THE CASE FOR OUTDOOR WORKOUTS

Alison Hellig, the head motivational coach at Acadia TV, doesn’t believe you need a gym, or even equipment, to get in shape. She’s a huge proponent of outdoor workouts. When asked about her weekly outdoor workouts with a neighborhood running club, Hellig said, “Every time, we change it up and make a game of it to keep it exciting.” And they do it all without a single piece of equipment.

If you’re ready to join in on the fun, lace up your running shoes and give this fitness circuit a shot! After five minutes of stretching and warm-up, alternate between two and five minutes of running with four exercises:

STAIR RUNNING

Start by finding a flight of stairs with 20 or more steps. Sprint to the top of the stairs and jog all the way back down. Repeat this three times per circuit. If you cannot find a long enough staircase, just increase the number of repetitions on a shorter one. To make it more challenging, take the stairs two at a time.

OUTDOOR PUSH-UPS

Start out balanced on your palms and toes. Bend your elbows and bring them towards your body as you slowly lower yourself to the ground. Once your upper arms are parallel to the ground, slowly push yourself back up. Try to do two sets of eight to fifteen push-ups with 30 seconds of rest in between. If a full push-up is too much for you, try leaning into a bench or wall for extra support.

PLANKS HELP YOUR OUTDOOR WORKOUTS

Start out in the same plank position as you did in the push-ups. Bend your elbows and lift yourself about an inch. Tighten your core and hold the position for approximately 10 seconds. Repeat this exercise three times, taking a 30-second break between each set. Over time, aim to hold the position for at least half-a-minute per repetition.

SPRINTS

Kick it into high gear and sprint for about 100 steps. Push yourself to a point where you can feel your heart pounding in your chest. Repeat this exercise twice, resting about 30 seconds between each rep.

If you find yourself in the mood for a little variety, visit Acacia TV for over 100 hours of workout videos. Now get out there and enjoy a gym-free workout!