Nothing beats exercising outdoors with the wind blowing and the feeling of being free of confined spaces. Working out in a gym may have a lot of benefits, but outdoor workouts can be equally beneficial if you do them the right way. Burn calories with these 4 great outdoor exercises:
1. Run On The Beach – There are many advantages of living close to the beach. One of them is the feeling of being free when you run on the sand with the feel of wind on your face the sea spraying on your hair. Run barefoot to make your exercise more fun. Your body will adjust to the rhythm and foot pattern naturally. All that you have to do is to do a few warm ups for your ankles before you begin with your run.
2. Park Plyometrics – The next time that you go to a park, be ready to do a challenging workout called Plyometrics. You need a 6-12 inch wall to help you with your exercises.
(a) Jump Off With Single Leg – Stand with a foot on the ledge and ensure that your heel is near the edge. Push off with the foot on the ledge and extend your leg. Try to get enough height and swing your arms up as you push off. Repeat this 10 times.
(b) Jump With Double Leg – Stand before the ledge with your feet apart at shoulder width. Place your hands behind the head. Your elbows should face out. Squat a little, jump up and land on the ledge softly. Repeat this 10 times. It must be mentioned here that plyometrics are not for beginners. You must practice strength training and should have good core strength before you attempt plyometrics. Incorporate these exercises into your routine at least two times a week.
3. Climbing Stairs – This is a great exercise for burning calories. Having a park or a stadium close to your house where there are stairs, helps, as working outdoors is more fun. Begin with jogging to warm up. Follow this with stretches, focusing on your calf muscles. Now take the stairs at a run and walk down so that you do not injure your knee. To stretch your calf muscles, stand facing a wall and lean towards it, as if you are doing pushups. Now stretch till you can feel it in your calf muscles. This stretch help prevent calf injuries when you are climbing the stairs at a run.
4. Inline Skating – This involves balance, core stability and muscle coordination. The motion of skating gives your gluts and hips a good workout. When you are doing inline skating, wear protective pads so that you do not hurt yourself if you are unable to keep your balance and fall.
Keep yourself fit by following these outdoor workouts. When working out outdoors, there is a fun element added to a routine and this fun ensures that you enjoy what you are doing.
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