The Blog

April 21, 2016

Get a Full-Body Workout Outdoors!

If you’re someone who believes the only way to get a full-body workout is at the gym, we want to prove you wrong! There are a lot of at-home or at-the-park ways to get that full body workout you’re looking for. There are likely places to exercise right outside your door, and there might already be a group of your neighbors doing it! 

Around your home:

Do you have steps or an inclined ramp at your house? You can do inclined push-ups to target your chest and shoulder areas.  You can also do step-ups, which are just what they sound like! Step-up onto the stairs and raise your opposite leg up towards your chest, alternating legs. This exercise will target your glutes and thighs. If you have a ramp nearby, you can do inclined lunges too. We often forget that our body weight is a great tool when exercising. We don’t necessarily need weights or fancy equipment! Try adding squats, and play around with the way you place your feet.

Do you want to add cardio to the beginning or end of your workout? Grab some of your friends and go for a jog around the block or out at the park.  You can also get high-intensity cardio by doing jumping jacks, jumping rope, or running sprints.

At the park:Get a full-body workout at the park

Use park benches you can do inclined push-ups, step-ups, tricep dips, or even use them to stretch out your legs. Use the monkey bars at the local playground for pull-ups! It’s harder than you might remember, and this will help strengthen your shoulders, chest, and upper back muscles.  Also, take advantage of the wide-open spaces by playing sports with your friends and family members. Playing sports can be enough to get a full-body workout, and you don’t notice you’re doing the work!

If you’re in Central Texas, our Choose Healthier App has thousands of free and affordable group workouts in it, and many of them are right in local parks, parking lots, or even parking garages! If you don’t have a nice, safe outdoor area in your neighborhood to exercise, we want to help you form or strengthen a Mayor’s Fitness Council and work with your local government to build one.

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