Best Outdoor Summer Activities for a Full-body Workout
Spring has arrived for many of us or is on its way for the rest of you, be patient! Coming out of winter and after two years of pandemic-related restrictions, I'm ready to get outside and MOVE MY BODY! Of course, I'm also hankering for BBQs, afternoon summer cocktails, and lounging on the beach. But let's not lose sight of the importance of fitness!
After months of being indoors, maybe you can’t bear the thought of going to the gym. Well, outdoor sports can very well become a part of your fitness routine or even replace your usual workouts. With all of the great activities you can enjoy, you can find the perfect balance between staying healthy and treating yourself to some nature, fresh air, and a major change of scenery! Check out my outdoor fitness ideas below.
Swimming
Swimming is a great way to get in touch with nature, challenge the body with an all-over workout, and cool down. This summer favorite tones the body, boosts metabolism and gets your heart pumping. It also burns massive calories, especially if the water is cool. "But," I can hear some saying, "my club has a pool." Well, ask yourself when was the last time you swam as a workout? And even if you do make use of the pool, wouldn't you like to immerse yourself in a less chlorinated environment with a lower pee potential?
Swimming is the only sport that’s high intensity but also relaxing at the same time. Swimming builds stronger muscles and improves one’s lung capacity. If you live near any body of water that permits swimming, get out there. If it's a river, find a place where the current is not too strong and swim against it. Or put on a mask and snorkel (no swim-fins, that's cheating!) and lose yourself in the underwater world of your local lake or bay.
The folks at Swimming.org list these four strokes as good for weight loss and toning:
Breaststroke: is a great cardiovascular workout. It helps strengthen the heart and lungs while toning thighs, upper back, triceps, hamstrings, and lower legs while toning the chest muscles. Average calorie burn: 200 calories/30 minutes.
Backstroke: This one I definitely prefer in a lake away from people as I don't worry as much about crashing into someone! The Swimming.org folks say it’s great for office-bound workers because keeping yourself straight in the water can help to lengthen your spine and improve your posture. The backstroke tones the stomach, legs, arms, shoulders and butt while improving the flexibility of your hips. Average calorie burn: 250 calories/30 minutes.
Freestyle: The Swimming.org folks say that the freestyle stroke is best for toning back muscles. Swimming freestyle also tones your stomach, buttocks, and shoulders. Freestyle is the fastest of all the strokes, so it has high-calorie burning potential. Average calorie burn: 300/30 minutes.
Butterfly: There's no doubt that the butterfly stroke is the most intense. Rarely do you go to the beach and see someone "butterflying!" It takes time to build up endurance, but it’s the most effective stroke for toning and building muscles. Besides, you love a challenge, don't you? It helps with upper body strength, toning your chest, stomach, arms (particularly your triceps) and your back muscles. It helps to increase your flexibility, suppleness and stretches out the body to improve posture. Average calorie burn: 450 calories/30 minutes.
Hiking
Hiking outdoors has plenty of perks: nice views, fresh air, and the sounds and smells of nature. It helps to build muscular endurance and clear your head. If you use trekking poles, hiking will also help tone your upper body. An hour of hiking can burn over 350 calories and will tone your muscles, especially if you're trekking on an incline.
"How Hiking Is Good for Body and Mind," from the nice folks at WebMD.com, says hiking is a powerful cardio workout that can:
Lower your risk of heart disease
Improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels
Boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise
Build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and your hips and lower leg muscles
Strengthen your core
Improve balance
Help control your weight
Boost your mood
Related article: Take a Hike, Lose Some Weight: Strategies to Burn Fat While Hiking
Running/Trail Running
The sport that we all know and have taken part in, at least at one stage of our life, is running! It requires no equipment, no racquet, no ball, just a pair of running shoes and a road to run on. Running is a great sport for the overall fitness of the body, and also a stress reliever. Running releases endorphins in the body. This is the feel-good juice that your body will accept with pleasure.
Trail running is the perfect workout for those who love to run and perform cardiovascular activities but want to venture off of the pavement and enjoy a more tranquil and scenic run. Trails with an incline will tone your butt, quads, and build core strength.
Especially if you're used to running on a treadmill or track, trail running is also a great way to get outside and challenge your body. It's less "Zen" than getting into a rhythm on a treadmill, but your body can adapt to treadmill running. Trail running engages your core, improves your balance, and gives your body an extra boost that your muscles might be missing out on.
Bike Riding
"But, my gym has stationary bikes..." Silence! Yes, a stationary bike is great for burning calories, working the legs, and strengthening the heart. However, it’s boring as hell and there's nothing like the real thing! Riding a real bike engages your core and improves your balance, especially if you're outside. A good bike ride can torch up to 500 calories per hour. If bike storage space is an issue, there are options available like bike-share programs and rentals.
Another WebMD article, simply titled "Biking," says that biking is about as ideal as a cardio exercise can get. It provides a low-impact workout that also builds strong legs and improves heart health. And you can pump up the intensity as your fitness level improves, making it a challenging workout even for advanced exercisers.
Biking is gentle on the body for those with joint issues or recovering from an injury. However, if this is not the case and you have access to mountain-biking options, even better. Mountain biking (trail riding or off-road biking) engages the core to an even greater degree while maximizing your exposure to nature and minimizing your exposure to car exhaust.
