With the weather getting nicer, I find it a nice change to take my workout outside. It can be a great way to shake up your usual routine and make your program more dynamic. Variety in exercise keeps your muscles guessing and constantly challenged, which gets you better results. This is also how I keep fit while traveling; I make use of whatever is available around me. No equipment or gym memberships required. Whether you are walking, jogging, or hiking, you can add a strength-training component to your cardio workout by making use of a park bench, a sturdy ledge, or a set of stairs.
Today, I went for a run and mixed in some body-weight resistance exercises along the way for a full-body workout. The first bench I came to I did 2 sets of these three exercises.
1. Push-Ups, Tricep-Dips, Step-Ups
After another little run, I came to a second bench and added in some lower-body work.
2. Get-Ups Off the Bench
Option 1: Both feet flat on the ground.
Option 2: One foot flat on the ground and one leg lifted.
3. Mountain Climbers
I added an interval of “mountain climbers” between my sets of “get-ups.” The “mountain climbers” provided some abdominal work and kept my heart rate up.
4. Scapular Retraction
Further down the trail, I added an exercise for my upper back to balance out the push-ups I did earlier. “Scapular retraction” is actively pulling your shoulder blade back and squeezing towards your spine. Doing this exercise from a plank position also gave me some extra core work. I worked one arm at a time, doing a set of 12 per arm.
5. Walking Lunges
Lastly, as I jogged towards home, I threw in a set of walking lunges.
6. Cool Down and Full-Body Stretch
I finished up my workout with a short walk to cool down and a full-body stretch back at the house.
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