Five great exercises you can do in the garden

Posted on 2:50pm Tuesday 6th Oct 2020

If you’re not a fan of expensive gym memberships, but still want to maintain a healthy lifestyle then keep on reading!

There are hundreds of great exercises that will work out your body that you can do in your garden, for free with equipment you might already own.

Workouts should be fun and engaging as this will make it much easier to stick to your routines. With these exercises you can involve your family and friends too.

What are the benefits of exercising outdoors?

Exercising outdoors has many benefits. Did you know that it can reduce your stress levels and blood pressure? Your mental health can also benefit, as the increased levels of Vitamin D from the sun will help to increase your levels of serotonin.

In addition, when you complete a workout in your garden you will be able to push yourself harder as the exercise can feel less strenuous. So that you can complete a longer session during the hotter months, you could install a shade sail or canopy in your garden.

5 fun exercises to try in your garden

Five great exercises you can do in the garden

1. Badminton

Badminton is a popular summer sport and involves players hitting a shuttlecock across a net with a racquet. Similar to tennis, you can either play a singles match, with one person either side of the net, or doubles, with two people per team. This is a great game to play at home in the garden, as you don’t need a lot of space and the soft shuttlecock won’t damage your windows!

As well as a fun family game, Badminton is also a great workout as you will be using a range of muscles while moving for the shuttlecock and running about the court. If you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness levels, you should play this regularly. Your core, arms, calves and glutes should also become more toned while playing this game too.

It’s also really cheap to get started. You can find a set of badminton racquets and shuttlecocks for less than £10. A quick Google search and I just found this four player badminton set for £9.99 on Wowcher which even includes the net!

2. Online workouts

If you like to follow along with a class or personal trainer, there are thousands of online workouts you can watch at home. You can easily find videos which don’t require any equipment, often are free and they are an effective way of keeping you motivated too.

From relaxing yoga sessions, intense aerobic routines or even resistance training, you will be able to find the perfect workout online. For yoga at home, I highly recommend Yoga with Adriene who has hundreds of free videos for all levels on YouTube.

You can create a simple stand for your smartphone or tablet so you can watch the workout while you’re outside. If you would rather create more privacy in your garden, or want some shade from the sun, why not invest a fabric shade sail?

Five great exercises you can do in the garden

3. HIIT circuits

Another popular form of exercise is high-intensity training, often known as HIIT. This training uses short but intense bursts of cardiovascular exercises with short periods of rest. The theory is that HIIT keeps your heart rate high, which burns body fat quicker. If this sounds like something you’d like to try, take a look at the below exercises you could do.

Choose your exercises

Pick an exercise which works your upper body, this could be a push-up or triceps-drip, which can be done using a chair or bench.
Choose an exercise which focusses on your lower body, such as squats or walking lunges.
Select a compound exercise, including bench hop-overs or mountain climbers.
Choose any type of cardio for your intense, sprint section, this could be running or skipping.

Warm up thoroughly before you start your exercises to prevent injury.
Spend one minute on a section, rest for 30 seconds and then move on.
Once you have completed all four sections, rest for one minute and then repeat twice more.

4. Trampolining

Perhaps not the most conventional form of a workout, trampolining is a great way to exercise and is beneficial for the whole family.

In recent years, jumping classes have gained in popularity thanks to the fun way of getting in a workout. Trampolining is also easier on your joints than other sports, such as running, as it is a low-impact antigravity workout.

Rebounders, also known as ‘mini trampolines’ are very popular amongst adults because they are lower to the ground and more stable to use. Whichever style you use, it is a great way to tone your stomach and legs as these core muscles are used to keep your body balanced.

It’s recommended to spend around 20 minutes a day on this exercise to start to see improvements in your health.

If you already have a trampoline in your garden then you can get started for free! Otherwise you can usually grab a preloved trampoline for a great price, or sometimes for free, from Facebook Marketplace. Smaller rebounder trampolines are also really affordable too.

Five great exercises you can do in the garden

5. Family games

Remember again that exercise should be fun and enjoyable, rather than seen as a chore. This means that not everyone will enjoy the same routines; it’s about finding what works for you.

Whether that’s sticking the same form of exercise or using a range of routines to keep it varied. Often the most effective forms of exercise are the ones which don’t feel like you’re working out!

Why not get your children involved and create your family’s own sports day? You could set up obstacle courses, skipping races, a relay and a tug of war. These games are great for all ages and will help your family to get up and moving about while having fun.

We recently purchased Swingball which is great fun for both adults and kids! A twenty minute session with my husband leaves my arms feeling worked out for days!

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Five great exercises you can do in the garden

What are the benefits of exercising outdoors?

5 fun exercises to try in your garden

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