Stand-Up Paddle-boarding
Fans of cross-training routines that challenge the core, will love stand-up paddle-boarding (also known as SUP). This balance-demanding activity is a perfect summer workout that not only engages the whole body, but provides a scenic view and the relaxing ambiance of the water. Many parks and beaches offer rentals by the day or by the hour, making it a convenient activity for a large group or the storage-space challenged.
Stand-up paddleboarding is fun and an excellent workout. Few low-impact activities provide such an extensive upper body workout, leg work, and core strength building. And unlike surfing or waterskiing, it can be mastered relatively quickly. It can burn several hundred calories/hour, immerses you in nature, and provides an instant way to cool off!
Rowing
Yes, I know, your gym has rowing machines! But just like your body can adapt to treadmill running, your body can adapt to rowing too. Rowing is a great full-body exercise that relies on muscles that we likely haven’t used much during winter. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it improves your overall cardiovascular fitness, and can help you tone up your major muscles. It’s also a low-impact exercise, which means it’s great for people who may have knee pain or joint issues. When paddling a kayak or a canoe, or rowing a skiff, the continuous and repetitive motions involved require endurance and control of large muscle groups.
You can rent kayaks or canoes if storage space is an issue or you can join a rowing/sculling club. What's the difference between rowing and sculling you might ask? They are just different ways of going backwards very quickly. The main difference is that rowers row with a single oar, while scullers scull with two oars. Either one provides a low-impact full-body workout. If you join a rowing club, or crew as it's often called, you get the extra benefit of the camaraderie of pulling together.
Rock Climbing
If you're a fan of indoor wall-climbing, consider taking it outside. If you're a beginner, don't worry, climbers are a supportive bunch, encouraging one another to reach their goals and tackle the next challenge. It's easy to find a club or personal climbing guide who will show you the ropes (HAR!) and keep you safe. Climbing works every muscle group in your body, it’s an intense cardiovascular workout, and will send your confidence soaring!
Climbing burns calories at a rate equivalent to high-intensity activities like spinning and resistance workouts. However, unlike many other cardiovascular exercises, climbing integrates aerobic exercise with muscle building. That means you get a full-body workout every time you climb. You definitely won’t get bored while you’re doing it and the feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top is legendary.
Builds strength: Climbing works all of your muscle groups simultaneously.
Strengthens your core: You need core strength to keep yourself parallel to the wall.
Improves balance and coordination: Navigating the various hand and footholds requires eye-hand-foot coordination, balance, and stamina.
Low impact: Unless you ignore the safety rules...
Has mental health benefits: Each time you climb, you’ll have to engage in problem-solving and be present to your mind-body connection. Studies show that climbing reduces the symptoms of depression, improves coping skills, and reduces anxiety even more than other kinds of physical activity.
Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
Volleyball is a non-solo sport that requires you to use your entire body. Think of how many times you jump, run, or rotate your body to perform or return a serve. It strengthens your core while burning several hundred calories per hour. It also engages your hand-eye coordination which produces positive mental health benefits.
It can be as competitive or cooperative as you want it to be. To make it a more family-friendly or cardio-vascular activity, rather than trying to score points, try to keep the volleys going as long as you can. Or make it a rule that three separate people on each team much touch the ball.
Beach volleyball is a great way to enjoy a beach workout. Not only is it summer-friendly, but it will also help maximize your speed and strength. Doing any activity on sand increases the effort required to do it. The shifting sand under your feet really requires you to engage your core. You remember how buff Goose and Maverick were in Top Gun, don't you?
HIIT It!
High-intensity interval training, HIIT, is a great way to get cardio and muscle tone at once. Especially if you need to lose some weight, consider adding some HIIT to your regimen. The great thing about HIIT is that you can do it in your backyard, at the park, or at the beach. This particular plan requires no equipment and also helps train the upper body:
Push-ups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
High knees (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Mountain climbers (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Push-ups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Jump squats (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Plank jacks (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Burpees (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Push-ups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Park Strength-Training (Calisthenics)
Or simply go to a park and perform some of your favorite exercises. For example, perform 12-15 reps of each workout and repeat for a total of 3 circuit sets.
Reverse lunges with a swing or park bench.
Traditional bar pull-ups/chin-ups with a monkey bar.
Perform jackknifes with a swing instead of a stability ball.
Jump squats on a bench to challenge your body beyond a traditional squat.
You can also keep a dumbbell in your vehicle and do some dumbbell exercises while at the park or playground. Just be sure no kiddies want to go down the slide before you use it for your Incline Dumbbell Press!
Closing Thought
Don't be afraid to mix things up a little. Getting out of your routine might give a much-needed "breath of fresh air" to your workout.
It’s a natural antidepressant. Outdoor exercise can help ward off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, and anxiety because sunshine naturally increases serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood.
It challenges your body. Ever-changing outdoor terrain is more challenged than working out on a flat indoor surface.
You may be more likely to stick with it. Outdoor exercise is enjoyable and feels more like play than a chore.
You'll see birds, fish, animals, and wild flowers!
