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.
- Find a park bench.
- Unpack your resistance band and skipping rope.
- Perform the following circuits.
- 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!
Going to do this right now! Thanks for the tips Brit! x