Body Blog: Take Your Workouts Outdoors

The sun is shining, the breeze is warm and Spring is in full swing. Who wants to waste such a beautiful day slaving away on a treadmill indoors? Research shows that sharing your sweat session with Mother Nature decreases your stress levels and ups your calorie burn due to the varied terrain and fluctuating temperatures. It’s time to lace up your Nikes and head to the nearest park.

-Your cardio doesn’t have to be boring when you’re hoofing it under the sun. After a quick warm-up, try jogging backwards. Experts say it burns a fifth more calories and improves your balance by engaging your core. Afraid of looking silly? Don’t be.  All anyone will think would be, “Hey! She knows something I don’t!”

-Now, let’s build our endurance. Find some stairs and sprint from the bottom to the top without stopping or skipping steps. Walk back down and finish up with 4 more sets. Just like having a Stairmaster outdoors, this exercise will increase your heart and lung capacity while building killer legs for those adorable minis.

-How about you pull your forgotten roller blades out of the back of your closet and lace them up? While also a great cardio workout, rollerblading tones your inner and outer thighs along with your beautiful booty. To torch about 450 calories in 30 minutes, alternate one minute of tucked, speed skating with one minute of upright, relaxed skating. Be sure to wear your knee and elbow pads! I hear scrapes and bruises are out this season.

-Remember how much fun it was to jump rope with your girls on the playground? Pick up a cheap rope from Walmart and prepare for a cardio blast from your past! Jumping rope can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour while toning your upper and lower body. Since it’s a strenuous workout in itself, you’ll need to take frequent breaks to catch your breath. Skip rope for three minutes, then drop and do some push ups while your heart rate decreases a bit. Skip for three more minutes, then throw in some crunches. Keep alternating the rope with intervals of slower paced exercises. Aim for a 30 minute session. Can you feel the burn yet?

-Afraid of getting grass stains by doing your crunches outdoors? When you have a playground set available, there’s no need to be on the ground! To target your abs, quads and lower back simultaneously, head to the monkey bars for hanging leg lifts. Hold on to a bar with both hands while tightening your core muscles. Slowly lift your legs straight out in front of you, using your abdominals to maintain control. Slowly release and repeat with 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If it becomes too difficult, try one leg at a time or with knees bent.

Save some money and rev up your workouts by putting your gym membership on hold and taking advantage of the fresh air this season. With this beautiful weather and these fat blasting, muscle toning moves, you are well on your way to a sizzling summer bod.