Cross Training Outside
“I hate to be cooped up all day!” Some people do not like the idea of being inside all day long at work or home, then going to work out inside a gym. It’s nice to get outside and enjoy nature. Some people like heat, some cold and others in between. Each has their own benefits and depending where you live, you are exposed to a variety of elements throughout the year. When you do feel like going outside, it is a perfect time to get your workout in for the day as well.
As with other cross training workouts, freedom and options are the basics when talking about doing an outside workout. Cardio, body weight exercises, and even weights can all be utilized outside. Limitations arise in the equipment you have and the feasibility of performing any such exercise at that given location.
The location of the workout is going to help define what type of workout you will do. If you live in a flat area without hills, it will naturally be very difficult to perform hill sprints on a daily basis. If you are looking to run some stairs but only have a small stair case of 7 steps nearby, it will not work as well as having several stories available. The park may serve as a great option, but keep in mind some charge money to enter or have a lot of people around and you will be trying to do your workout in the open public (more about this later on).
The beach, mountains, hills, stairs, parks, and lawns all provide various benefits for them. Beach workouts are nice for sand running, incorporating swimming and avoiding extreme heat. Mountains make it more difficult to breath due to less air pressure, turning any workout into a cardio workout. Hills allow for the legs to work through the burn and for the cardio system to be pushed. Similar effect with stairs although the stairs help with explosiveness depending on the specific exercises performed. Parks offer a lot of space and more of them are starting to have some fitness equipment cemented in that can be utilized in workouts. An at home, workout on the lawn is great for privacy while still being outside. If you have weight equipment, it may be a great way to get some weight training in while being outdoors.
Once the location is established, the weather is something that needs to be considered as well. Extreme heat or cold can make it more difficult to get a workout in, but not impossible. Heat is easier I think due to the simplicity of steps it requires. Hydration is key and you need to drink more water before, during, and after the workout. Being well hydrated combined with moisture wicking material will help to prevent heat exhaustion. (If you feel any symptoms of heat exhaustion, immediately stop to let your body cool and seek medical help if necessary) Sunscreen with at least 30 SPF should help to prevent sun burns as well. Extreme cold requires layers. The more skin that is exposed, the worse off you will be. It can be extremely difficult to have a good strong grip on equipment with thick gloves. Layers are essential when dressing warm. Take your time with a great warm up, starting slowly and building up to get the body fully warm before getting to the workout. Taking the time to do this will help lower the risk of injury. As you begin to heat up, you may take off a layer or few depending on your temperature and the weather as well. When the workout is completed, make sure to stretch when warm and putting the clothes back on as it will help your muscles be loose as opposed to tightening up on you.
Once the location and weather have been considered, the type of workout should be narrowed down a little bit. Focus on cardio, or bodyweight, or weights should be on your mind as you program a workout. Naturally if you are training for a specific purpose, your workout should be aligned with your goals the best it can without risk of injury. This means if you need to do sprinting, you will have to work through heat or cold to make it happen. On the other hand, if you are working towards general fitness, you can allow the weather and how you feel to dictate your workout more so. Personally as I touched on earlier, I find it a pain to deal with weights, especially heavy weights in the cold. I love having complete feel and control over weights and I do not have that same level of comfort with thick gloves. Not to mention I like having a shorter warm up and keeping the body warm through the workout. Incorporating pushups in between sets of stairs might be something to consider, but again in very hot or cold weather, it may not be the most enjoyable. Extremely hot or cold ground or bars may hurt your hands and even cause blisters. It is ideal to anticipate these things before you encounter them, but even if you do not, I am sure you will quickly learn them. The workout should be very challenging but not uncomfortable in a sense that you hate it. *note, being uncomfortable due to fatigue and burning of the muscle is not what I mean by this, we love that feeling of uncomfortable!
Forming the actual cross training workout you are going to do outside should be a breeze by now. Keep in mind the normal considerations with type of workout, what exercises to include, the sets, reps and rest for the workout. The same factors that were discussed earlier about forming the cross training workouts still must be followed to have a great workout.
As you perform the outdoor workout, I think the most important thing to realize is the connection between you and nature for that moment. Regardless of how hard you pushed yourself, take a moment to appreciate what you have. Appreciate the opportunity to work your body and free your mind as you take in what nature has to offer. This is a great way to allow your mind to keep working through the workout or to fully relax once you are done. Taking that moment to take it all in and enjoying the moment is special. That moment of joy is something you should store deep inside. It is these types of memories you should call upon on the days when you are having trouble motivating yourself to get moving. Use these thoughts to get you going and finish a workout so that you can again experience that joy.
Thoughts about Working out in Public
In regards to any concerns with working out in public, first thought is STOP. Who cares what these strangers think. You cannot control what goes inside their heads; however, you can control your thoughts. You could waste your thoughts and energy thinking about them or you can be in the moment and improve your health. Sure it may seem odd for people to see you working out and you may feel out of place before you get started, but I think that IS the problem. If more people exercised like you, then obesity would not be growing at the rate it is. As long as you are not hurting or disrupting others, you should focus on you and you alone. Who knows, maybe you will even inspire few onlookers to start their own exercise program one day!