To help keep you motivated with your outdoor exercise, we’re sharing a challenge from one of our OS Champions each day in February! This is part of our Bin The Gym campaign, find loads of inspiration and reasons to get outside more this year! The benefits of exercising outdoors in winter are huge – find out why!
Get outside and see what nature’s gym has to offer!
Don’t forget to tag @OrdnanceSurvey and #28GymDaysOutdoors to show us which challenges you try.
You can find all of our challenges here, add a like and comment to let us know if you’re trying your own challenge to get outside more.
Day 1 – Circuit Class in The City!
I’m challenging you to take your circuit class outside and into the city! Using the OS Maps app, I plotted a route that incorporated many opportunities for lots of different types of movement. And being a massive fan of gamification, I made sure there was plenty of fun to be had along the way too.
The city is a playground just waiting to be discovered. Why not try sprinting between lamp posts next time you’re out, or adding in a few squats at the next post box you pass?
Day 2 – Full Body Workout
Get your full body workout at your local Outdoor Park – brilliant to add to your next walk! You can do this workout at any outdoor park and the great thing is you need NO equipment!
Just make sure you grab your watch or phone to use a timer.
TOP TIPS:
- Make sure to keep your core engaged throughout the workout
- Make sure you warm up beforehand
- Take it at your own pace
- Take some water with you
- Grab a friend to make it more fun!
Day 3 – Fartlek training
Intensity – this training covers high intensity and only YOU can set that intensity so it’s amazing for building mental resilience with you pushing yourself to your limit and then some.
Adaptability – you can adapt this training to any sport, for example. Swimming, you can push really hard for a length next length relax and so forth. Whatever sporting event you want to get into there is Fartlek training for it.
Mentality – you can push yourself to the limit. Fartlek training is for all levels of fitness it’s just about how hard you can push yourself and when you finish your session be proud of that. You train hard, you race easy.
Day 4 – Strength Exercises
Here are three exercises to do outdoors that will keep you strong and fit in only 10 minutes.
- Try to complete 3 rounds of 10 repetitions, 3 x a week (although this is just a guideline)
- It should feel challenging but not impossible (about 7/10 difficulty).
- Stop if you experience pain that isn’t ‘muscle work’ and consult a trained physiotherapist for advice.
Exercise 1:
A. Split Squat
B. Normal body weight squats
Exercise 2:
A. Double leg calf raise
B. Single leg calf raise
Exercise 3:
A. Side lunge
B. Hold onto a bench / chair / tree for balance
Day 5 – Running Up That Hill!
Find a hill and run or walk up it as many times as you can. Do this workout once or twice a week gradually increasing the number of repetitions, you’ll be amazed at how strong you will feel.
City slopes and stairs work just fine or head out into the countryside for a more demanding challenge. The great thing about this workout is that you can do it anywhere, you can make it as hard or as easy as you like and you don’t need any equipment.
It beats the treadmill because you’re going downhill too which works different muscles. You can also get creative and find some fantastic scenery. Friends can join you too!
