Blur’s famous summertime anthem talks about those joggers who go “round and round and round”, but exercising outdoors doesn’t have to centre around the same old running trail. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Hit the sound on my videos below!) When the weather is glorious, there’s nothing I hate more than staying indoors – whether I’m stuck at my desk or constrained to the gym. But my boredom threshold is also quite low and you won’t find me pounding pavement for mile after mile.

Time for the good news. There’s no reason to look longingly out the window when you can get a well-rounded workout that’s every bit as interesting and effective as a gym session. How? With two pieces of portable equipment that weigh less than your water bottle and fit into a small rucksack. No, I’m talking about a TRX, which can put you out by £150 or more… The following workout uses nothing more than a skipping rope and resistance band – I picked my rope up from Sweaty Betty for £12 and got my resistance band free at a ZICO coconut water event (but these £10 Sweaty Betty ones also deliver excellent bang for your buck).

Your instructions are simple.

1. Find a park bench.
2. Unpack your resistance band and skipping rope.
3. Perform the following circuits.
4. Be prepared to sweat. 

Warm up

Jog to your nearest park. If you’re lucky enough to live with green space on your doorstep, run a couple laps until you’re just slightly breathless. You may even want to take your skipping rope for a spin around the park with you – just watch out for passersby and pooches.

Circuit 1

Bench single leg step up with reverse lunge

12 reps each leg

Plant your right foot firmly on the seat of a park bench and explosively channel your weight through that foot to bring your opposite knee in towards your chest. Keep your chest pointing forwards and your core strong to help stabilise through the spine. Now step down and take the right foot behind you into a deep lunge.

Single leg bench squat

12 reps each leg

If you found that easy, just wait until the burn kicks in on this one. Take a seat (for now) and keep your right foot on the ground while you hover the left foot out in front. Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to come to a single-leg stand while your left leg hovers in the air – the higher you lift it, the greater the challenge for your hip flexors. Come back down, slow and steady!

Fast skipping

60secs

Pretty self-explanatory, this one! If you don’t want to keep checking your watch, you can expect to get about 120 fast skips in 60 seconds. If that’s not true, it’s time to turn up the tempo! Too easy? Try getting 2 full rotations of the rope with every jump or hopping from side to side to work a little bit harder.

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

Circuit 2

Static squat with resistance band bicep curl

60sec

While trees are a great source of shade on a hot sunny day, they can also help to turn up the heat on your squats. Find a good sturdy trunk and rest your back flat against it, your knees bent to 90 degrees so your thighs run parallel with the ground. Now place your feet hip-width over a resistance band and keep your elbows glued to your sides as you curl your hands towards your shoulders. You’ll feel mercury rising in both your legs and your biceps!

Resistance band pulls

12 reps

Hold the resistance band straight out in front of you with your hands in line with your shoulders. Now pull the band down and out until it brushes your hips and you feel a deep squeeze in your upper back muscles. This one is amazing for correcting kyphotic posture – those rounded shoulders often associated with desk jobs!

Single arm overhead tricep extension

12 reps

Step on one end of the resistance band and take the other end in your right hand so your elbow points to the sky and there’s at least some tension in the band when your arm is bent. Now extend that band straight overhead, keeping the elbow as stable as possible. Perform all your reps on one side before switching to the left.

Plank with resistance band row

10 reps

This one hurts – in a full-body, core-sculpting kind of way (that’s a good thing). Tie the resistance band in a big loop around the base of the bench. Now get into a plank position on the ground and move far enough away from the band that you have to extend one arm to reach it. Keeping your hips stable and level with the ground, slowly row the band into your body until your elbow grazes the midsection. Do this 10 times, then grab the band in your opposite hand and perform another 10 reps. If you feel your lower back start to dip, come onto your knees and tuck your hips to maintain a straight line from your pelvis to your head.

Resistance band Russian twists

12-15 reps

Turn over onto your backside and sit far enough back that you have to create tension in the resistance band in order to hold it. Now find a 45 degree seated position and slowly twist your right elbow to the ground as you exhale all the air out of your right side. You should feel the contraction in your obliques. Alternate sides and try to resist relaxing your core between reps.

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

Cardio Blast

These moves need no introduction but they’re here because they work and they are the perfect way to finish with a strong cardio burst after some full-body conditioning. You’ll get your heart rate soaring one last time and fire up your metabolism for a good 24 hours after you pack up and jog home in the direction of a hot shower. You’ve earned it…

Skip

60 sec

Squat jump (check your form here)  

30 sec

High knees

30 sec

Rest up to 60 seconds then repeat the circuit two times.

How do you like to exercise outdoors? Let me know how I can help to inspire your summer workouts, and check in with me on Instagram for regular insights into how I get my RDA of vitamin D and exercise all in one!

