We mention the importance of outdoor workouts and HIITS in your fitness journey. Dynamic movements and explosive techniques contribute to faster fat burning to achieve your dream physique optimally.
In addition, we all know the significance of getting in touch with nature while working out. One reason working out in the sun is great is because your skin can intake Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient that is obtained from diet and sunlight. Incidentally, exposure to sunlight each day enhances vitamin D production through complex metabolic pathways.
Athletes of all ages can get affected by vitamin D deficiency. This is mainly because a more significant portion of this nutrient arises from sunlight exposure. Daily sunlight exposure for at least 5 to 10 minutes or vitamin D supplementation, mainly during winter, boosts vitamin D stores.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the enhancement of the musculoskeletal system. A recent scientific publication highlights the full potential benefits that athletes stand to gain from getting their daily dose of Vitamin D:
- A functional vitamin that works alongside calcium to enhance bone mineralization resulting in increased bone density.
- In terms of muscle activation, vitamin D was found to result in more robust and faster contraction of both fast and slow-twitch muscle fibers.
- It can interact with genes that influence inflammation and immunity and has been hypothesized to stimulate recovery from sport-related injury, including lactic acidosis, to alleviate post-workout muscle aches.
- Prevents premature muscle fiber atrophy leading to the preservation of muscle bulk.
- These genes may also improve your balance, coordination, reaction time, and endurance.
- Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that results in greater muscle activation upon activation. Therefore, it possibly takes your physical performance and strength a notch higher.
Dynamic and intense
Athletes and lifters benefit from outdoor workouts due to the seethed activation of muscles, joints, and ligaments. Some studies find that outdoor exercise sessions result in more major muscle contraction, coordination, and balance, which can achieve muscle burn faster.
In addition, a similar study notes that athletes who practice outdoors tend to have longer workout sessions with routines lasting at least 30 minutes longer than conventional gym routines.
Enhanced connection with your mental core
Yoga is a perfect example of a workout that requires a clear mind. Similarly, all other routines greatly benefit from the mental clarity observed in outdoor and park activities.
Comparative studies analyzed this link and discovered the following benefits of park workouts: the natural environment results in positive mental emotions, revitalization, reduced stress, nervousness, and depression. This triggers the release of vital “feel good” hormones that promote mental wellbeing.
A Free Dose of vitamin D
Many athletes suffer from vitamin D deficiency each year! However, our skin plays a vital role in synthesizing vitamin D following exposure to sunlight and leads to improved muscle and bone integrity.
You also don’t need hefty membership fees to work out in the park! Head out and run, hike, bike, or do your desired activity of the day. Simple and accessible, any time, any day.
You Burn More Calories
Do you burn more calories working out in the heat? While you technically burn more calories through outdoor workouts, this by no means implies rapid weight loss.
Naturally, exercising in the heat directly overheats the body, compelling it to spend more energy cooling itself. Similarly, during winter, your body will work even harder to sustain core temperature leading to an increased net calorie loss than an indoor workout.
1. Bench Dips
Bench dips are a killer addition to your outdoor workouts, especially when looking to jack up your chest, shoulders, and shoulders. While this is an excellent highlight to your outdoor routine, the movement requires nothing other than perfect form.
Again, we emphasize the importance of perfectly executed movement – as the exercise relies on the stabilizing action of your core. When done right, this routine results in the enhancement of core muscles too.
What’s more, you only need a bench to execute!
2. Push-Ups
Push-ups are a fan favorite globally for building ripped chest, back, shoulder, and arm muscles. However, did you know that you can add several variations for a more functional approach with the versatility of a park bench for a complete chest workout?
So, while regular push-up effectively engages your chest, arms, core, and back, there are simple tweaks to enhance the activation of these muscles.
For example, incline push-ups focus on the lower chest while decline push-ups highlight the upper chest.
Other effective variations include diamond push-ups for your inner chest and pike push-ups for your shoulders. To add a bit of cardio, clap or plyo push-ups to activate your choice and fast-twitch fibers.
3. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are the ideal exercise for building grip and pull strength. The primary focus is your forearms, upper arms, chest, and back. However, their benefit transcends pull and grip enhancement.
Taken further with the proper form, you also stand to improve your core strength.
Almost any horizontal structure can form the pull-up station at the park, from tree branches to horizontal bars. These typically have rougher surfaces than smooth gym chrome bars facilitating a solid grip with each rep.
4. Burpees
A burpee features dropping down to the push-up stance, springing to the standing position, and jumping. Even though you are fit, this will work your cardiovascular system and boost your metabolism.
This killer park workout has many potential health benefits apart from optimizing cardiovascular health. If done right, it accelerates body fat elimination, improves mood, enhances stability and coordination, and targets long chains of muscles for whole-rounded growth.
