Working out outdoors is much more than just doing your regular sets and reps out in the open. Because you’re not surrounded by walls and you can actually move to different environments, a workout can be anything that gets you moving!

It can go from dynamic cardio workouts and different strength training approaches to all kinds of outdoor sports, both on land and in the water. Luckily for active people who enjoy working out outside and for those who want to give it a try and change things up, spring is finally here, making the weather outside just right for an enjoyable workout.

To make things easier for you, we put together a list of some of our favorite outdoor exercise ideas for you to exercise in spring and stay active wherever you are. So, if you’re eager to get outside, breathe some fresh air, and start burning some calories, keep reading!

Try a high-intensity outdoor workout

Just because you aren’t surrounded by gym machines doesn’t mean you can’t get a tough workout done. High-intensity cardio and strength training workouts often don’t require any kind of equipment, just your body weight and a lot of energy!

One of the best high-intensity workouts you can try outdoors is HIIT training because of how dynamic it is. Its fast-paced style keeps you in constant motion, performing exercises such as jump squats, push-ups, and jump roping in short bursts with brief recovery periods to help you burn a ton of calories during and even after exercise.

If you want more of a strength training-focused workout, then circuit training is the one for you! Also a fast-paced training style, a circuit training routine consists of quickly cycling between high-intensity upper body, lower body, compound, and cardio exercises to give your whole body a good burn.

Go to a nearby hiking trail

If you enjoy walking to burn calories and are tired of simply hopping on the treadmill for 45 minutes, then going hiking could be for you! This is because hiking is a lot more than just walking at a constant pace in a straight line.

Hiking trails are usually full of turns, uneven terrain, and a lot of going up and down if you’re near the woods or going around hills. This makes you constantly change your pace and adjust your body to keep your balance, recruiting many stabilizer muscles that aren’t usually active during regular walking, on top of toning your bigger muscle groups!

Play some sports with friends

With the sun finally out, a lot of people are going back to the beach or spending time in open fields simply breathing fresh air – and these are the best times to get some physical activity in!

Sports such as beach volleyball and tennis are not only great at improving your cardiovascular fitness and coordination, but they’re also plenty of fun. You can create a tournament with friends and family, and even make it a permanent weekly activity. Nothing better than having a new hobby that keeps you active!

Take your workouts to the water

If you have access to a pool, whether it’s in your backyard, neighborhood, or at a friend’s place, you can use that as your workout station! Swimming, one of the most underrated forms of cardio out there, can help you burn a ton of calories while strengthening your whole body and improving your lung capacity.

If you want to try something different and you have access to a beach, give stand-up paddleboarding a try! While it might look simple, standing on the paddleboard as you paddle to keep you moving requires a lot of upper-body and core strength, not to mention stability, making it perfect for those looking for a bigger spring challenge.

Bring out your jump rope

If you haven’t touched your jump rope since you were in school, now might be a great time to put your jumping skills to the test! Jump roping, while underrated, can help you tone your muscles, strengthen your lower body, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and even increase your lung capacity.

On top of that, since jump roping requires keeping a steady pace while jumping, it needs a lot of coordination and stability. Plus, jump roping burns a ton of calories, even more than running! And the best part is that there are different variations that you can try, such as alternating your feet or jumping with high knees – your choice!

Hop on your bike

If you have a bicycle just gathering dust in your garage, the springtime is the perfect opportunity to take it outside for a fun cardio workout! Whether you bike around your neighborhood, a nearby park, or a designated biking trail, the truth is that you’ll be burning a ton of calories very quickly.

Not only that, but biking helps strengthen your whole body while also improving your cardiovascular fitness. You use your lower body to pedal while your upper body is in charge of steering and keeping you balanced, and similar to hiking, the dynamicity of biking in uneven terrains recruits additional smaller muscles that a static bike doesn’t!

Give bouldering a go

You’ve probably seen bouldering walls at your local park or near the beach, and a bunch of people going up and down the walls in harnesses. It might look intimidating at first, but bouldering is a serious muscle builder, especially for your upper body!

On top of recruiting every large muscle group in your body along with smaller stabilizer muscles, bouldering also greatly improves your grip strength, which comes in handy when you go back to lifting weights at the gym. You can also take it up a notch and try rock climbing on natural formations instead – just remember to always use a harness!

Take your FWI Home Workouts outside

Last but not least, if you have an exercise routine that’s currently working for you and that you enjoy, why not take it outside with you? Home workouts are perfect for springtime because you need minimal to no equipment needed, so you can work out outside and still get a total body workout done!

If you haven’t checked them out yet, FWI Home Workouts are designed with specific goals in mind by Iulia herself every week, providing you with effective at-home exercises and appropriate resting times. This way, you won’t have to do all the guesswork yourself, simply follow the workout and you’ll be on track with your fitness goals in no time!

So, what are you waiting for? Stay active during the spring by downloading the Fit With Iulia app and trying our 7-day free trial today!