With pristine weather comes an increased desire to exercise outdoors, and if you’ve been hanging out in a gym for the last few months, it can take a little bit of time to grow accustomed to the outdoor workout. There are many benefits to be had from taking your fitness outside, and you want to get as much out of this workout as you can. To that end, you might think about the tips on hand from a new report out of Boston.
One thing that’s critically important is to develop a workout that counteracts the inactivity you experience throughout the rest of your day. As the article notes, a person who sits all day may want to supplement their immobile state with a a variety of moves designed to improve posture.
Identifying your weaknesses can be tricky, as it requires taking a critical eye to yourself and your life. You don’t have to point out flaws or anything like that, but you do need to make an honest assessment of what areas don’t get the fitness that they might require during your workday.
Once you do this, you can begin to put together a fitness regimen that will work for you, even partnering with a physical trainer to figure out what the best tactics would be. If you’re lifting heavy boxes on a regular basis, then a workout might focus more on stretching and cardio work rather than developing muscle mass in your arms. But if you sit all day and your upper body doesn’t get much attention, then a different tact might be appropriate. Only you can ultimately decide what you’re going to do.
But that’s how to establish any workout, and we said that we’d advise you on how to take things outdoors. One important decision will simply be where you’re going to exercise. Try to find a park where you’ll have plenty of space to conduct your workout, perhaps one with various pathways so that you’ll have a safe place to run.
Before every workout, you need to both stretch and get your blood pumping a little bit, preferably via a light jog. This is especially important outside, when you’re dealing with excessive heat and potentially uneven terrain. Without a warmup, you would be putting yourself at risk for injuries.
When you’re outside, you can also approach some of the different types of fitness that you maybe don’t feel comfortable with indoors, like sprinting. The report recommends doing this on hills to limit impact exposure. In addition to that benefit, your body will simply be more taxed if you add a steep incline to the equation, allowing you to post larger gains than might be possible on a flat surface.
But again, this workout is for you. Whatever you choose, know your limits and make sure you’re comfortable in your actions.
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