After being cooped up in the gym all winter, it’s time to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and warm sunshine. Whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or on the countryside, training without walls and connecting with your surroundings is without a doubt a more satisfying experience. It allows you to get creative, just as you did as a kid, explore the things around you and turn ordinary objects into your playground.
Just as exercising regularly has a whole host of benefits, so does exposure to natural sunlight. It’s no surprise, when the sun is shining and the weather warms people’s moods reflect just that – they are generally more upbeat, happy and energetic and they’re less stressed and worried about their day-to-day responsibilities. Vitamin D from natural sunlight boosts calcium absorption for stronger bones, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and helps the body’s immune system defend itself from nasty intruders. Sunshine and exercise, especially when paired together, will also help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. Daily time in the sun helps to regulate circadian rhythms – and sleep, of course, has its own host of health benefits.
So when the weather is beautiful, go outside, get sweaty and awaken your senses. Feel the warmth on your face, the gravel beneath your toes, listen to the wind whistle and smell the air that surrounds you. Finally, train to excel at life, where it really matters, which is outside of the confines of your globo gym, CrossFit, or home garage gym, in an environment that is constantly varied, unpredictable and so full of adventure.
Here are a few workouts that are awesome for the outdoors or good for those of us who are on the road, have limited access to equipment, or are short on time. They are for all levels of fitness and vary from low to high intensity, in duration, and can be done virtually anywhere.
- For Time: 100 burpees
- 4 Rounds For Time: 10 Pistol Squats (5 each leg), 15 push-ups, 20 jump squats, 25 sit-ups, 200m run
- 4 Rounds For Time: 400m run, 50 air squats
- 10 Rounds: 10 burpees, 20 push-ups, 30 squats
- 10 Rounds Each: 200m run while partner holds a plank
- Run a mile and at the top of every minute perform 20 air squats.
- Find a stadium and run up and down each of the aisles.
- 5 rounds, each for time of: 20 bench dips, 30 Push-ups, 40 Sit-ups, 50 Squats. Rest three minutes between each round.
