10 Outdoor Workout Ideas For Total Body Fitness

Warm weather means that we can do more outside—including exercise. Outdoor workouts are a great way to get some fresh air and build self-esteem while improving your fitness.

Grab your running shoes and a water bottle because we’ve got all the tips and exercises you need to get a great outdoor workout.

The best outdoor workout is a full-body strength training circuit that incorporates bodyweight exercises or exercises that require small fitness equipment, such as ankle weights or resistance bands. We recommend a  circuit workout routine as the best outdoor workout because it’ll get your heart rate up, burn calories, and strengthen your muscles simultaneously in a short period of time. Aim for 15-45 minutes of circuit training outside to get the best outdoor workout.

While there are more than three outdoor activities that will build fitness, the top three outdoor activities that we recommend for building fitness are yoga, cardio, and strength training circuits. Not only can these three activities all be done outdoors and require little to no equipment to effectively build your fitness level, but they’re the foundation for a well-rounded fitness routine. Cardio gets the heart pumping to torch calories and build cardiovascular endurance, while strength training achieves muscle strength, tone, and definition. Finally, yoga aids in recovery (and can also be quite challenging depending on the type of yoga you choose.)

You can exercise outside at home by working out in your backyard, front yard, on your deck, or even on your balcony. You can also take advantage of public parks and green spaces around your apartment or condo. Find an online workout class that you can stream on your phone, tablet, or laptop that you can bring outside and follow along while you get some fresh air.

Pro tip: Look for classes that require little to no equipment (such as yoga and strength training) so you don’t have to haul a bunch of fitness equipment outside with you. Just a yoga mat, some ankle weights, resistance bands, and a set of dumbbells can go a long way in an outdoor workout. If you’ll be taking public transportation or traveling to an outdoor workout space on your bike or on foot, you can pare down your equipment even further to just resistance bands and a yoga mat, taking advantage of no-equipment strength training and bodyweight exercises.

<ProductCardBlock size="2" />

<ProductCardBlock size="2" />

You can perform these exercises as a circuit or pick and choose the ones you’re able to do with the type of outdoor space and fitness equipment you have available.

Before jumping in, always remember to warm up before any workout and stretch afterwards.

Jumping jacks are a great exercise you can perform almost anywhere (as long as you’re on a flat surface). They get your heart rate up, challenge your cardio, and get you warmed up for your workout.

For your outdoor workout:

• Perform as many jumping jacks as you can in a span of 30 seconds without compromising your form. (For an added challenge, add ankle weights to this exercise.)
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

Get your heart rate pumping with lululemon Studio’s Cardio & Strength classes. These cardio workouts can be done anywhere—indoors or outdoors.

You can perform step-ups using a park bench, bleachers, the seats of a picnic table, or the bottom step on a set of outdoor stairs. They’re another excellent exercise that can improve your cardiovascular endurance while strengthening your lower body and core.

For your outdoor workout:

• Perform as many step-ups on your right leg as you can in the span of 30 seconds without compromising your form. Be sure your knee tracks over your big toe without collapsing toward the midline of your body. For an added challenge, suitcase-hold a set of dumbbells during this exercise if you have them available.
• Switch sides, then perform as many as you can on your left leg in 30 seconds.
• You can add a knee-drive at the top if you’d like to challenge your balance and engage your core even more.
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

The great thing about doing push-ups outside is that you can do them on even terrain, on an incline, or on a decline. For example, you can do inclined or declined push-ups using a park bench. For incline push-ups, place your hands on the bench and feet on the ground. For added challenge, try decline push-ups by placing your feet on the bench and your hands on the ground or grass.

For your outdoor workout:

• Perform as many push-ups as you can in 30-seconds without compromising your form and maintaining a solid plank position throughout (no arching your back!).
• Drop your knees for a modified version or to make them more challenging, bring your hands closer together.
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

For a more structured workout that incorporates push-ups, try a lululemon Studio Sculpt class for total body definition.

Reverse lunges are the perfect outdoor exercise because they can be done anywhere—just make sure to avoid uneven terrain. These are a great challenge for your balance while building strength in your legs and your core.

For your outdoor workout:

• Perform as many reverse lunges as you can in 30 seconds with good form. Make sure your front knee is over your big toe at the bottom of your lunge. For an added challenge, suitcase-hold dumbbells during this exercise if you have them available.
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

If you want to kick your lunges up a notch, try a lululemon Studio strength training class to learn more reverse lunge variations, combos, and challenges.

Oblique twists (sometimes referred to as Russian twists) are a great way to engage your obliques while doing an outdoor workout. This type of core exercise prevents your spine from having to come in contact with the cement, wood, or any other hard surface you might be working out on.

