| |
| |
|
Exercise Information |
|
|
|
Get Out and Play: Top 7 Outdoor Exercises
Do you remember when our parents used to yell at us to go outside and play? They would get so tired of us running around the house munching junk food and fighting with our siblings that they would practically kick us out of the house! Well, we may not have the same child-like activities lined up to get outside for anymore, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't still get out and enjoy the world! Exercising outdoors has many benefits, and they include the following: - Little or no equipment needed to get a good workout - No crowded gyms or obnoxious people to put up with - No driving time to the local fitness facility - No need to put on makeup or special clothing to workout at the gym - Vitamin D enhancing sunshine for our skin - The ability to workout anytime, anywhere - even on vacation - Two words: Fresh Air There are probably other reasons that you can think of why an outdoor workout would fit into your particular lifestyle, so now all you have to do is learn what kind of activities can be done outside. Refer to the following Top 7 list of exercises that are sure to leave you sweaty, worn out, and feeling great when it's all over! LUNGES Like all exercises, lunges should be done with absolutely perfect form. When done correctly, a lunge will work every single muscle in your legs at some point throughout the movement, including the all important Gluteus Maximus (that's the primary buttocks muscle, for those of you not anatomically inclined). Variations on lunges that require no equipment include; Standing Lunges, Alternating Lunges, Elevated Lunges, Rear Lunges, and Walking Lunges. PUSH UPS Push ups have always been one of the most effective upper body exercises, but they have somehow gotten lost in the world of shiny chest press machines and fleets of various types of exercise benches. However, the push up is still an incredibly productive exercise, and it requires no equipment whatsoever. The 3 basic push up movements include Standard Grip, Wide Grip, and Close Grip. Alternating those 3 types will ensure maximal stimulation to the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In addition, you can elevate your hands to make the movement somewhat easier, or elevate your feet to make the movement somewhat harder. Also, if you are really feeling brave, you can even throw in some Bounce and Clap Push Ups! SQUATS Many people simply don't understand the incredible power of doing a Squat the right way. Through improper instruction, inappropriate form, and just plain laziness, the incredible effectiveness of the Squat has been lost in the mix. Variations including Standing Squats, One-Leg Squats, Plie Squats, Wide-Stance Squats, and Overhead Squats. Think you can't get enough stimulus out of Squats? Try doing 50 perfectly formed repetitions and see how tired your legs are! STEP UPS Brutal is the best word to describe this exercise when done properly! Using nothing more than a picnic bench, a piece of playground equipment, or even just a decent size rock, you simply step up onto your elevated surface, step down, and then repeat on the other side alternating back and forth. By keeping your back straight and your head up the entire time, you will maximize recruitment of all of your leg muscles, and you will get an incredible cardiovascular workout as well. Go for perfect form and you will quickly see the benefit of this great exercise. CHIN UPS The outdoor version of Chin Ups and Pull ups can be done using anything from a low-hanging tree branch to any number of different pieces of playground equipment. When done properly, Chin Ups and Pull Ups will humble most people, even avid exercisers. Bring your body up completely until your chin is at or above your hands, and lower back to the start under control. Repeat for as many as you can do! UPHILL SPRINTS Don't try this one until you can run a good 100-yard dash on level ground! This exercise is just what it sounds like - running uphill. Run up a decent size hill as fast as you can, walk back to the bottom, and repeat. Bring oxygen, but leave your pride at home, or else the hill will take it from you! DUCK WALKS This exercise is so simple, yet about as hard as it gets. Simply squat down until your thighs are at or below parallel to the ground, stay in that position, and start walking. Go about 10 steps and then walk backwards to your starting point. Repeat as many times as necessary (which won't be many) to reach total exhaustion! As you can see, doing outdoor exercises has all of the benefits listed above including one benefit that wasn't listed - they are hard! If you are up to the challenge and sick of the gym, give your body and your mind an Earth-moment and get outside and play! Aaron Potts is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Success Coach whose customers include consumers as well as other fitness professionals. Sign up for his free Fitness Journal at http://www.fitnessdestinations.com or visit his coaching site at http://www.ptsuccesscoach.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Exercise Tips Exercise TipsThe most effective exercise regimen includes both strength training and cardiovascular (aerobic) training in a consistent, regular program.