By Beth Davis, CPT, Fitness Blogger and Personal Trainer

After last year’s long, super-cold winter, you should enjoy all the fresh air and sunshine you can. How? One way is to skip the gym and take your workouts outdoors!

Try parks, your own backyard or even a high school track. For equipment, use stairs, benches, swing sets: whatever’s handy. So grab a buddy and let’s get moving!

Start your workout with a dynamic warm up to get your blood moving and prevent injury. Try this one: jog in place for 2 minutes, do a few torso twists, swing your arms across your body and extend your legs and arms in opposite directions. Now you’re ready!

1. Let’s HIIT it!

Break a sweat by completing 3 circuits of a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout using 5 of your favorite exercises. Do each exercise for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds, then do the next exercise. Try this HIIT routine for a quick burn:

• Jumping jacks
• Walking lunges
• Push-ups
• Body weight squats
• Planks

Build your HIIT session however you like. Use stairs, hills, even monkey bars at the park! You can rest one minute between rounds.

2. Let’s Tabata that!

Tabata training is a 4-minute workout that will challenge the fittest among us! Based on high intensity interval training principles, it’s structured like this:

• Work out hard for 20 seconds
• Rest for 10 seconds
• Complete 8 rounds

Repeat your favorite exercise 8 times, or pick 8 different exercises and do each once.

Try this 20-minute Tabata workout, working each exercise 8 times for 20 seconds:

• Push-ups
• Squats
• Switch jump lunges
• Sit ups

3. AMRAP workouts

AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible) workouts are timed according to your own desire. They are great to do when you have limited time or don’t want to watch the clock every few seconds.

Outdoor AMRAP workouts are only limited by your imagination! Try using the swing set to hold your feet up for an elevated plank. A park bench or stairs make your step-ups extra effective. And a light pole or basketball hoop give you a target for sprints.

Here’s one of my simple, no-weights-required AMRAPs:

• 25 high knees
• 10 push-ups
• 10 squats
• 5 jump squats
• 15 tuck jumps
• 10 burpees
• 15 mountain climbers

Outdoor workouts are a great way to enjoy the weather before you get cooped up again for winter. Remember to hydrate with 16 ounces of water about 1-2 hours before you hit your outdoor gym. Continue to drink water every 10 minutes of your workout and, of course, after you finish … and have fun!

Meet Beth Davis, Let’s Move Quad Cities Fitness Blogger. Beth is a well-known, former radio news personality, has a Masters Degree in Counseling Education, is now living her dream of making lives better for Quad Citians as a certified personal trainer. You can read Beth’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.