Simple Warm-Weather Workouts
By Fitness Expert Nikki Glor for GalTime.com
Get OUT!
When the morning news meteorologist woke up much of America with warmer-than-average temperatures each week this winter, we heard "wake up and get out!"
If you were like much of the country and decided the thermometer reading meant less time on the treadmill and more time in your jogging gloves, you are probably in better shape for it. Thanks, Mother Nature!
If you want to continue the trend, or decided today to shape up for spring's warm weather, here are some ideas to take your workout outside.
Find a Playground: You don't have to have kids to take advantage of the outdoor gym in your neighborhood! Do triceps dips on the slide, then climb to the top and do include leg lifts for the abs. Do knee-ups and push-ups on a bench seat. put your feet on a swing and your hands on the ground, then pull your knees to your chest for plank crunches. Do pull-ups on the monkey bars. There are so many ways to use the playground as your fitness center, but with the sun shining on your workouts! See me doing some of these moves .
Take an outdoor boot camp class. There are many small group personal training sessions across the country, just search the internet for "boot camp" or "small group training" with your zip code and see what pops up. Also ask at your local gym for running groups and boot camps that go outdoors.
Related: Train Like a Tight End to Get a Tight End
Try a Mud Run! Nothing like making use of April showers. These military-style races like the Tough Mudder or Merrell Down and Dirty Series travel across the country and involve running, climbing, wading through water and crawling through and under mud. The photos are worth it afterwords! Not interested in mixing dirt with your sweat? Search for a local charity race, walk, or bike event in your area. The training will be just as fun as the big day, and you'll discover your beach body forming.
Biking Couple
Try biking, hiking or combinations in your local park. There are meet up groups or just make a weekend warrior plan with friends to burn some calories instead of going to brunch. (But don't forget the healthy picnic packed as a reward.) There are even wine tasting bike trails, old railroad tracks that have turned into bike trails (called "Rails to Trails") and hiking events that involved other entertainment and sightseeing. Do a search in your area online for new spring local fitness activities and trails.
Learn to climb a mountain or repel. Take up skateboarding or horseback riding. Jump on a trampoline. Go rowing on the river. There are new extreme sports every day that become popular if the normal ski slope is to tame for your energy.
Create our own outdoor gym. Another option is to purchase an "Eliptigo" (looks like a bike but feels like an elliptical machine) or convince your local government to install outdoor fitness machines like leg press machines or air walkers in your neighborhood park (see some examples at www.outdoor-workout.com).
And if all else fails, take a walk to smell the roses. They'll be blooming early this year!
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