Whether it’s a sunny summer morning or a crisp autumn afternoon, bringing exercise outside can be a refreshing change to your fitness routine. Doing the same old indoor fitness routine can quickly become mundane, so we’ve rounded up five of the best outdoor weight loss workouts to help you crush your journey.
We know that regular exercise can boost your physiological and psychological well-being – and exercising in the good old outdoors only maximizes those benefits. Research shows that exercise in the fresh air can improve your mood, reduce stress and restore mental fatigue.
“Some may find growing outdoors relaxing and calming,” explains Domenic Angelino, CPT at the International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA). “Being in the sun can help boost your mood and can even increase vitamin D production in the body. Some people find outdoor exercise on a day with good weather invigorating.”
If you want to lose extra pounds and get in shape, it is necessary to improve your fitness program. Take your next workout outdoors and try one of the trainer-approved outdoor weight loss workouts below.
Slide push
A common reason many gym goers are unfamiliar with the sled is that it requires a lot of space. This means it is usually only available in larger gyms or used in outdoor gyms where space is limited.
“The sled press involves a large number of muscles in the upper and lower body. Some contract normally during the exercise, while others contract in parallel,” says Angelino. “It leads to high muscle activity, which translates directly into more calorie burning.”
Angelino recommends performing four to six sets of 30-second long heavy sled presses. “When you do the sled pull, focus on pushing off with your legs,” he emphasizes. “You’ll burn more calories and be able to push more efficiently if you take bigger steps. This means you bring your leg far forward toward the sled with each step, then fully extend your leg back behind you as you push forward.”
Also, don’t stand up straight while pushing the slide, instead lean forward. This makes it more seamless to use your legs to push the sled in front of you.
Tire flipping
“Tire power can help you burn calories pretty quickly while also being effective at increasing your muscle power,” says Angelino. “Increasing muscle strength early in life can help protect against falls only as you get older. Increasing muscle strength also improves athletic performance.”
When performing this exercise, keep in mind how you lift the tire. “Try to think about putting the tire up instead of lifting it up,” says Angelino. If you “lift” the tire upwards, you put your lower back at risk of injury. By tilting the tire up, you protect your lower back and make rolling the tire more seamless.
“It’s also worth bearing in mind that tires come in different sizes and larger tires are heavier,” Angelino tells us. “There may be limitations to the size of tire you can effectively use based on your own height.”
If you want to lose weight, aim for three to five sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.
Swimming
Swimming is a great, invigorating outdoor exercise that works the whole body.
“One of the things I love about swimming for an outdoor workout is that it’s just as efficient as swimming indoors, but still allows you to take advantage of the good weather,” Angelino points out. “Swimming is generally very effective at burning calories. It has many of the benefits of running but also involves muscles in both the upper and lower body. This leads to swimming to burn calories [faster] but many other exercises.”
If you choose to swim outdoors, it is helpful to change your swimming style every few laps. This way you avoid getting tired quickly and can do a longer workout and burn even more calories.
Angelino recommends swimming in two-minute intervals with a one-minute rest break between each interval. Complete a total of 30 minutes of swimming.
Running
Running may be a more obvious outdoor workout option, but it’s an extremely productive form of exercise if your goal is weight loss. Gel is an incredibly versatile addition to your regimen; all you have to do is lace up your sneakers and choose a trail or route.
“Running is a great way to burn a large number of calories in a relatively short amount of time,” Angelino tells us. “It’s also easy to adjust the intensity of your run as you get in better shape over time; you just have to move a little faster. And you can do it with a limited risk of injury compared to other common exercises.”
Complete 30 minutes of running, keeping the pace moderately intense and steady, if you want to lose pounds.
Big boulder
Angelino cautions that this last exercise should absolutely only be performed if you have the proper training and safety equipment. If you are just starting out, it is essential to start training in an indoor rock climbing gym. And even once you’ve made progress, you can choose outdoor rock climbing over bouldering.
“If you [are properly trained and] decide to go bouldering outdoors, do your best to take as many safety precautions as possible,” Angelino emphasizes. “Always wear full safety gear and bring a high-quality crash pad. Also, never go bouldering alone – always have at least one other experienced friend with you. [In addition,] be sure to always carry a first aid kit with you in case of emergency. It’s also helpful to rock in areas where you know you’ll have a consistent cell phone signal, just in case you need to make an emergency call.”
If you already have experience with bouldering, this form of outdoor exercise can be great for burning calories and reaching your weight loss goals. If traditional exercise isn’t really your thing, bouldering could be a great option with the right training and equipment at your fingertips.
“When it comes to bouldering, the length of a climb depends on where you’re climbing and your own physical ability,” says Angelino. “Instead of thinking about bouldering in terms of sets and reps, it can be helpful to target a rough period for which you plan to boulder. Most people new to bouldering feel fatigued after about one to two hours, with a handful of breaks mixed in in as needed. The frequency of your breaks should be based on how quickly you feel you are getting tired.”
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