One of the easiest (and most underrated) ways to make your workouts more enjoyable is to take them outside. Getting sweaty in the sunshine is very likely to improve your mood, so we think it's about time you tried an al fresco session.
A lot of outdoor workouts don't require any equipment. Instead, you can get creative with your surroundings and use things like a bench or curb for jumping exercises. We'd always recommend that you lace up with a pair of the best cross training shoes, to make sure you're supported during movements, but as long as you've got a solid pair of sneakers you're ready to take on some open-air workouts.
This session from fitness trainer Morit Summers is a great place to start, using four bodyweight moves to raise your heart rate and work your muscles. All you need is a nearby, slightly elevated surface for the box-jumps and push-up variations.
Watch Morit Summers' Outdoor Workout
To complete the workout, perform the four moves for the number of repetitions prescribed in the video above. When you've finished, repeat the whole thing again for three total rounds (or four, if you want an extra challenge) resting as little as possible between exercises.
This routine has all the health benefits you'd expect from a circuit workout. You'll strengthen your leg, chest, shoulder and arm muscles, while also benefiting from a beginner-friendly core workout courtesy of the knee tucks in particular.
The more complex moves will work on your coordination and you'll raise your heart rate too, boosting your cardio fitness.
But the benefits aren't purely physical. Thanks to the added outdoor element, this session can also do your mental health the world of good.
Exercising in "outdoor natural environments" can improve your mood and self-esteem, lower your stress levels and lessen mental fatigue, according to a study published in the Extreme Physiology And Medicine journal.
It may even "lower levels of perceived exertion", so you might find your performance improves when you work out sans-gym.
If you loved this workout, you can find out more about the benefits of outdoor exercise with our feature on the topic. Or, if you want similarly short, accessible sessions, take a look at our five-minute guide to the game-changing concept of exercise snacking.
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