You don’t have to head to the gym or the country if you want to exercise outside or even prepare for a mountain run or wooded hiking trail. Here are some outdoor workouts for city folk to enjoy right in their own neighborhood. Of course, first on the list is walking. In the city, you can walk forever to get to your favorite restaurant or coffee shop. Pick a spot that’s far enough away to get you breathing hard, but also close enough you won’t have to hail a cab to get home. Start searching the internet for a stop even further away as your fitness level improves.
Save gas and boost your energy level by pedaling to work.
Your bike can be a great ally when you want more exercise. You may have to get up a little earlier than usual to pedal your way to work, but also may find it’s actually quicker in areas where traffic is often slowed to a stop. You won’t build up road rage but pedal it away and feel great when you arrive on the job. If you work at a distance, check you busline. Some have bike racks where you can get off a few stops earlier and build your endurance to make it the rest of the way.
Take the stairs.
Don’t just take the stairs at the office, get a great workout outside. Remember that inspirational scene from “Rocky” where he’s running down the street with the background music “Gonna Fly Now” playing in the background and literally hundreds of children are following him? Then what does he do? He speeds up to top speed and runs up several flights of stairs, cheering at the top. Rocky made the city his workout playground and you can too. Get a tape of the theme song or any other inspirational song to play as you run. Find the tallest set of stairs you can and conquer them.
Find a group or get a second job.
Go to the park and look for people with the same interest. Maybe there’s a basketball game or Frisbee football game you can join. If that’s too intimidating, walk the dog. No dog? No problem. Get paid to exercise by offering dog walking (and running) services. Learn everything you can about a certain area and become a tour guide for the weekend. You can do walking tours or biking tours, have fun, earn money and shed a few pounds in the process.
– Take a jog around the park. Use empty benches as a landing spot for a two footed leap. Jump down and back up again.
– Create an entire workout in a playground. Go early in the morning, before the kid arrive and get your workout pumping the swings, pushing the merry-go-round and climbing the jungle gym. Don’t forget to do the monkey bars.
– Check with the park department of the city to see if there are free workout classes in the park.
– Is the city on a lake or river? Often there are kayak rentals and paddle boat rentals that will work your upper or lower body, depending on which you choose.