With the first rays of spring sunshine our body begins to ask for earth. But, before succumbing to Sunday laziness, we should remember that good weather also offers other possibilities, such as taking the gym out into the street.
And it’s not a question of recounting the benefits of running, a practice that, de puro maisntream, has become boring, but of taking advantage of the good weather to turn the streets and parks into our training place without having to spend a euro.
“The first reason why most people start training outdoors is economic”, explains personal trainer. “It is not necessary to pay tuition or domicile a monthly fee, just have a pair of sneakers and some sportswear, nothing more.
Although saving money should never be the only reason that makes us go out into the street to sweat. We will avoid failure if instead we convince ourselves that doing so also increases involvement and commitment to physical activity while decreasing levels of stress, anger and depression, as found in a recent study by the British Peninsula College of Medicine and Denstistry.
“It is very important to remember that training not only serves to achieve our physical goals, but also to achieve psychological well-being,” confirms personal trainer Fredy Riverón. “In this sense, it is better to do it in parks or on the street rather than enclosed between the walls and mirrors of large gyms.
The main advantage of training in this way is the feeling of freedom and total disconnection that it conveys to us thanks to the free space available. Those who spend more time waiting in the gym for a machine to stay free at peak time than doing exercise will know what we’re talking about.
Improving the health of the bones by increasing the synthesis of Vitamin D as a result of greater exposure to the sun, performing more natural movements without being forced by machines that force incorrect postures, and avoiding falling into the routine by always being in the same environment, are other of the many pros of practicing sport on the street.
Although there are also drawbacks to assess before escaping to the nearest park. “The most important is pollution, especially in large cities, because when we exercise increases our oxygen consumption and, therefore, increases the inhalation of nitrogen dioxide.
“In addition, due to the intensity of the effort we take a large part of the air through the mouth instead of through the nose, which is the natural filter of our respiratory system, and that also implies more direct pollution to the lungs. We have to avoid the peak hours of pollution that, luckily, during the summer,
Another difficulty to face with outdoor training is knowing what to do. While gymnasiums are usually programmed with boards, outdoor athletes are responsible for creating their own routines.
Those who are more advanced will have no problem adapting their living room boards to the outdoors, but beginners may be tempted to give up because there are exercises that involve excessive effort.
Luckily, cities are increasingly equipped for us to use them according to our respective goals, but if this is not the case, almost any urban furniture can be useful if you have a little imagination and a minimum of anatomical knowledge.
Although, in order not to be accused of vandalism for hanging from children’s swings or jumping over benches, the secret is to work with the weight of one’s own body. Nothing more is needed.
Outdoor Training Plan
This basic routine is within reach of anyone with a medium level of fitness. With it, we would work all parts of the body:
We would start by warming up by running for 15 minutes at a low average intensity.
At the end of the warm-up, you have to go up to a bench with only one leg, imitating a step up. In this case, we will do 10 repetitions with each leg.
- Flexions of arms: depending on the level we will be able to carry out them with the arms on the bench, for the less in form, or with the feet on the bench, for those that have more force.
- Hip Thrust resting our back on the bench and elevating our hips. Thus, we will work to a greater extent our buttocks and hamstrings. For those more fit, the exercise can be done on one leg.
- Do dominated using the bar that joins the swings, although due to its difficulty, this exercise is intended for those more in shape.
- Abdominals on a swing, supporting the feet on it we can maintain the position making a bridge face down or, for those who are more in shape, make an oscillation from the arms imitating the exercise bodysaw.
- Repeat this turn for a total of three. We will end up doing 10 minutes of running alternating periods of high intensity with periods of low following a HIT methodology.
