This outdoor workout can burn fat with no exercise equipment

Spring is in the air! This year we’ve got a new outdoor workout for your fitness routine. No equipment, no gym, just lots of sun, fun, and the right amount of reps for every fitness level. So slip into your workout clothes, get out in the fresh air, and jump into our bodyweight workout!

Now that gyms are open again, consider this workout the perfect complement. Or a safe alternative if you’re still feeling cautious about exercising indoors. It’s also an amazing way to get out into the fresh air as the weather warms up!

The Reasons for Outdoor Workouts

Spring is here! The temperatures are rising, the sun is shining, and the birds are singing, so it’s time to lace up your sneakers and head outside. Get the most out of the beautiful spring weather and add more variety to your everyday life with an outdoor workout!

Over the winter we usually spend a lot of time indoors, so a little workout in the park gives you a break from the stress of your daily routine, helps you burn fat, and includes a change of scenery. The fresh air counteracts fatigue and oxygenates your muscles, so it’s a perfect way to do something for your physical and mental well-being.

Another benefit of outdoor workouts: they can help you with mindfulness. When you train in nature, your awareness of your surroundings increases. You experience your surroundings with all your senses and focus your attention on yourself and your training.

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The best outdoor workouts are full of variety and adapted to your preferred location. Relax on your balcony with a yoga flow session or work up a sweat in the park! Some jogging with music is a perfect cardio workout for clearing your head, while various sports and strength training are also great for outdoor workouts.

Last but not least, your outdoor workout ideas should include functional training with complex exercises and movements to condition your entire body so your muscles learn to coordinate. On top of that, your core has to stay engaged all the time. And don’t forget, functional training requires more calories, so you can burn fat and reach your feel-good weight faster.

The advantages at a glance

• Get out in the fresh air and do physical activities in nature.
• No need for a gym or equipment.
• Do reps of functional bodyweight exercises and use stairs or a park bench to optimize your position for the best outdoor workouts.
• Bask in the sun and get your vitamin D
• Reduce stress.
• Introduce some variety and new challenges into your training routine.
• Boost your motivation and mood.

Our tip: When you exercise outside in the sun, your body produces vitamin D, which helps maintain muscle condition, among other essential functions. Want to learn more? Check out our article on the sunshine vitamin!

Our Outdoor Workout: No Exercise Equipment Required!

Now it’s time to get into our new outdoor workout! Not only does it burn fat and a good chunk of calories while getting your heart rate up, it also challenges your muscles outside the gym! All you need is your own body weight and the motivation to push your limits!

Our outdoor circuit training is perfect for beginners as well as for advanced or professionals. We’ve included modifications to increase the difficulty of individual exercises in the exercise description. And you can always increase the number of circuits! Beginners should aim for 3 complete circuits, if you’re more advanced, aim for 4 or 5 circuits and if you’re at a pro level, go for 6 circuits.

There’s a total of 5 exercises per circuit. One exercise lasts 40 seconds. You set the right pace for you to stay in the cardio zone. Go slower if an exercise feels difficult or faster if it feels easy. But remember, clean execution is more important than speed! Take 20 seconds rest before beginning the next exercise. After each completed circuit, recover for up to 90 seconds.

Important: Remember to bring a bottle of water when exercising outside. Your outdoor workout clothes should be comfortable and appropriate for the current temperature.

Warm up for at least 10 minutes before your workout. Start your warm up by jogging for 5 to 10 minutes in the nearest park. Afterwards build in a few stretches to loosen your muscles and get your joints moving.

Our tip: Read about the best exercises for warming up before your outdoor workout in our article on how to warm up properly.

Ready? Go for it and have fun!

#1 Jumping Squats (40 seconds)

Squats are one of the basic compound exercises that train several muscles at the same time. Your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are all in focus.

For beginners: Air Squats 

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Feet turned out slightly and knees are slightly bent. Arms hang loosely by your sides. Bring the back of your thighs down behind you while keeping your torso straight and your muscles engaged.
2. Inhale as you bend your knees. Move your hands forward. Knees follow the tips of your toes. Lean your torso slightly forward as you lower your hips down.
3. At the lowest point of the squat, push up using your leg strength, while exhaling. Bring your arms back to your sides while coming up. Do as many reps as you can in 40 seconds.

