Get Outside!
As the owner of a fitness studio, of course, I think classes are a great way to get fit, but in the beautiful weather, it’s great to have a workout that you can take to the beach, a park, or your backyard. Below is an approximately 30-minute full-body workout with cardio and modifications for various fitness levels that you can take anywhere! No equipment needed.
Outdoor Workout Plan
Warmup
1. 30 seconds jumping jacks
Modification: Fast marching in place while punching your arms out in front of you.
2. 30 seconds simulated jump rope
Pretend you are jumping rope, with quick little jumps and your hands like you are holding a jump rope.
3. Repeat
Legs
Figure 1
1. 20 Squats (Figure 1)
Form note: To learn proper form, use a bench or chair and sit down then stand right back up. This is a proper squat form; your knees will stay stacked over your ankles, and you will naturally lead with your butt. (Figure 1)
Figure 2
Advanced modification: Add a jump at the top of each squat, landing right back into the next squat. (Figure 2)
Figure 3
2. 20 Walking lunges: Take large steps, dropping your back knee down toward the ground and bending the front knee to a right ankle. (Figure 3)
Form note: Be sure the front knee stays directly above the right ankle and doesn’t go forward past the tips of your toes. The second picture in figure three shows improper knee placement where it is has moved past the line of the ankle.
Figure 4
3. 20 calf raises: Standing very tall raise yourself up as high as you can on the ball of the foot, hold for two seconds and lower down slowly. (Figure 4)
Cardio
Figure 5
1. 30 seconds high knees: Running in place driving your knees high toward your chest. (Left, Figure 5)
Modification: Use Marching movement from warmup
2. 30 seconds butt kicks: Picture the “cheerleader run” where you kick your heels toward your glutes, but done in place. (Right, Figure 5)
Modification: Slow the movement down and keep one foot on the ground at all times
3. Rest 20 seconds
4. Repeat 1-2 times
Upper body
Figure 6
1. 20 Pushups (Top, Figure 6)
Form note: Make sure your back does not sag at all and that you maintain a perfect plank position through the entirety of the movement
Advanced option: Elevate the feet and do an inclined pushup (Bottom, Figure 6)
Figure 7
Modification: Do them from your knees or do them from an inclined position by placing your hands on a bench or any other object that is higher than the ground. For this, a bench is perfect, but any stable object will do. (Figure 7)
Figure 8
2. 20 triangle pushups: Simply do a pushup with your hands placed in the shape of a triangle directly under your chest. This will put you in your triceps rather than chest. (Figure 8)
Modification: These are much more challenging than a regular pushup and can be done using all the same modifications offered for regular pushups
Figure 9
3. 20 Superman
Lying flat on your stomach with your hands stretched out above your head, lift your upper body and legs off the ground and hold for 2-3 seconds, keeping your lower abdomen and pelvis on the ground. (Figure 9)
REPEAT CARDIO
This entire workout can be repeated as many times as appropriate, given time constraints and individual fitness level. As with any workout, listen to your body and be sure to incorporate a proper cool down (some slow sit-ups or walking), and stretching afterward.
If you would like to amp up the intensity, you can do a Tabata style workout for the cardio portion. This is a great option for high-intensity interval training. Do 20 seconds of high knees as fast as you’re able, rest for 10 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 minutes or 8 rounds. You can even find “Tabata songs,” that time the intervals for you if you use headphones while working out.
Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and a fresh new workout!
Natalina owns and operates a boutique fitness studio in Cranston, Rhode Island, The Edge Fitness for Women. At her studio, she not only builds strong bodies in a body positive environment but also builds a strong community of women who support one another. A National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer with additional credentials in barre, boot camp, kickboxing, spin, and TRX (among others), 10 years of experience as a trainer, and countless road races, obstacles races, and a triathlon under her belt, she offers readers a wide variety of expertise and experience.
www.theedgefitnessforwomen.com
