Revive and Re-Sculpt Your Body with Outdoor Fitness Therapy

Summer is approaching! In order to get in the best shape ever, maximize your workout with these easy exercises. All you’ll need are two 16 oz. bottles of water, a beach towel, and a beautiful, outdoor scenic location!

Revive Your Body with Outdoor Cardio

Go for a scenic trail walk, hike, or bike ride for 30 minutes to condition the heart, increase metabolism, and warm the muscles. It feels great to be outdoors enjoying the beauty and sounds of nature. Elevating the heart rate and getting the oxygen flow from your cardio helps to elevate serotonin – the feel good hormone!

Re-sculpt for Muscle Tone and Strength

Try these compound exercises to maximize your workout. All you need are two 16 oz. bottles of water.

Arm and Leg Series – strengthens quads, hamstrings, biceps, triceps.

Lunge with right foot forward on a step and left foot back, on the ball of the back foot. Toes forward. Extend arms out in front holding water bottle in each hand. Inhale and lower legs 2 inches and bicep curl – exhale. Inhale, lift up 2 inches, extend arms out. Repeat 10x, lowering with bicep curls and lifting, arms extending

Variation II – Repeat series above with tricep extensions this time.

To start, lunge with arms behind body, elbows bent. Inhale lower 2 inches and extend arms straight back, exhale. Inhale, lift up 2 inches, bend elbows. Repeat sequence 10x.

Variation III

Kick it up a notch by lifting front heel up and pulse front quad for 2 sets of 8! Wow! Feel the burn, muscle fatigue.

Arm and Leg Back Extension – works spine erectors, glutes, upper back, and traps.

Holding a water bottle in each hand. Inhale and extend left arm up and right leg back exhale, pull your navel to your spine. Inhale, lift your right arm up and left leg back, exhale. Repeat 10x, alternating each side. Then, lift the right leg back and pulse for two sets of 8. Repeat on the other side.

Torso Twist – works rectus abdominus, obliques, and deltoids.

Holding water bottle in each hand. Hips stabilized, legs hip width apart, and knees slightly bent. Tuck pelvic girdle in and engage abs. Inhale twist to the right, extending left arm across, exhale. Inhale, twist to the left, extending right arm across, exhale. Repeat 10x to each side.

Relax – Stretch muscles to prevent injury and resting to relax your mind and body, allowing time for muscles to recover.

Hip Flexor and Glute Stretch

Place your towel on the ground. On your knees, extend right leg forward with knee bent behind the toes and balance your body on your left knee, keeping your foot straight out behind you. Inhale and press front knee forward to release hip flexor/psoas – exhale. Inhale and exhale 5x – holding this stretch. Repeat on the other leg.

Hamstring and Calf Stretch

Staying in that lunge position on your knee, slide front leg forward and extend onto your heel, palms on each side of leg . Inhale and fold torso over your front leg, reaching fingers toward the floor. If you cannot reach the floor with your hands, you may use a yoga block to hold onto for balance. Exhale, lean into the stretch, feeling the front hamstring working. Inhale and exhale holding the stretch for 5 counts. Repeat on the other side

Final Relaxation Stretch

Make a pillow by folding the top fourth of your blanket. Lying on your back, arms relaxed at your side. Inhale and exhale slowly, completely relaxing from your head to your toes. Enjoy the calm of the day.