5. Crab Walk
Implied by the name, the crab walk features balancing your body weight on all fours with your body facing the ceiling. Core, leg and arm strength is required to ensure stability throughout the routine.
The crab walk is an ideal full-body workout suitable for engaging and toning several muscle compartments at once. In addition, it works with various joints leading to improved integrity in these structures.
Sit on the ground with feet placed in front of you and palms on the floor behind you with fingers pointed forward. Engage the required muscles, lift off the floor and ensure core stability. Step forward using one foot and the contralateral arm from this position while alternating steps.
Try the crab walk to boost your endurance, flexibility, range of motion, and coordination.
6. Cycling
Compared to indoor cycling, getting a good spin outdoors can be fun and rewarding.
Cycling is dynamic and will get you huffing in no time. On the flip side, it doesn’t necessarily mean racing because it’s an activity that can be done casually or hardcore, depending on your objectives.
Going for a solid outdoor workout will improve your mood while you breeze through nature and beautiful trails. You get to savor nature on a bike, resulting in more happiness, satisfaction, mindfulness, and reduced stress.
7. Hanging Knee Raise
Are you looking to develop your core? Look no further than knee raises. Many athletes and lifters alike are guilty of neglecting their lower abs.
Enter knee raises, and this is why they work:
The exercise features lifting and lowering your knees to your chest while stationed on a pull-up bar. This engages abdominal muscles, obliques, hip flexors, and part of your back.
8. Sprints
Sprinting is a workout you can participate in regardless of your shape or form. Sprinting leads to improved health and athletic performance in other activities.
Apart from being an impeccable cardio workout, sprinting is unmatched when burning fat and stimulating metabolism.
In case you are wondering, sprinting is recommended for bodybuilding since it promotes the synthesis and release of growth hormone, which plays a central role in muscle growth and hypertrophy.
9. Bench Hops
The bench hop is a polymetric bodyweight workout for your lower body – glutes, quads, calves, and hamstrings. It also raises the heart rate and challenges the cardiovascular component.
10. Crunches Vs. Sit-Ups
Significantly, a well-toned core improves physical performance. Crunches and sit-ups are designed to engage abs and do more than strengthen the body; they also improve posture, mobility, and activation of muscles.
However, it should be noted that although both optimize your core, crunches and sit-ups are not similar. Crunches isolate your abs while sit-ups work abs and surrounding abdominal muscles.
For a deeper effect, try out these variations – reverse crunch, bicycle crunch, raised leg crunch, or running-man crunches.
11. Jump Squats
Squats are the staple lower body workout, but you can also work your cardio by making them more intense.
Jump squats build your leg muscles. Furthermore, the explosive jump ups the tempo and increases your heart rate.
However, you must nail the perfect execution to get the most out of this workout. First, load your legs at the lowest point by placing your hands behind your body. Second, stick to the landing to limit the aggravation of joints – also, bend your knees when landing.
12. Mountain Climbers
Climbing a mountain can be daunting for many, but what if the mountain is the park’s surface? This is the idea behind mountain climbers.
Mountain climbers are performed in the plank position with alternating leg movement toward your core. The action is simple but effectively works your entire body while revving your heart rate.
While many bodyweight exercises are going out of fashion, planks are the most reliable exercise with several benefits.
Also, there are very few practical and straightforward workouts for strengthening your core, as planks do. Note that by holding the plank position, you encourage engagement of your heart and the lower body, back, and upper arms.
This exercise can also stimulate metabolism, improve balance and posture, and improve the definition of your abs.
14. Side Leaps
Lateral polymetric jumps – AKA side leaps – are a crucial exercise for optimizing strength and skill. However, many people intensively focus on forward momentum while neglecting the side-to-side portion. It is critical to generate an explosive lateral hop to effectively engage lower body muscles to get the most out of side leaps.
And if you feel the actual execution is too simple for you, try one leg leaps!
15. Star Jumps
The star jump is among the most efficient bodyweight exercises for cardio exercises. While it sounds simple, it is more intense than the jumping jack.
In addition, polymetric workouts, including jumping jacks, are famous for improving athletic performance – although you don’t have to be a pro-lifter to try or benefit from it. Some studies link star jumps to better muscle activation, boosting strength, and neuromuscular conditioning structures.
Some muscles targeted include glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and delts.
After you understand some recommended bodyweight exercises, your next task is to create a solid workout routine.
Here is a simple schedule you can use the next time you exercise outdoor:
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Warm-Up – 5 minutes |
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Cardio – 40 seconds active, 20-second rest Sprints Star jumps Burpees Bench hops Side leaps Mountain climbers |
Bodyweight – 8-12 reps, three sets with 2-minute rest Pull-ups Crunches Push-ups Jump squats Sit-ups Crab walk |
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Cool down and stretch– 5 minutes |
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Enjoy your workout!