For experienced athletes: Jumping Squats

1. Jumping Squats start in a deep squat position with your knees pointing out slightly. Your upper body should bend forward slightly with your arms extended forward.
2. Push off the ground as hard as you can and increase your momentum by bringing your arms down while jumping up! Straighten your hips in the air and bring your arms down. Your entire body remains engaged.
3. Land gently on the ground. Keep your knees and ankles slightly bent, and after landing, move smoothly into the next squat while bringing your hands back up.

For pro athlete level: make your jumping squats more challenging by jumping higher and increasing your speed.

20 seconds rest

#2 Burpees (40 seconds)

Burpees work out almost every muscle, and they’re good cardio!

For beginners

1. Move from an upright stance into a squat close to the ground. Push your hips back and down while keeping your back straight. Look down in front of you at an angle. Place your hands on the floor right under your shoulders.
2. Tense your body and step your feet backward one at a time into a plank position. In the plank, make sure your body forms a line parallel to the floor.
3. Step forward again one side at a time and straighten up into standing position.

For experienced athletes

1. From a standing position, bend your knees into a squat. Push your hips back down and keep your back straight. Look down at the ground in front of you. Place your palms firmly on the ground at about shoulder width.
2. Tense your body and jump both feet backward into a plank position. Keep your legs extended and your hips in line with your body. In the plank, form a line parallel to the floor.
3. Bend your legs slightly and push your feet off the floor. Pull your knees up under your chest and jump into a squat position. Shift your weight back and lift your palms off the floor.
4. Push your legs off the floor and extend into a jump. Stretch your arms up at the same time. Clap your hands together above or behind your head as you jump up. Land back in a standing position.

For pro athlete level 

If your burpees are getting too easy, feel free to add a push-up in the plank position.

20 seconds rest

#3 Good Mornings (40 seconds)

Good Mornings train your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

For beginners

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your fingertips at your temples. Your head stays neutral as an extension of your spine.
2. Bend your upper body forward from the waist. Your legs remain extended while your chest comes parallel to the floor while remaining straight.
3. Then straighten your back again. Be careful not to hyperextend your knees.

For experienced or pro level

To make the exercise more challenging, you can increase the Time Under Tension by adding half a repetition. To do this, bend forward with your chest, as in the beginner variation, and then straighten your back only halfway. Then bend down again and straighten up completely.

20 seconds rest

#4 Step Ups (40 seconds)

Step ups work your glutes, leg muscles, and core stability. Find a stable step outside like a small wall or tree stump.

For beginners

1. Hold your arms bent and engage your muscles. Step up with your right leg so that your whole foot is firm and stable on the wall.
2. Push up from your heel, pulling your left leg up toward your chest. Your right arm swings with it. Try to rely on your front leg muscle as you come up, instead of helping with your back leg.
3. Carefully lower your left leg back down to the ground and repeat this movement for the other side.

For experienced or pro level

To make Step Ups more challenging, look for a higher step.

20 seconds rest

#5 Plank (40 seconds)

Planks focus on your core muscles.

For beginners

1. Place your elbows just below your shoulders. Tuck your toes under and extend your legs back.
2. Tense your entire body, forming a straight line parallel to the floor. Your gaze is toward the floor, your head remains neutral.
3. Hold this position and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

For advanced or pro level

The military plank is more dynamic and challenging than the basic variation.

1. Start position is a plank on your forearms with your elbows below your shoulders. Place your left palm flat on the floor and extend your arm. Do the same thing with your right palm. Now you’re in a high plank.
2. From here, go back down to your forearms again. When you repeat the movement, start with the other side first.

That’s it, your first circuit is done! Give yourself 60 to 90 seconds to recover, then start over again. 

Finished all your circuits? Now you’re ready for a cool down. Run an easy lap and do some stretching.

Good job!

Conclusion

1. With the best outdoor workouts, you train in the fresh air, enjoy the spring weather, and get more vitamin D.
2. An outdoor workout routine builds in more variety to boost your motivation to get the most out of your fitness program.
3. With our outdoor circuit training, you can reach your personal limits without a gym, build muscle, train your cardiovascular system, and get more movement into your everyday life.

Sources for this article

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