How To Refresh Your Workout This Summer

We don’t know about you, but we’re stoked that things are heating up. Summer is the perfect time to refresh your workout, get creative, and feel that motivation skyrocket. Energize your regime by taking it outside this summer—nature offers a unique gym that’s open 24/7. Whether you have a nearby park, enjoy a local river walkway, or are surrounded by unique city features, the world is YOUR gym. This is the ultimate DRYWORLD guide for outdoor summer fitness moves.

“I hate going to the gym, so sweating outside sure beats sitting on a stationary bike staring at my navel.” —Tom Selleck

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Here’s how to refresh your workout this summer.

Hit The Park: Your Open-Air Gym

A park is a perfect open-air gym for an inspiring, full-body workout. You have access to wide-open spaces and plenty of natural features that encourage a huge variety of exercises. No matter your target muscle group, the park will provide. Here are our top moves to incorporate into your outdoor workout:

1. Park Bench Pushups

Use a park bench for an elevated push-up. Beginner-friendly and easier on the hands than getting down into the grass or cement, it’s a great exercise that engages your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

2. Tree Sits

You’ve heard of wall sits, but now we’re taking it outdoors. Find a sturdy tree, get into a deep squat, and lean back against that tree trunk. Doing a squat with support behind you ensures you won’t go knees-over-toes, and encourages you to keep your core engaged, alongside your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. If the bark isn’t too sharp, you can also perform squats while using the trunk as a guide for proper form.

3. Bench Step-Ups

Parks always have a variety of places to sit, including ledges, benches, and more. Find a sturdy surface at a height that works for you and use it to perform alternating step ups! Great for both cardio and leg strength, you can change it up by adding a knee drive at the top of each step.

4. Monkey Bar Pull-Ups

Does your park of choice have a playground? During quieter hours, you can take full advantage of the different pieces of “equipment.” Our favorite? Monkey Bar Pull-Ups. Most playgrounds will have different height options for their bars so you can adjust how much weight you’re lifting. Try out different grips and feel that upper body strength improve.

Scenic Walkways: The Ultimate Track

Whether a nature path or a scenic parkway along the river, these pieces of pavement heaven are great for cardio and other exercises that require a bit more room. Plus, you’ll have plenty to look at to keep you distracted from the burn.

1. Intervals

We LOVE interval training. It keeps your heart guessing, and can shift your body into afterburn if you do it HIIT style. Use the walkway space to do some sprint training, using a watch or different landmarks to measure your distances.

2. Walking Lunges

Change up your scenic walk by sprinkling in alternating walking lunges. Keep that front knee over your ankle for proper form. This is a great exercise for your legs and glues, while adding in some balance training.

3. Bench Tricep Dips

The ever-versatile park bench. They’re often the perfect height for performing tricep dips with either bent knees or straight legs for added difficulty.

4. Grassy Planks

The best thing about public spaces like a river walkway—there’s usually a lot of wide open green space. Find a patch of grass to claim as your own and use it for planks or other ab exercises.

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City Staircases: Step Up Your Fitness

Even in a concrete jungle, you can find ways to build a great outdoor workout. Our go-to “piece of equipment” in a city? Staircases. Check it out:

1. Stair Sprints

All athletes can benefit from sprint training—then put it on steroids by doing it uphill. Don’t worry, you can walk back down to catch your breath before the next rep. This explosive movement enhances your endurance and boosts leg power.

2. “Box” Jumps

Like a park bench or ledge, stairs also make a great place for things like step-ups or box jumps. Aim for two steps at a time and try to land lightly.

3. Staircase Push-Ups

No benches around? Use the stairs for your angled push-ups. You can also do this in reverse so that your feet are up on the steps with your hands on the ground—this upside down variation targets different areas in your chest and shoulders.

4. Calf Raises

Staircases are great because they’re sturdy, but you can still hang your heels off the edge. Do this to perform even more effective calf raises than if you were on flat ground. This can really improve your ankle stability and balance.

Top Tips For Outdoor Workouts

🍃Dress Appropriately: You want to be able to move to your fullest, while keeping in mind the temperature and potential elements (like rain and wind). Items like the HauteD Scrunch Sweatshirt are great because they can be adjusted as you train to accommodate the temperature. If it’s sunny, be sure to wear a hat.

🍃Stay Hydrated: Hydration is critical, so always bring a water bottle. Especially on a hot day, you might sweat more than if you were in the gym. You may want to consider proper electrolytes to accompany your outdoor shred.

🍃Sunscreen Up: You’ll be exposed to all the elements out there, including the sun. Be sure to wear a layer of sunscreen on any exposed skin to avoid getting burned.

🍃Warm-Up and Cool Down: Just like if you were at the gym, you need to include a sufficient warm-up and cool down for your outdoor workout.

🍃Be Mindful of Your Surroundings: An open air gym isn’t as controlled as you might be used to. Look out for uneven surfaces and be aware of other people sharing the space. If you’re in areas that may have cars or bicycles, you may one to keep one earphone out so you can hear oncoming traffic.

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For us, the summer weather brings the perfect opportunity to revamp our workouts and get that motivation topped up! While you may not be able to push as hard as you can with a full squat rack at your fingertips, getting outside can be a great mental boost, as well as a physical one. There are a lot of benefits that come from working out outdoors. Who knows, an outdoor workout may even be the push you need to rekindle some energy and break through a plateau.

“The antidote to exhaustion isn’t rest, it’s nature.” —Shikoba