Change The Scenery With These 4 Outdoor Workouts

Vitamin D + aerobic activity is a recipe for happiness!

A lot of focus these days is about going to a gym, and high-speed indoor workouts. Seems like equipment or fancy treadmills are required. However, I’m here to say that’s not at all necessary for a legit workout.

Track & bodyweight workouts are also valuable.

[ReviewDisclaimer]

[amazon_link asins=’B078686BV1,B0784R7MP2,B016WBVER8,B074J5MVTC,B07283WHY5′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’poms2moms-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d1cb3723-7a6d-11e8-bd6a-8380e57daa17′]

When it is sunny and beautiful outside, hit the track. Mixing up your workouts can be a helpful change of scenery, and fun! There are lots of ways to make the track and field useful.

Here are 4 outdoor track exercises. I recommend trying them all for a complete, total-body workout. Below is each movement with “how-to” photos. Take on as many or as few of them as you desire, and mix to your pace.

Have fun and let me know what you think. Comment below with your goals, results, and/or feedback. Good luck!

1.) Lunges –

My favorite!  It’s the sneaky one that you feel the NEXT day. And it’s great for the hiney. Pick up some [amazon_textlink asin=’B0727Q5F94′ text=’weights‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’poms2moms-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a8268c27-0f87-4a1b-b405-c701500034c1′] or a sandbag for an extra challenge.

Importantly, don’t let your knees go over your toes as you lunge forward. It isn’t mandatory, but I recommend making your back knee touch the ground for the deep squat. I prefer walking in a line, but you can always step forwards or backwards. Hands can go on the hips, or on top of the head.

2.) Push ups –

Great for upper body and abs, the push up can be a challenging but simple movement to perform. If you keep your elbows tucked into the side, you’re focusing more on triceps. If you choose to have your arms out wide, that focuses more on your chest. I recommend a mix of both. (To make it extra spicy, form a diamond with your hands!)

The Army is quite proud of push ups. Ever curious what your PT score would be in the Army? Click here for the grading scale. Comment below if you think it’s too easy, too difficult, or just right!

3.) Raised-knee Crunches –

I’ll have a set of six-pack abs the day my German Shepard quits chasing cats. And that’s never, but I know abs remain a priority considering how vital they are to a strong posture and healthy back.

This movement is versatile and reliable. Exhale on your way up and inhale on your way down. Make sure your core, and not your shoulders/elbows, does the work.

Try to lower one leg at a time as you bring your chest up, or even lower both legs as a “V-up.” Build up to sets of 10 and don’t hesitate to mix up lowering the legs, alternating into both. Add a side twist at the top to hit your oblique muscles.

4.) Sprints –

They’re mentally hellacious, but so effective. Short bursts of sprints around the track is one of the most effective ways to trim down on overall pace during long runs. It also spikes your heart rate, providing you with some high intensity interval training.

[amazon_link asins=’B01H7T1BUY,B078867F6C,B01GVQX3ZU,B01HPGMBFS,B01HSIH68K,B01FCEEL12′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’poms2moms-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5443cddd-2bc4-4a0b-89b5-5abba7b070e2′]

I recommend trying this interval set:

• 4 x 100 meters (walk the curves)
• 2 x 200 meters (walk the curves + 100 meter stretch)
• 1 x 400 meters (walk a lap to cool down)

This will give you over a mile of sprinting and walking. During the walks, breathe deeply and try to reset your [amazon_textlink asin=’B00QSRQ1UM’ text=’heart rate‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’poms2moms-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e0b8a46a-7bb6-4026-853b-fcd8b7388fa1′] to normal. The point of the walk is to be able to max out during the sprints, so be sure to give yourself the complete rest in between.

As with any workout, but especially those outside, hydrate when you finish.

I hope you have a great time outside!  Caesar encourages it too.

(While I’m *not* a personal trainer, I’ve had my share of workouts and simply propose these exercises as accessible, fun-in-the-sun for P2M readers everywhere.)

Happy track workout!