Take your next workout OUTSIDE! Here’s a full body workout with 10 different exercises using common things that you find in a park, local school or at a playground – benches, bleaches and a tree!
Push Up
- Begin in push up position, hands on the floor aligned under shoulders, toes on the floor hip distance apart, body in a straight line from top of head to toes
- Keeping abdominals tight, lower body down to the floor without touching it, raise body back to starting position by fully extending elbows while keeping them soft
Continue lowering & raising the body until all reps are performed
Squat
- Stand with feet shoulder distance apart, knees soft, toes pointed slightly out & abdominals tight
- Look straight ahead & squat down as far as possible or until thighs are parallel to floor, keeping knees over ankles
- Exhale & straighten legs to return to starting position
- Continue until all reps are complete
1-leg stiff leg dead lift
- Stand balanced on left leg with right foot off the floor
- Hinge forward from waist until you feel a stretch in the left hamstring, keeping left knee soft, right leg extended straight, back flat, hips square to floor & abdominals tight
Exhale & slowly extend up from the left hip to return to starting position - Continue until all reps are complete then switch and stand balanced on right leg and complete same number of reps
Pull Ups
- Hang from high bar with wider than shoulder width overhand grip
- Exhale and pull yourself up until your eyes are above the bar
- Slowly lower yourself to starting position
- Continue until all reps are complete
Legs In & Out
- Sit on a bench with hands on bench behind you for balance, lean back as far as you can keeping abdominals tight, extend legs straight out to hip height,
- Contract abdominals, exhale & simultaneously bring upper body to 90 degrees and flex knees toward chest
- Extend legs & upper body back to starting position
- Continue to flex and extend until all reps are complete
Jump Up, Step Down
- Begin standing in a neutral position facing a step with feet hips distance apart, knees soft, abdominals tight & chest lifted, for an added challenge hold a light weight or medicine ball on chest
- Using both feet quickly hop up on the step, pause, then step down with left foot then right foot
- Continue jumping up and stepping down with the left foot until all reps are complete then switch sides and complete same number of reps
Shoulder Press
- Begin with hands on the ground, arms straight, head between arms, torso vertical toward the sky and feet on a bench so hips form a 90 degree angle
- Bend elbows and lower body to close but not touching the ground
- Exhale, extend elbows and push back up to starting position to complete 1 rep of the inverted or upside down shoulder press
- Continue until all reps are complete
Lunge
- Step your left foot forward onto a step keeping both feet hips distance apart, raise right heel so you are balanced on the ball of your right foot
- Bend both knees to lower body down as far as possible or until right knee is close to but not touching the floor
- Keep left knee directly over left ankle, back straight, chin up & abdominals tight – your right knee, hip & shoulder should be in a straight line
- Exhale & extend both knees up to return to starting position
- Continue until all reps are complete
- Switch & step forward onto step with right foot, complete same number of reps
Dips
- Place your hands on the edge of a flat bench, chair or stable surface shoulder with apart, elbows pointing back & heels on the floor, abdominals tight
- Bend elbows to 90 degrees while keeping them pointing backwards
- Exhale & extend elbows to return to starting position
- Continue flexing & extending elbows until all reps are performed
Push Up to Plank
- Begin in push up position on the ground facing a bench about 10” away.
Contract you abdominals, exhale, lift and place your right hand up on the bench then lift and place your left hand on the bench in a stepping motion - Using the same stepping motion return your hands to the floor to complete on rep
- Continue until all reps are complete on the right side, switch and begin the stepping motion with your left hand for the same number of reps