Working out indoors can be uninspiring: the fluorescent lights, the gym playlist running on loop, the same view every day. For a change of scenery, head to your local park for this equipment-free, full-body workout. All you need is a bench and a patch of grass.
“We tend to be so serious about workouts in our adulthood, viewing them as a ‘have-to-do’ versus a ‘get-to-do,’” said Nikki Fraser, an exercise physiologist in Toronto who has led outdoor fitness classes for 20 years. “But when I see a park, I see the opportunity to play,” she said.
Use this workout as a guideline, but feel free to get creative, Ms. Fraser said. You can add a jog or some skipping in between sets if that feels good.
As you move through each set, pay close attention to your effort level. Bodyweight exercises can feel less intense than weighted resistance training, but you’re still working hard, said Heather Jeffcoat, a physical therapist in Los Angeles. To avoid overdoing it — especially if you’re getting back to exercise after a less active winter — increase the intensity gradually. Dr. Jeffcoat recommended beginning with a smaller range of motion, like squatting to the seat of a bench, for example. This allows your joints, muscles and tendons to adapt better over time, she said.
Aim to finish each set feeling as if you could only do one or two more repetitions with good form. If an exercise seems too easy after 10 to 12 reps, you can make it harder by slowing down the pace or adding a pause at the bottom of the movement.
You can do this routine as a traditional strength workout: Complete all the reps and sets of one exercise, resting for around 60 seconds between sets, Ms. Fraser said. Or you can add a cardio challenge by doing one set of each movement without rest, and repeating the circuit twice with two to three minutes of rest in between circuits.
Overview
Time: 20 minutes as a circuit, 40 minutes as a strength workout
Intensity: Medium to high
What You’ll Need
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A park bench
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Optional: a set of monkey bars or a pull-up bar
Bench step-ups
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per side
Stand in front of the seat of a bench, facing the bench. Step up with your right foot, and bend your left knee slightly at the top, with your left foot hovering above the bench. Pause, then bend your right knee to slowly return your left foot to the ground. That’s one repetition. Perform all repetitions on one side before switching sides.
Moving slowly through this exercise strengthens the muscles in your legs. To make this more of a cardiovascular challenge instead, step up and down quickly, adding a small hop at the top of the movement.
Push-ups
Targets: Chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, core
Repetitions: Two to three sets of six to eight repetitions
Stand behind the bench and place your hands on the top of it, shoulder-width apart. Stand on your toes, with your body in a high plank position with your back flat. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, but you can also bring them closer together to challenge your balance.
Engage your core and bend your elbows out to the sides, slowly lowering your chest toward the top of the bench, making sure your back stays flat and your hips don’t rise up or drop down. Pause just before your chest hits the bench, then push back up to a plank.
To add a cardiovascular challenge, hop your hands off the surface as you press your body away from the bench.
Walking lunges
Targets: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per side
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Shifting your weight to your left foot, take a big step forward with your right and bend both knees at 90 degrees, or as close to that as possible. Press your weight into your right foot, lift your left foot off the ground and step forward with your left foot for the next lunge. Continue moving forward to complete all repetitions without pausing between lunges.
Tricep dips
Targets: Triceps, shoulders, chest, upper back
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions
Sit on the edge of the bench with your feet flat on the ground, and place your palms on the edge of the seat just outside your hips, with your fingertips curling around the seat of the bench. Step each foot forward about 10 to 12 inches. Then press your weight into your hands and bring your butt forward and off the seat, hovering just in front of the bench.
Bend your elbows to slowly lower your hips toward the ground. Your elbows should form 90 degree angles at the bottom of the movement. Pause, then press through your hands to bring your hips back up and in line with the seat, without resting your butt on the bench. That’s one repetition. Keep moving through each repetition without sitting back on the bench until the set is complete.
You can make this more challenging by stepping your feet out further and straightening your legs, resting just your heels on the ground.
Bench squats
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, quads
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions
Stand facing away from the bench with your heels about six inches from the edge of the seat and with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your hands can be crossed over your chest or clasped in front of your torso. Bend your knees and hips at the same time, slowly lowering your butt to the bench for a count of two to three seconds. Pause on the bench for one second, then press through your feet to rise up to standing.
You can make this more challenging by turning this into a single-leg squat, balancing on one leg for the entire movement. You can add an arm challenge by holding your arms straight out in front of you.
Plank shoulder taps
Targets: Core, shoulders
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per side
Face the bench and place your hands on the edge of the seat, stepping your feet back until your body is in a high plank position, keeping your back flat and your hips neutral (not allowing them to drop or rise up). Your feet should be about hip-width apart. Engage your core and lift your right hand off the bench, reaching it across your chest and tapping your left shoulder. Pause, then return your right hand to the bench. Do the same with your left hand and keep alternating to complete all the repetitions.
Hip thrusts
Targets: Hamstrings, glutes
Repetitions: Two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions
Sit on the seat of the bench with your feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Using your hands for support, slowly lower yourself off the bench until only your upper back is in contact with the edge. Lean back to lay your upper back, shoulders and head on the bench. You can place a towel or folded shirt where your upper back meets the bench if that’s more comfortable. You can either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands on your hips. Squeeze your glutes and press your hips upward. Pause, then slowly lower your hips, stopping without making contact with the ground. Pause again, then press your hips upward again. That’s one repetition.
Optional: Scapular retractions
You can add this move if you have access to a set of monkey bars or a pull-up bar.
Targets: Shoulders, upper back, middle back
Repetitions: Two to three sets of four repetitions
Hang from a bar with your palms facing forward. Without bending your elbows, pull your shoulder blades down and together. Hold this position for one second, then slowly release. Repeat for all reps before letting go of the bar.
Alyssa Ages is a journalist in Toronto and the author of “Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength.”
On-set trainer: Anna Maltby
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