The great outdoors can be a great place to get fit! Here are seven ideas for outdoor fitness that are simple and fun.
Walk around your neighborhood
Walking is a great way to get fit and stay healthy. You can walk anywhere, anytime, and it's easy to find a place to walk in your neighborhood. Whether you have time for only 10 minutes or an hour-long stroll, walking will help improve circulation, strengthen bones and muscles, burn calories and boost energy levels.
Walking with friends or family members provides motivation for both parties as well as social interaction that may otherwise not exist if one member of the pair stayed home instead of going out on walks together every day after work or school--or even just once per week! If there aren't any other people around who want their company on their walks around town (or if they don't live close enough together), then why not take Fido along instead? Dogs love being outside; so give them some exercise while getting yours at the same time!
Take a walk through the forest.
If you're looking for an outdoor activity that will get your heart pumping and help improve your health, walking through a forest is one of the best ways to do it. The trees and plants provide shade from the sun and make it easy to find places where you can take breaks if needed. You can also take different routes each time or go back to previous spots if there's something new to see there!
Play tag or jump rope
- Tag. This game is a favorite of kids, but it can be just as fun for adults. You can play it in teams or individually if you're feeling competitive.
- Jump rope. Jumping rope is a great cardio exercise that can also improve your coordination, balance and agility. It's easy to learn how to jump rope; just follow these basic steps:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Hold the handles of the jump rope in each hand at hip level (or slightly higher) and rotate your wrists so that palms face away from you
- Bend knees slightly while keeping back straight and head up
Go for a hike
Hiking is a great way to get fit, have fun and see the outdoors. It can be done solo or with friends and it's one of those activities that you can tailor to your own fitness level.
If you're new to hiking, start out with an easy trail and make sure you have proper footwear for your hike (hiking boots or sneakers). If there's snow on the ground, bring along some traction devices like YakTrax or Microspikes that attach under your shoe sole for extra grip on slippery surfaces.
Do jumping jacks, push-ups and crunches in your backyard
Jumping Jacks:
- Come to a standing position, with your feet together and hands at your sides.
- Jump up, bringing both feet up to meet in front of you as you bring your arms overhead and clap them together once. Then bend at the knees and lower yourself back down into starting position. Repeat 10 times for 1 set; do 2 sets total (20 jumps).
Push Ups:
- Assume a plank position on the floor with hands directly under shoulders, legs extended behind you so they form a straight line from head to heels (a). Lower yourself slowly until only an inch or two separates each hand from floor (b). When lowering yourself down make sure not too let hips sag or upper body droop forward; keep it straight throughout entire movement!
Pick up a Frisbee or badminton racquet and play a game with friends or family members
If you're looking for a way to get some exercise while having fun with friends or family members, pick up a Frisbee and play a game of catch. The sport of Ultimate Frisbee is very popular in many parts of the world, but there are also many other ways to play this classic game. You can find discs at most sporting goods stores and even local parks often have places where people hang out and throw around their frisbees.
You don't have to stick with just one person either; playing with groups is much more fun than playing alone!
Go swimming at the local pool or lake
Swimming is a great way to get fit, regardless of your age or physical condition. Swimming has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, flexibility and strength in the muscles used for swimming (the upper body). Swimming is also low-impact exercise that can be performed by people of all ages.
The best part about swimming is that you don't need any special equipment or clothing; just wear whatever you would normally wear when going out in public! If you want to make sure that your form is correct while swimming though then I recommend getting some swim goggles which help keep water out of your eyes so they don't sting while doing laps around the pool.
The great outdoors can be a great place to get fit!
The great outdoors can be a great place to get fit!
Getting fit doesn't have to mean being stuck inside a gym. You can get your workout in the fresh air, surrounded by nature. The key is finding activities that are fun and challenging for you--and then sticking with them! Here are some ideas:
- Hiking with friends or family members who share your love of being outside will help make it more enjoyable and encourage you to keep going when things get tough.
- Try something new every once in awhile so that your routine isn't so boring or repetitive; this will help keep you motivated when starting over again after taking time off from exercising (which happens often!). Whether it's yoga or weightlifting, find what works best for YOUR body type and abilities rather than comparing yourself against others' skill levels because this could lead down an unhealthy path where self-esteem issues arise from feeling discouraged about not being able to match up against others who may seem better suited towards certain activities than oneself does at first glance but really aren't necessarily "better" just because they've been doing something longer than anyone else has."
Conclusion
I hope these ideas have inspired you to get outside and get fit. Remember, if you're not sure where to start, just pick one of the activities on this list! The most important thing is that you get off the couch and move around--even if it's just for 20 minutes at first. You'll find that as soon as your body starts moving again after sitting still for so long (which happens all too often), it feels great and gets even better over time as your endurance builds up again - which means more exercise opportunities than ever before!
