Get Out Of the Gym Workouts

Get Out Of the Gym Workouts

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

If you are lucky enough to live (or be vacationing) near a body of water and a rental shop, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) can be a totally surreal way (think walking on water) to squeeze in a workout. Just paddling around for an hour can burn more than 500 calories, and will work not just your upper body, but your core and leg muscles (which are used to keep you stable on the board), as well. If you want to up the intensity, see if your local rental shop offers SUP yoga classes, or try our total-body, on-board workout.

HIIT the Track

When celebrity trainer Keri Lynn Ford's clients get bored of the treadmill, she takes them to the track. "Running in circles might not seem like much fun, but it can be really motivating when you play with time," she says. She recommends high-intensity intervals: Three to five minutes of slow jogging, followed by a ladder routine—10 seconds sprint, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds sprint, 20 seconds rest, 30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds rest, and then back down the ladder—repeated for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool down for five minutes and finish with full-body stretching.

SurfSet

Nowhere near an ocean, but dying to catch some waves? Find a SurfSet Fitness class near you: Venues from hotels to private studios to Anytime Fitness and Crunch Gyms are getting in on the action, which takes place atop "total-body surf trainers"—essentially a 70-inch surfboard balanced on top of stability balls and held in place with bungee cords. Most studios offer several types of classes, from yoga to cardio to balance basics, and many are taking their boards outdoors (to beaches, parks and rooftops) for summer sweat sessions.

Lower and Upper Body Stair Session

"When you're in a gym, everything is about sets and reps and tempo—but when you're outside, it's nice to get away from that and really just challenge yourself and listen to your body," says Jay Wright, personal trainer and founder of The Wright Fit, Inc. After a quick warm-up, he recommends running up and down a set of stairs or bleachers until you get "dead legs," when you know your legs won't carry you much longer, then walk to the top and switch to push-ups or hold a plank pose for one minute. Catch your breath, get some strength back in your legs, and repeat two more times.

Park-Bench Workout

Ford is a big believer in looking at the world as your playground. "Everything you see is an option for a workout," she says, "whether you're lifting it, sitting on it, jumping over it, climbing it or throwing it." One of her favorite props? A park bench. "It's great for both upper and lower body strength training," she says. "You can use it for tricep dips, single leg squats and elevated pushups, to name a few." For a full routine you can do on a park bench, try our Firm Up in Fresh Air Workout.

Trail Running

Training for an adventure race or a mud run? Head to the woods for some trail running, says Wright. It's a great physical and mental workout, because you have to stay focused on uneven terrain and obstacles in your path. If you want to increase your intensity, invest in a weighted vest or a 15- to 20-pound sandbag with handles that you can carry on your back. Every 10 minutes or so, pause your run and do 30 seconds of squats or push-ups.

Balance on the Beach

Sand is a great surface to work on balance and core strength, since the ground isn't stable under your feet and your muscles need to work overtime to keep you stable, says Ford. Try standing on one leg and doing bicep curls (2 sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side) with light hand weights or a one-liter bottle of water in each hand. Work in some plyometric jumping moves, as well—think: Insanity on the beach. "When you're moving forward and backward and side to side, you're pushing off of something that's moving," Ford says. "That makes the move that much harder and more effective."

Wave Running

Sprinting—or, at least, trying to sprint—through water is a great way to combine cardio and resistance training. "It's very similar to running with a parachute on your back," says Ford. Instead of just going for a 30-minute jog on the sand, wade knee-deep into the water (or waist deep, if you want an even harder challenge) every three minutes and try 20-seconds of sprinting.

Outdoor Gym Classes and Clubs

Rooftop yoga, early-morning boot camps in the park, and local running clubs (often sponsored by fitness centers or fitness apparel stores) can give you the camaraderie you look for in a gym but also the fresh air and natural setting that no indoor space can provide. Lululemon stores around the country sponsor outdoor yoga during the summer, for example, and host year-round running clubs in many locations. You can also find outdoor yoga and barre classes at various Exhale Spa locations, or check out CampGladiator.com for outdoor boot-camp classes at more than 350 locations across the country.

TRX on a Tree

One of Wright's favorite train-anywhere tools is a set of TRX bands. They're light, portable, and can attach to nearly anything, he says—whether it's a doorway in your house or a tree trunk or a large tree branch (be sure it can support your weight!) overhead. Wright suggests starting your workout with 5 to 10 minutes of cardio, then alternating between upper- and lower-body resistance-training moves; luckily, we've got six of them right here for you to try.

Original article and pictures take www.self.com site