Outdoor Workout

Soak up what’s left from the summer sun and get ripped while enjoying the scenery. The outdoors are an ideal gym to enjoy the best of nature and exercise. There are a plenty of ways to stay in shape on the sands or in the park. When you’re feeling the need to get your blood pumping give these simple outdoor exercises a try.

Warm Up

Every workout needs a warm up to get your body ready. To begin, jog down the shore twice, followed by high knees once and butt kicks once. When you are back to your starting point, do ten burpees – which is when you jump into a plank position, get up and take another jump with your arms extended above your head. Then, do another jog along the shore.

Running

The simplest, and one of the most effective, exercises you can do on the beach is to run on the sand. In fact, running on sand forces your body to expend 1.6 times more energy than running on a hard surface. You’ll enjoy the warm ocean breeze and burn more calories than usual in the process. It’s a win-win.

Surfer Get-ups

The surfer get-up is just what it sounds like; you’re mimicking the motion surfers make when they rise on their board just before catching a wave. Start on the ground in the plank position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your stomach touching the sand. From there, thrust yourself upward into a squatting position, much as you would if you were out in the water on your board. Return to the original position and then alternate the leg in which you lead with while you stand.

Sand Skips

This exercise is essentially skipping through the sand. The only difference is that you want to propel yourself with each skip as high into the air as you safely can. The sand will provide added resistance, as well as a softer landing than a hard floor. They’re a great alternative to an elliptical and help strengthen your glutes.

The Beach Crawl

This is one of the easiest exercises you can do to really batter your hamstrings and glutes. Start in the planking position, then crawl your way forward on your hands and feet for 30 seconds. To vary it up, move backwards or to the side every so often. Make sure you perform this one on dry, soft sand to help destabilize your grip.

In-and-Outs

It’s hard enough running along soft sand, but if you really want a challenge just add water into the mix. Start out near the edge of the sand, inland, then run in a large circle that takes you toward and into the ocean. Run waist-deep in the water in one giant loop then back up through the wet and dry sand to your starting point. You’re running in a giant circle here. The point is to add resistance as you go. You’ll wear yourself out with this one quickly.