If you’ve been feeling a little cooped up these days, maybe it’s time to give yourself a change of scenery and take your workout routine outside.

Outdoor workouts are sometimes referred to as “green exercise,” because it combines the wellness benefits of getting outdoors with moving your body.

Outdoor workouts are sometimes referred to as “green exercise,” because it combines the wellness benefits of getting outdoors with moving your body. Click To Tweet

Studies show that adding an outdoor element to your workout can result in improved mood and immunity all while giving a boost of Vitamin D. In fact, physical activity in natural environments can even burn more calories than a climate-controlled environment due to factors such as wind resistance, varied terrain, and temperature extremes.

What to watch for:

While uneven terrain can enhance your training by providing you with varied muscle recruitment, it can also be a magnet for an ankle roll. Check out the direct area you choose for your workout so you are familiar with what you can expect.

In addition, pay close attention to the weather. Working against the wind and rain can provide some great resistance and challenge, but be prepared to take cover if a true storm surfaces. And break out that sun protection to keep your skin healthy.

3 Total-Body Outside Workout Options

If you’ve been feeling a little cooped up these days, maybe it’s time to give yourself a change of scenery and take your workout routine outside. Click To Tweet

While these exercises might be a breath of fresh air to your stale routine, they are by no means a “walk in the park”, excuse our pun.

Outside Workout Equipment Toolbox

The items in this fitness toolbox can create a multitude of cardio, strength, and core workouts while still remaining portable and easy to store.

• SMART Guard Sleeved Tubing
• SMART Medicine Ball
• SMART Stick, 5 lb weighted
• SMART Weighted Jump Rope
• Mini Flat Bands

Outside Workout 1:

Pyramid Interval

A pyramid workout stacks reps in subsequent order. Pinpoint a number and then count forward or backward by 10. Match the number of reps to the corresponding number. For example, a 10-1 pyramid workout will start with ten reps of your chosen exercise. Then a short rest. Next is nine reps, then 8, and 7, and so on. Repeat as needed. If you want to up the challenge, try a 20-10, or even a 30-20!

Try these:

Squats & Lunges with Smart Stick

Clean & Press with Smart Stick

Outside Workout 2:

Supersets:

A superset workout pairs two exercises back to back without rest. The idea, also known as reciprocal innervation, is that you extend your workout set time, but avoid burning out by switching muscle groups.

Try these:

1. Squat & Paddle with Smart Stick
2. Front Raise & Upright Rows with Smart Stick

The squat and paddle works your legs, glutes, back and core, while the front raise focuses on chest, shoulders & triceps.

Try sets of 25 of each of the two exercises with a 30 second rest period in between. Shoot for a 10-15 minute session and you’ll have your muscles shaking!

Outside Workout 3:

Personal Circuits

With just a few pieces of equipment, you can make your own personal circuit!

You can easily turn this into a group workout by inviting a few friends who also have the same fitness equipment toolbox. It’s a great alternative to group-shared equipment circuits.

Try this:

Rep-based circuits. Do each exercise for 20 reps, then move to the next exercise. Active recovery happens while transitioning to the next activity.

Complete all six exercises and then rest for 60 seconds. Repeat several rounds to create a 30 minute workout.

• SMART Weighted Jump Rope
• Round the World SMART Medicine Ball Jumps
• SMART Medicine Ball Swing
• Chest flies with Mini Flat Bands
• ZigZag Twist with SMART Guard Sleeved Tubing
• Deadlifts with Mini Flat Bands

References:

Thompson Coon J, Boddy K, Stein K, Whear R, Barton J, Depledge MH. “Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review.” Environ Sci Technol. (2011)

Fellin, Rebecca E., Kurt Manal, and Irene S. Davis. “Comparison of Lower Extremity Kinematic Cures During Overground and Treadmill Running.” Journal of Applied Biomechanics 26.4 (2010)

There are four types of exercises that many experts typically recommend including for a healthy workout program: strength, aerobic, flexibility & balance. Because balance is a part of everything we do, it can almost be thought of as the “glue” that holds the other three components together.

Balance Training

When you make the surface underneath you smaller or less stable, you will be forced to steady yourself to maintain stability. Balance training can be performed at many ability levels, with, or without equipment.

A very simply way to integrate balance training is to simply lift to a one-leg position. This immediately challenges your body’s stability.

Try these:

Easy: Leg swings back and forth

Advanced: Hop back and forth on one foot

To add variety and challenge to your surfaces, try adding a thick yoga mat under your feet, such as our SMART Mat. Or head to the beach and try the exercises on sand.

What happens during a balance workout:

Balance is said to be the key to all functional movement because it ties the physical movements of the body to the mind. Kinesthetic awareness, sometimes referred to as “proprioception” is the ability to perceive the position and movement of our body. This is needed in every movement we make. Age and injury reduce proprioception over time, and balance training is a good way to sharpen those skills. A strong awareness of where your body is in relation to the things around you, coupled with a good sense of balance, can help you react quickly and prevent injuries and accidents.

In addition to building balance skills, the actual execution of these exercises can reduce anxiety. Anxiety is reduced during the workout by encouraging participants to remain in the present moment. When you must focus on the movement to achieve balance, you can let the outside stressors go without a second thought.

