Outdoor Exercises to Get You Out of the Gym

If you’re tired of working out at the gym and feel like you need a change of scenery, look no further. With the weather only getting better and better, you can put your gym membership on hold and exercise outside. Working out outdoors will hit muscles you never would on the machines you typically use and working up a sweat is better outside than in the stuffy gym. Incorporate these great moves into your regular workout and add some variety to your routine.

Intense pull-up (for quads, biceps, shoulders, and back)

Find a tree with high branches or a horizontal pole that you can’t reach from standing underneath it, but you can jump up to it. To start, jump up and grab the branch or pole, then pull your head above it, then ease yourself back down. Do this as many times as you can in 60 seconds. Be careful not to get splinters during this drill! You can also visit many local parks, the Mission Bay area, and nearly any jungle gym to find poles to climb over. To make it harder, do a push-up in between every jump.

Park bench push-up trio (for chest, arms, and shoulders)

Start out with your feet on a bench and your arms on the ground and do ten push-ups. Then switch your position, and do ten push-ups with your hands on the bench and your feet on the ground. Finish the set with ten regular push-ups on the ground. Push-ups can be hard and a little boring, so using a park bench to change things up will both intensify your workout and add some variety.

Calf hops (for calves)

Reach for the sky! In this exercise, find a tree with high branches. Jump up and touch the branches at the highest branch (or leaf) you can. When you come back down to the ground after your jumps, make sure you stay on your toes to increase the exercise. Jump as many times as you can for 60 seconds.

Bench hops (for glutes and quads)

Find a bench and sit on the edge. Jump into the air as high as you can from sitting position, throwing your arms up as you do so. Do this for 60 seconds. If you want to ramp up the workout, lift one of your legs at a time straight in front of you a few inches up off the ground, and raise yourself above the bench, then back down again. Spend 60 seconds of this on each leg.

Leapfrog burpee (for chest, abs, quads, and calves)

Find a spot to do this exercise with a wide open space and a destination you can see in the distance. Imagine that you’re leapfrogging, using your legs to jump over a partner, propelling forward. Once you jump, lower yourself into plank position, then bring your feet back toward your hands so you’re in a crouching position, and ready to leap again. Do this as much as you can in 60 seconds. If you want to make this workout a little more challenging and have a workout partner, use them to jump over.

Sandbox shuffle (for butt, abs, and arms)

Find a nice spot in the sand on the beach for this workout! Start in a low squat position and shuffle from side to side, maintaining the same depth and posture the whole time. Make sure you keep your back straight. Hold your arms out to the side for balance and tone your arms, too. The slower you move through the sand, the harder your legs will work! Shuffle for 60 seconds at a time.

We hope these outdoor workouts inspire your upcoming workouts and get you excited for the good weather that’s coming around!