It’s summer, and that means it’s time to get outside and move!
But if you’re not a gym rat and you’re looking for some new ways to exercise in the great outdoors, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven fun outdoor workouts that will help you stay healthy, fit, and happy this summer.
Hiking
Hiking is one of the easiest ways to get your heart rate up while seeing some of nature’s most beautiful sights. If you don’t have much experience hiking, start small: try walking around your neighborhood or in a park near where you live. If that feels comfortable, try going on longer hikes with friends or family members.
Kayaking/Biking
Kayaking is an awesome way to get some exercise while enjoying the water. It’s also easy on the joints—just make sure to wear appropriate clothing (like water shoes) so that nothing gets hurt!
The great thing about biking is that it allows you to go where you want, when you want. You can ride off-road trails, or take a leisurely bike ride down a neighborhood street—the possibilities are endless! Plus, biking is a great way to get in some cardio while also enjoying the scenery around you.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent full-body workout. It’s low impact on your joints, which makes it perfect for people who have arthritis or other joint issues. Swimming also provides resistance training for all major muscle groups as well as cardio benefits from increased heart rate.
Yoga
Yoga combines breathing and stretching in order to improve flexibility and balance. If you’ve never done yoga before, try out one of these beginner-friendly poses: downward dog or child’s pose.
Set up an obstacle course in your backyard
Set up an obstacle course in your backyard. You can do this by using anything from old furniture pieces to leftover building materials (or even just things you find lying around in your garage). You can also create a circuit workout by setting up cones in different locations around your yard and going through each one as fast as possible.
Chase a tennis ball
To start things off with a cardio burst, set up two lines of cones about 20 feet apart and place a tennis ball in front of one line. Run from one end of the line to the other as fast as you can, collecting the tennis ball at the other end. Repeat until you’ve gone through all 10 cones. You can vary this exercise by setting up multiple tennis balls in different places throughout your course—the more balls there are, the more challenging it will be.
