from that next light pole down the green bench!” That’s your signal to sprint between the two markers. Take turns who calls out the next distance to race. You could skip, side shuffle, or jump – you choose the game.
Exercise #2: Park Bench Set-Ups You might think they’re only good for resting, but benches act like built-in gym equipment! Stepping or even jumping up on to the bench several times can really get your heart rate racing while also building strength and endurance in the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. You can also use the bench to do standing push-ups or tricep dips.
Exercise #3: Towel Pulls Bring an older, thinner towel with you to the park. Wrap it around the waist of your workout partner and have them run forward as they drag you behind. “This is a great way to add resistance training to your cardio workouts. And it’s a workout for the person holding the towel, too!
Exercise #4: Do a Lunge-Off Stand side-by-side in an open field or grassy area. When you’re both ready, step out, lunging forward with your right leg, then stepping up to bring your legs together. Repeat with your left leg and continue lunging across the open area until you’ve both reached a landmark or twenty lunges. Do 10 jumping jacks, push ups or sit-ups, then lunge back to where you started. Repeat the series three times, alternating between mid-point drills.
Exercise #5: Play on the Playground! Having fun still counts as a workout! You may be surprised how much you actually work your arms and abs while on the swings, or how demanding on your legs it can be to climb all those stairs to the slide. You’ll find that your biceps, lats, and abs can actually get pretty sore from hanging and swinging on the jungle gym!