· 2-4 days of strength training and · 2-5 days of aerobic activity; or · 3-4 days of circuit training. How To Get Started With Exercise: The Magic Pill Of Your Weight Loss Program In a previous article, I mentioned the weight loss mantra of "Eat Less.. When Exercising Right Looks Wrong III (Back) Hopefully, if you read my last article I got you thinking. Thinking about different ways to train, not necessarily using machines, but using your entire body with each exercise. Tai Chi, NOT Chai Tea! Those of you that have either completed a one-on-one program, purchased an on-line program or have read anything else that I have written in the past have most likely determined by now and realize it is quite evident.. See How Trampolines Can Be Part Of Any Exercise Program When the trampoline was invented by a young boy intrigued by the ability of aerialists to bounce in a net and perform artistic maneuvers while they did so, it literally became the "springboard" for a whole new sport.George Nissen, who was a tumbler and gymnast himself, took the sports to a whole new height by putting them on canvas strung in a metal frame. Top 3 Back Pain Risk Factors Lower back pain is an increasingly common problem in fact four out of five Americans will experience lower back pain at least once in their lifetime.Properly training the lower back involves selecting the right exercises to work this area and using good technique to make sure that you are getting the most out of the movement. Exercise Equals Fun! Getting America's children to exercise has never been more difficult as the new boob-tube generation slouches in front of TVs, or sits for hours, mesmerized behind shoot-out video and computer games.However, it is possible to foster a regular exercise pattern for children from an early age, with simple activities that are more "fun" than "exercise. Wise Up and Invest in Your Workout Success - Six Top Fitness Faux Pas Already dedicated exercisers make small but costly mistakes regularly in their workouts, and one tiny change can have a huge impact on their results. Time is valuable, and for each precious moment invested you want to ensure the best possible return. Get a Health Screening Before You Start Training So, you have decided to hire a personal trainer to help you with your workouts. If your trainer is reputable and following proper certified techniques he/she will probably ask that you go through a Health Screening exam before begging your program. How To Overcome Workout Plateaus Humans are habitual. They strive on routine and rituals. How to Supercharge Your Energy Levels through Exercise Your energy levels will depend on several factors, including genetics, nutrition, sleep habits, and emotional stress. Some of these you have no control over But there is one VERY important factor that you do have control over and that is your ability to take part in physical exercise. 10 User Friendly Habits for Successful Home Gym Training Are you dissatisfied with your current training program? Are you not achieving the results you had hoped for when you started training? If you are you stuck on a fitness plateau and are in need of some tips on how to start seeing progress then keep reading.I am sure you want to see results from your training program (why would you do it if you didn't want to see results, right?). How to Pick a Good Personal Trainer One of the major benefits of the YourBestBodyNOW Program and several other programs like it is that you can lose weight and meet your fitness and weight loss goals even if you have neither the time nor money to get a personal trainer.At the same time, if you do ultimately decide to hire trainer at some point, I want to make sure that you are going about it in a way that will bring you the absolute maximum benefit. Avoid These Top 5 Workout Myths Do you know the health and fitness industry is plagued by an over abundance of workout myths? A myth is a fiction or half truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. Rob tells Jen about a new fitness program that is suppose to deliver amazing results; Jen tells Ted, and Ted then tells Pam, but only half of what Rob said. Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical model. Try Different Forms of Exercise for Success If you have always used free weights, then switch it up and try training with machines like "Hammer Strength" or "Nautilus". These are excellent weight resistance machines and they will really work your muscles from different angles and different intensities. Great Exercises To Tone & Tighten Your Butt A question I am frequently asked by females is, "What is the best exercise I can do for my butt?" In my opinion, there is nothing better you can do for your butt than lunges. They target your glutes, hamstrings and quads, and can easily be modified for beginners to advanced exercisers. Exercise Is a Key to Good Health for All of Us There's plenty of evidence that an essential component of a healthy life is physical activity. It has been shown that exercise has a positive effect on both your body and mind. Workout Without a Gym You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines.As with any exercise, whether you are using your own body weight, machines or free weights, if the resistance doesn't increase, your muscles won't be worked to their maximum capacity and the stimulus these fibres need to grow will be missing. Double Calories Burned With Five Minutes Of Exercise Each Morning! Recent studies have shown that if you perform just five minutes of reasonably intense exercise in the morning you can potentially burn up to twice as many calories you normally would during the day!What this means is that for those people who often claim "I don't have time!" there really is no excuse now for not doing five to ten minutes of physical training each day.This is in reach of everyone!There is no need for people to run five miles before breakfast.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