Why we need it: 

Balance training helps to improve equilibrium, joint stability, and muscular/neuromuscular ability. Taking the time to work on coordination forces your entire body to work together. This can translate into fewer falls and reduced injury. In fact, because balance training works to improve mind-body connection, it can reduce reaction time to a stumble. This can help to avoid an accident all together.

How often to see results?

Unlike strength training, in which you should be giving your body a rest in between, balance exercises can be done every day, or as often as you like. You can even combine balance, strength, and flexibility exercises together on some days. According to the American Heart Association, older adults at risk of falls should do balance training 3 or more days a week. In addition to doing standardized exercises from a program demonstrated to reduce falls.

Taking the time to work on coordination forces your entire body to work together and this can translate into fewer falls and reduced injury. Click To Tweet

At-Home Balance Workout

SMART Stability Ball: 

Sit & Lift:

With your feet planted shoulder-width apart on the floor, sit on the stability ball. Lift one leg at a time and extend it out, while raising your opposite arm.

Standing Stork Turn:

Standing on one foot, have the sole of your other foot anchored to your inner calf, similar to tree pose in yoga. Holding the stability ball parallel to the floor in front of you. Slowly raise it up over your head, and then bring the ball to your hip on the standing-leg side of your body.  Reverse out of the pose and repeat. Be sure to switch and do a set on the other leg.

SMART Medicine Ball

Drinking Bird:

Standing on one leg, lift the other leg at a 45-degree angle. Bend from the waist, allowing the lifted leg to move toward the rear of your body, and lean forward to touch the ground with the medicine ball. Reverse out of the pose and repeat. Be sure to switch and do a set on the other leg.

Terra Core

Squat and Kick:

With both feet steady on top of the Terra Core, lower your bottom back and down into a squat position. Driving through your heels, and adjusting to steady yourself, slowly rise. If your balance is on- point, lift one leg (knee first, then followed by foot) into a front kick position. Reverse the action and return to a double feet stand on the Terra Core. Repeat on the other leg.

References:

“Balance Exercise.” American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/balance-exercise. Accessed May 2020.

We seem to have a little more flexibility in our schedules these days with canceled events and a shelter-in-place order, so you’d think it would be the perfect time to push a regular fitness routine to the top of the priority list. 

Even with the time-crunch problem at bay, people can find themselves overwhelmed when faced with having to come up with a routine for themselves. The equipment and classes people are used to finding at their favorite gyms are not readily available, and it can be daunting to figure out a new workout plan from scratch.

Quite honestly, if the first hardest thing about fitness is getting started, then the second hardest thing is knowing what to do. Many people can feel overwhelmed when starting over with a new routine, and may even give up. 

Quite honestly, if the first hardest thing about fitness is getting started, then the second hardest thing is knowing what to do. Click To Tweet

Self-Guided Products

We have a solution. Our self-guided products feature corresponding workout moves printed right on the product!

Having the exercises printed on the products means that you can build multiple routines on the spot. Our self-guided product line includes many types of functional fitness workout equipment, so you’ll have plenty of exercises to choose from and include in your routines. 

Whether you have a dedicated room or just an area of your home, we’ve highlighted some of our essential products guaranteed to keep you busy without taking up a lot of space.

SMART MEDICINE BALLS

Medicine Balls are very versatile. Our Smart Medicine Balls are a functional fitness staple. The weighted center forces the user to use different muscle groups to throw, bounce, or twist with the ball.

Eight exercises are printed on each ball for easy reference. They also feature a textured surface for a reliable grip and made of sturdy rubber.

SMART CORE AB WHEEL WITH MAT

If you think this product is just about building your core, think again! Our Smart Core Wheel will bring your bodyweight exercises to a whole new level. Shoulders, triceps, lats, legs, and yes, core muscles will be seriously challenged.

SMART STRAPS BODYWEIGHT TRAINING SYSTEMS

Bodyweight training using straps can be intimidating to a novice, but we’ve developed our SMART STRAPS product line with our signature self-guided exercises printed directly on the straps for easy reference.

Don’t be deceived by appearance, because you will get a killer workout. SMART STRAPS makes for an amplified version of your regular bodyweight exercises, and our self-guided product makes it easy to learn! They are accommodating for people of all fitness levels –from novices to elite athletes.

Smart Straps Ceiling/Wall Mount

And now, even if your door frames, trim, or space around your door openings are not ideal for the smart strap, we have a new solution: The Smart Straps Ceiling Wall Mount. This new product allows you to put the smart straps in a place that works best for you! If you have a dedicated room for home fitness, this is a perfect way to add smart straps to your own gym.

SMART MAT

Whether you want to run through some sun salutations or work on building your flexibility through some focused stretching, our Smart Mats are a great choice. They are thick to provide cushion to your body and durable to stand up to your repeated workouts. The 16mm Smart Mat has 14 Core Exercises printed on one side, and 14 Stretching Poses on the other side for easy reference. Roll it up to put in your closet, or use the sturdy grommets to hang!

SMART Recovery Foam Roller

The general idea behind foam rolling exercises is that by applying direct loads to your muscles, you lengthen and massage the underlying tissues. The use of foam rollers for effectively reducing muscle tension is now a widely accepted fitness practice and makes it easier to resume those challenging workouts.