For your outdoor workout:

• Sit on the ground with your knees bent. If you’re a beginner, place your feet flat on the ground. If you’re more advanced, lift your feet off the ground.
• Lean back about 45 degrees, engaging your core. Be sure to keep your back straight and avoid rounding or slouching your shoulders.
• Clasp your hands in front of you, then twist to one side and touch the ground with your clasped hands. Twist to the other side and do the same. For an added challenge, hold a medium to heavy dumbbell in your hands while performing this exercise.
• Perform as many oblique twists as you can in 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

lululemon Studio’s Arms & Abs class incorporates core-blasting exercises like oblique twists, as well as upper-body exercises.

Tricep dips are one of the easiest exercises to do outside. All you need is a chair, bench, or monkey bars. For beginners, use a chair or bench. For intermediates, add a dumbbell to your lap for added resistance. For advanced fitness levels, find some monkey bars to do some unassisted, hanging tricep dips.

For your outdoor workout:

• Sit on the edge of a bench with your palms next to your hips and your feet bent (beginner) or extended (intermediate).
• Inch forward until you’re completely off the bench, using your palms to hold yourself up.
• Use your triceps to lower your arms into a 90 degree angle while pressing your shoulders away from your ears and pulling your shoulder blades toward each other.
• Push off your palms to straighten your arms. Be sure not to lock your elbows at the top of the movement, and to keep your movements controlled.
• Perform as many tricep dips as you can in a 30-second timeframe. Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

Warm weather means that you can do more outside. Stay on top of your summer goals with the lululemon Studio Membership. Become a member today and get FREE access to our library of over 10,000 classes and over 60 workout categories for 30 days.

Let your workouts feel like a breath of fresh air. Get FREE 30-day access to the lululemon Studio app.

If you’re working out close to a park, you should incorporate some hanging reverse crunches into your circuit. These are best done on a set of monkey bars and are a great way to work your core while protecting your spine from coming into contact with any cement, wood, or other hard surfaces when working out outside. These are an advanced core exercise, not for the faint of heart!

For your outdoor workout:

• Hang from a set of monkey bars with a wide grip.
• Bend your legs and use your lower abs to bring your knees as far up to your chest as you can go, making sure to keep your spine flat. If you’re advanced, keep your legs straight and raise them in front of you instead. For even more of a challenge, perform this exercise with ankle weights.
• Slowly bring your legs back to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner before repeating again.
• Perform as many hanging reverse crunches as you can in a 30-second timeframe without compromising your form or rounding your spine. Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

Squat jumps fire up the quads using just your body weight and powerful momentum. Just make sure the ground beneath you is flat and even with no hazards in the way.

For your outdoor workout:

• Sit back, lowering into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees aren’t tracking over your toes.
• Explode up with power, jumping into the air and straightening out both legs.
• Land softly with knees bent and lower back into a squat position.
• Perform as many squat jumps as you can in a 30-second timeframe without compromising your form.
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

If you’re working out close to a park, find a set of monkey bars and incorporate some pull-ups into your circuit. If you’re a beginner, you can tie a resistance band to the bar to perform assisted pull-ups.

For your outdoor workout:

• Hang from a set of monkey bars with a wide grip and palms facing forward.
• Engage your back and arms to bring your chest up toward the bar without assistance from your lower body.
• Lower back down to a hang position and repeat. For an added challenge, perform this exercise with ankle weights.
• Perform as many pull-ups as you can in a 30-second timeframe. Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

Bench hop overs (sometimes referred to as bench jump overs) only work on outdoor benches with no back since you have to hop your feet from side to side. This advanced exercise is perfect for building core strength and stabilizing your shoulders. Be gentle and mindful of how you land on your feet each time, ensuring you land on soft knees.

For your outdoor workout:

• Perform as many rounds of bench hops as you can in a 30- second time period without compromising your form. (For an added challenge, wear your ankle weights for this exercise.)
• Repeat 2-3 times if working out in a circuit.

Stay motivated and inspired by connecting to one of the largest fitness communities on the planet.
Sign up for lululemon Studio’s newsletter

Bonus Outdoor Activities

A structured outdoor workout routine isn’t the only way to exercise outside. You can also work on your fitness by engaging in these fun outdoor activities:

• Walking
• Hiking
• Trail running
• Bike riding
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Tennis

Take your workouts outside with the lululemon Studio App. Become a member today and get FREE access to our library of over 10,000 classes and over 60 workout categories for 30 days.

Grab your running shoes and a water bottle. Get FREE 30-day access to the lululemon Studio App.