Who remembers when our parents use to constantly yell at us to go outside and play? They would get sick to death of us running or mucking around making a complete nuisance of ourself. They could not get us out the door quick enough!

Well, we may not have the same child-like minded activities lined up to get us outside anymore, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t get outside and be greeted by the smell of fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors.

It may be that you don’t enjoy working out in a gym environment or the thought of doing fitness inside is simply not for you!  Exercising outdoors has many benefits and there is an endless array of exercises that you can undertake in whilst being outside.

To give your outdoor workout variation or to increase the intensity of your workouts look to use park benches, chairs, school equipment, hills, stairs, bars, and walls. Below Healthwise Global has listed some effective basic exercises for you to do, these are sure to get the blood pumping and leave you sweaty, worn –out, and feeling great when its all over!

Squats

Like any exercise, form is of the utmost importance. People do not understand the incredible power of doing a squat the right way. You lose this incredible effectiveness if done with incorrect technique. Variations include standing squats, jump squats, single-leg, wide stance, leg-raised, and overhead squats. A park bench or chair is great to use to judge the depth of your squat.

Push Ups

Push ups have always been one of the most effective upper body exercises. Variations include standard grip, wide grip, close grip and staggered grip. They can be done on an incline or decline to target different muscle areas across your chest. Elevating your feet will make the movement somewhat harder. Or you can elevate your hands to make it easier. If you are feeling brave enough, try clap push ups where you push up and clap in between.

Lunges

When done correctly, a lunge will work every single muscle in your legs. Variations include Standing, Alternating, Elevated, Rear, and Walking Lunges. Do any of these using a hill or slope for added variation.

Dips

Using a park bench or chair, dips are great for working those so called dreaded ‘bat wings!’You will hear your triceps screaming from miles away!! To increase the difficulty of dips try raising your feet, which will increase the depth of the exercise.

Step Ups

Here you can basically use anything that is elevated! Using nothing more than a park bench, chair, piece of playground equipment or even a decent size rock. Keep your back straight, head up and looking forward the entire time. This will maximise recruitment of all your leg muscles, and you will get an incredible cardiovascular workout as well. Try going for 45-60secs leading with one leg than 45-60secs leading with the other. Rest for 60secs before repeating again!

Chin Ups

Chin ups or Pull ups as they are effectively known, can be done using anything from an overhanging tree branch to any number of different pieces of playground equipment. Brutal is the best way to describe chin ups and they will humble most people! Bring your body up completely to your chin is at or above your hands, and lower back with control. Good luck getting as many done as you can!

Wall Squat

This isometric lower body exercise is great for toning and testing the strength of your lower extremity. From the front of your thighs, to your hips and buttocks!-no leg muscle misses out here. Try holding for as long as possible or do this exercise immediately after performing a set of squats or lunges-awwwwww!!! I can feel the pain from here!!!

Hill Sprints

This exercise is exactly as it sounds-running uphill. Bring your oxygen tank for this for this one, run as fast as you can up a decent slope, walk back down, and repeat. After a good set of 10 reps of these, you will think your Usain Bolt next time you run on level ground!

Interval Training

Interval training involves mixing high level of intensity work, followed by periods of rest or low intensity. It involves brief bouts at near maximum exertion efforts interspersed with periods of lower intensity. For example you may complete a 40m sprint, jog back slowly, and then repeat for a certain number of repetitions before full rest. These sprints may start at a predetermined time interval, e.g. 40m sprint, walk back and sprint again on the one minute. So if you do the sprint in 7secs, it takes you 20secs to walk back, then you will have 33sec rest before you repeat the 40m sprint again. Your lungs will be on fire!

Interval Training will not only give your training routine great variety, but is extremely effective for fat loss and improving your cardio capabilities.