5 Best Outdoor Workouts for Weight Loss
Whether it's a sunny summer morning or crisp fall afternoon, bringing your workout outdoors can be an invigorating change in your fitness routine. Doing the same old indoor gym routine can get mundane fast, so we've rounded up five of the best outdoor workouts for weight loss to help you crush your journey.
We know that engaging in regular exercise can boost your physiological and psychological wellness—and working out in the good old outdoors only maximizes those benefits. Research shows that exercising in the fresh air can improve your mood, alleviate stress, and restore mental fatigue.
"Some people may find working out outdoors more relaxing and calming," explains Domenic Angelino, CPT at International Personal Trainer Academy (IPTA). "Being in the sun can help boost your mood and can even increase vitamin D production in your body. Some people find outdoor workouts on a day with nice weather refreshing."
If you want to shed excess pounds and get into shape, sprucing up your fitness regimen is essential. Take your next workout outside and try one of the trainer-approved outdoor workouts for weight loss below.
Sled Push
A common reason many gymgoers aren't familiar with the sled push is that it requires ample space. This means it's typically only available in larger gyms or utilized in outdoor workouts where space is aplenty.
"Sled pushing involves a large number of muscles in your upper and lower body. Some contract normally during the exercise, while others contract isometrically," says Angelino. "It leads to a lot of muscle activity which directly translates into more calorie burning."
Angelino recommends performing four to six sets of 30-second-long heavy sled pushes. "When you perform the sled pull, focus on pushing with your feet," he stresses. "You will burn more calories and be able to push more effectively if you take larger steps. This means that you'll bring your foot far forward toward the sled with each step, then fully extend your leg back behind you as you press forward."
In addition, don't stand upright while pushing the sled, but rather lean forward. This makes it more seamless to use your legs to press the sled ahead of you.
Tire Flipping
"Tire flipping can help you burn calories pretty quickly while also being effective at increasing your muscular power," says Angelino. "Increasing muscular power early on in life can help protect against fall risk a bit as you age. Increasing muscular power also improves athletic performance."
When performing this exercise, be mindful of the way you lift the tire. "Try to think of squatting the tire up rather than deadlifting it up," Angelino offers. If you "deadlift" the tire upward, you put your lower back at risk of injury. By squatting the tire up, you'll protect your lower back and make flipping the tire more seamless.
"It's also worth keeping in mind that tires have different sizes and bigger tires are heavier," Angelino tells us. "There may be limitations to the size of tire you can use in an effective manner based on your own height."
If you want to lose weight, aim for three to five sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent, refreshing outdoor workout that works your entire body.
"One of the things that I love about swimming for an outdoor workout is that it's similarly efficient to swimming indoors but still allows you to make the most of nice weather," Angelino points out. "Swimming, in general, is highly effective at burning calories. It has many of the benefits of running but also involves muscles in both your upper and lower body. This results in swimming to burn calories [faster] than many other exercises."
If you opt for an outdoor swim workout, it's helpful to switch up your swimming style with every few laps. This way, you avoid getting fatigued quickly and can perform a longer workout, burning even more calories.
Angelino recommends swimming in two-minute intervals with a one-minute break to rest in between each interval. Complete a 30-minute bout of swimming in total.
Running
Running may be a more obvious outdoor workout option, but it's an extremely productive form of exercise if your goal is weight loss. Running is an incredibly versatile addition to your regimen; all you need to do is lace up your sneakers and choose your trail or route.
"Running is a great way to burn a large number of calories in a relatively short period of time," Angelino tells us. "It's also easy to adjust the intensity of your run as you get in better shape over time; you just have to move a little bit faster. And you can do so with a limited risk of injury compared to other common types of exercise."
Complete 30 minutes of running, keeping your pace moderately intense and consistent, if you want to shed pounds.
Bouldering
Angelino cautions that this last exercise should absolutely only be performed if you have the proper training and safety equipment. If you're a newbie, starting out by practicing at an indoor rock climbing gym is essential. And even once you progress, you may choose outdoor rock climbing over bouldering.
"If you [are properly trained and] decide to go bouldering outdoors, do your best to take as many safety precautions as possible," Angelino stresses. "Always wear full safety gear and bring a high-quality crash pad. Also, never go bouldering alone—always have at least one other experienced friend with you. [In addition,] make sure to always bring a first aid kid just in case. It's also helpful to boulder in areas where you know you will have a stable cell phone signal, just in case you need to make an emergency call."
If you are already experienced at bouldering, this form of outdoor exercise can be stellar at burning calories and achieving your weight-loss goals. If traditional workouts aren't really your thing, bouldering may be a great choice with the proper training and equipment at your fingertips.
"When it comes to bouldering, the duration of a climb depends on where you're bouldering and your own physical abilities," Angelino notes. "Instead of thinking about bouldering in terms of sets and reps, it can be helpful to aim for a rough time range that you plan to boulder for. Most people who are newer to bouldering find they feel fatigued after around one to two hours, with a handful of breaks mixed in as needed. The frequency of breaks you take should be based on how quickly you feel you are getting tired."
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