You look out your window and think, “I’d hate to get my new trainers wet in this rain”. You’re working late and feel torn by the choice between a quick stop-off at the gym or settling onto the sofa just in time for a spot of TV. Your stomach’s rumbling and you’re far too hungry to manage your planned lunchtime workout. If you’re guilty of making these or any other exercise-evading excuses, use these 12 positive reinforcements to keep your workout regime on track.

1. Know that every workout missed is a rest day lost. Just as you make it into the office five days a week, or care for your children seven days a week, make a fixed agreement with yourself to meet a weekly exercise quota. If, for whatever reason, you can’t make Monday’s workout, Wednesday’s rest day becomes your make-up workout day. All the better if that makes you more reluctant to miss Monday’s.

2. Watch your fittest girl crush on YouTube. If I’m ever tempted to choose a Family Size Dairy Milk in place of a circuits session, I mull over my decision while watching She Wolf by Shakira. 20 seconds in and I’m already reaching for my trainers.

3. Surround yourself with plenty of social media #fitspiration. My feed regulars include @kaylaitsines, @DeliciouslyElla, @catbradleyyoga, @thebodycoach, @ballerinaproject_, @kaliburns and @sweatybetty, all of whom fill my screen with pictures, advice and mottos to keep me motivated. Better yet, contribute to others’ feeds with your own #fitspiration and become a fit role model – suddenly it’s not just you depending on today’s workout.

4. Suffering with a case of general exercise boredom? Refresh your workout wardrobe so you’re eager to put your new kit to use. If you’re excited about getting dressed for a workout, you’re more likely to attend every session. Of course, a case of credit card debt is no solution, but wearing that pyjama top from 10 years ago simply won’t do either.

5. Make exercise a date, even if it’s only with yourself. I personally love exercising with friends, and find it a great way to catch up while burning calories instead of consuming them. But if you prefer to work out in solitude, map out your commitments on a calendar and make that alone time non-negotiable – just as you would a meeting or dinner date.

6. Book a class or sign up to an event. If you’re the flaky type and find that number 5 doesn’t work, up the ante by making a financial commitment. If you pay in advance for a class, there’s all the more obligation to get your money’s worth. Signing up for an event works too, giving you a fixed date in your calendar to train for – or else risk wasting the money you invested to sign up.

 7. View exercise as a tool and not an obstacle for your work. Even I’m guilty of saying I’m too busy at work to squeeze in a lunchtime workout, but I have a much more productive afternoon every time I make it happen. There’s a reason for that. Exercise stimulates epinephrine and oxytocin production – hormones responsible for making you more attentive and reinforcing a positive attitude. Spreadsheet dramas? Get to the bottom of it with an active lunch break.

8. Plan rewards. Exercise doesn’t have to be a thankless task. Show your body a little appreciation for its hard work with small treats like a glass of chocolate milk after your workout. Don’t overdo it or you’ll negate your calories burned, but a bit of balance will help you keep up the momentum. Plus, post-workout is the best time to enjoy a sweet treat because your cells need the glucose and your metabolism is firing faster than ever.

9. Get your kit on and step outside. I often find I’m least excited about my workout when I’ve been stuck inside all day. The stuffy air makes me feel drowsy and low in energy, but there’s nothing like a dose of fresh air to reinvigorate the senses.

10. Try new things and do what you enjoy. Repeating the same old routine for weeks on end is bound to become boring, and even worse it will result in stagnant results as your body adapts to familiar demands. Keep an eye out for new gyms and studios, free classes and special events to stay inspired. And don’t feel like exercise has to be a chore. I’m personally a spin and bootcamp fanatic, but you’ll rarely see me in an aerobics class because I’m not much for waving my arms around. You, however, may be an undiscovered Zumba machine. You’ll have to experiment to find out…

11. Celebrate your progress and set new goals. If you don’t have a goal in mind, it can be hard to remember what you’re training for. I keep a note of personal bests across various exercises and activities so I can dedicate each workout to bettering at least one thing. When you’re just a kilo or two away from hitting that 40kg squat target, you’ll be counting down to your gym session…

12. Choose a convenient workout destination. In the past I’ve kept a locker at the gym with various belongings I need to collect throughout the week. This necessitates a visit to the gym, and encourages you to work out once you’re there! If you can’t do that, make sure it’s en route to your office or home so you can’t blame location when you’re on the fence about exercising. Alternatively, turn your commute into a workout. I’ve recently moved jobs to West London and have to travel all the way home to East London, but when I’m short on time I pack a rucksack and hop off at Westminster to jog the remaining 10K. A workout and commute in one!