by Jennifer Lau, Personal Trainer, Fit Squad  

With the arrival of spring, what better way to kick the winter blues and spice up your workout routine than to get outside and take advantage of the warmer weather?  Break out of the gym, escape the fluorescent lights and the hum of treadmills and put some variety into your workout schedule by taking your workout outdoors!

Cross training is essential for getting results as you continue to challenge your heart and muscles.  After a long five months of training indoors, your body will thank you for the fresh air and the new challenges outdoor training can offer.

Without the requirement of equipment, your imagination and creativity can put you through some amazing heart pumping exercises.

Here are some suggested exercises to get you started:

Warm up with a jog or run to your local park.

1. Look for outdoor stairs you can use to perform sprints up.  Try skipping every other step.

2. Challenge yourself by performing jump-ups onto steps; progressing by increasing the number of steps you can clear.

3. Find a ledge such as stadium bleachers or park benches, and perform tricep dips, alternating step-ups and standing calf raises.

4. Your knees and wrists will thank you when you take your push-up burpees onto the grass.

5. Try alternating sprints (either stairs or between two marked trees) between each exercise for a complete burn. 

Performing these exercises are a great way to engage all your stabilizing muscles, since the body is unable to depend on cables and machines to do so.  The stabilizers in your core consist of the muscles from your chest line to between the top of your legs - this includes your obliques, abdominals, lower back and your glutes.  Strengthening your core through such exercises not only helps with posture, but with every day activities as it makes you physically more powerful and allows you to maintain stability. 

So get out there and start supplementing your indoor gym workouts with a few days a week of outdoor training and your body will thank you!

Fit Squad is a team of international experts providing high efficiency workouts.

In-home personal training; Studio personal training; Boot Camps; Small-groups; Corporate training and events.

All Licious Living clients and friends will receive a complimentary consultation and free personal training session. 

Visit fitsquad.ca or contact info@fitsquad.ca