The Best Ways To Work Out Outside

Hello hello, a fitness post from me today, hooray! I feel like I’ve done a lot of videos and blog posts now showing what I do in the gym or talking about my favourite gym routines (more updated ones coming your way soon but head to my fitness section for these). Sometimes, there isn’t a gym available and I know quite a lot of people don’t like the gym. As most of you know by now, I go to David Lloyd gym and absolutely love it, mainly because there really is something for everyone there, from swimming to dancing to HIIT sessions or just good old spin, even my Mum adores it (pilates and zumba are her favourites). Sometimes though, you can’t beat the fresh air and recently, I stayed at a hotel with no gym and it got me thinking about filming a running video so here we are today. Today I’m going to talk to you about how I like to work out outside and then show you my outdoor workouts in a video!


Leggings / Sports bra / Trainers
Use the stairs - The stairs really are you friend when it comes to working out. When I was at Uni I’d run around campus on quiet evenings and always use the stairs. Running up and down stairs (carefully) is toning for the legs and really helps you work up a sweat.

Lunge away - Being outdoors is fun and doesn’t mean you just have to run for miles, you can really mix it up. The stairs aren’t just great for running up and down, they’re also epic when it comes to doing other exercises such as lunges. On the video below you’ll see how I incorporate body weight exercises using ‘equipment’ such as stairs.

Find a hill - Just like the stairs, hills are your friends too! You can include them in the end of your run to really tire you out and work on your fitness or, if you’re like me and love a HIIT work out (high intensity interval training) you can use the hill as your circuit. I run up the steepest hill I can find, as fast as I can and then walk back down. Repeat this as many times as you wish and feel the burn.

Outdoor circuits - You can of course do outdoor circuits, you’ll see on the video but - I like to start with my hill sprints and then will do a mixture of star jumps, burpees and when I find a wall, Russian splits and squats. The world really is your oyster when it comes to workout out outside and there’s no excuse to get bored.

Be creative - A lot of us will do the same workout or the same run every single time but actually, there are great runs and exciting tails to discover everywhere. For me, when I’m running outside I find it way easier than on a treadmill because my mind is so distracted by the beautiful or new setting. It feels a lot more adventurous. Rather than becoming demotivated by always following the same route, week after week, try mix your route up. I’m actually taking part in a few fitness events in July, outdoor running ones which excite me a lot. I’m super excited for this particular event with giffgaff money it’s a charity fun run and you’re all invited to take part. More info here. I wanted to do more for charity this year and would love you guys to join me too. I’ve decided to get involved with this because I love any excuse to raise money for charity and what better way to do it than running! Just sign up by emailing them here if you want to take part. It's in London on 22nd July and you’ll also get a goodie bag if you take part! I'd love to see you there practicing some of these skills!

I’m hoping the above has inspired you to go out, get creative and mix your routine up (or, even join me for a run!), there really is no excuse to workout when you’ve got the beautiful outdoors surrounding you. Now onto the kit. On this blog post I’m wearing Hoka One One’s Challenger ATR 3 shoe, they were designed by athletes and adventure lovers and are suitable for new runners or advanced. The deliberately oversized shoe (which I originally worried would be uncomfortable and clunky) is a pleasure to run in. They feel so light and are perfect for running on different terrains. They definitely make outdoor running a lot easier. I’ve damaged my ankles before by not wearing the right trainers, it’s really important to wear supportive trainers and these are so good.  Honestly, I am in love with these trainers and cannot recommend them enough. You can see them in action on my video on this blog post. I’m also wearing Sweaty Betty gym kit (shop here Leggings / Sports bra / Trainers) on this post, for me, it’s the best of the best. It’s technical, comfortable, looks good and like the trainers, moves with me where I want to go. I’m often asked about the best gym leggings as the struggle is real when it comes to finding ones that don’t sag or slide down when you move, but Sweaty Betty definitely create some of the best, run-proof, squat proof leggings ever.

So there we have it, are you inspired to run now? Head here -> http://www.hokaoneone.eu to find a new running route around Europe!

Do you like to run? Do you prefer to gym or running outdoors? Are you an outdoors person? Do you think running trainers are important?

You might also like:

My gym tips, what I do at the gym 

10 ways to nourish your body better this year 

Is social media dangerous? 

10 ways to hit your health and fitness goals

Why I love running 

*I worked with the incredible HOKA team on this but as always it is 100% my honest opinion.

Lots of love, Em x

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