Do you want to set up a home workout space in the backyard this summer? Use these outdoor gym ideas to help you get fit outdoors and spend more time in green space.
Fitness centers throughout the country have been shutting down, leaving members stranded from their favorite go-to spots to get in a workout on their way to or home from work.
Green exercise is trending, and with a few helpful tips, you can create a backyard fitness area that fits your budget and lifestyle and helps you get into great shape while enjoying lots of fresh air and sunshine!
Ideas to Build Your Own Outdoor Gym
You might be used to working out at a local gym several times per week. When businesses started shutting down, and people started working from home, fitness centers began looking more like ghost towns than the bustling workout places they used to be. The good news is that you don’t have to set aside your personal fitness goals just because you can’t go to a gym. You can try these outdoor gym ideas to create a fitness space at home!
Backyard Gym Ideas on a Budget
With a few of the basic supplies included in the following list, you can create a budget-friendly backyard fitness center:
- Resistance bands
- Jump rope
- Pull-up bar
- Cardio punching bag
- Exercise mat
You’ll need a few simple tools and hardware to install a cardio punching bag and a pull-up bar.
With these supplies, it’s easy to create a fitness routine outdoors that helps you stay in great shape without putting a hole in your wallet.
An exercise mat enables you to get down on the ground to work your core muscles.
Resistance bands are more versatile than dumbbells or weight machines. They come in various styles and draw weights and can be used for lunges, curls, squats, presses, and more! They’re affordable and easy to transport; in fact, they might be the most important piece of equipment in your outdoor gym.
Kids Outdoor Gym Ideas – Make It A Family Workout
If you’re a parent, you no doubt relate to the challenge many parents encounter in trying to get their kids to spend more time outdoors. Video games, social media, and other advanced technology activities tempt many children, especially teens, to stay indoors.
This often leads to a sedentary lifestyle, which, data shows, is unhealthy. Use these kid-friendly backyard gym ideas to get the whole family outside for some fitness fun:
- Monkey bars
- Obstacle course
- Outdoor rock climbing wall
- Climbing rope or fireman’s pole
- Wall ball
Outdoor playtime and classroom time are equally critical to a child’s ability to learn. Physical movements, such as climbing or brachiating (swinging arms forward “ape-style” while moving from point A to point B), not only increase muscle tone and gross motor skills but also helps improve visual perception and hand-eye coordination.
You can use items such as large tires, various lengths of wooden beams, hanging ropes, steps, and more to build a backyard obstacle course that your whole family can enjoy.
A wall ball circuit adds full-body conditioning and doesn’t take up too much room. Medicine balls engage all muscle groups and build strength, endurance, and agility. Climbing walls or traditional-style monkey bars work the upper body and can be a lot of fun.
Keep it simple yet provide a variety of outdoor circuits to encourage physical activity for all age groups in your household.
Crossfit Outdoor Gym Ideas
If you’re into high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you can create a CrossFit center right in your own backyard!
The great thing about HIIT training is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. It’s perfect for outdoor exercise, and you can develop your own routine or tap into online resources for ideas.
It’s best to section off a level area that is free of debris to avoid tripping over rocks or sticks, etc. while performing short bursts of intense exercise that can include burpees, push-ups, air squats, and more.
Do you have a backyard pool? When swimming weather rolls around, you can incorporate pool time into your HIIT routine. Alternate between on-land intervals and swimming speed laps in the pool!
Define An Outdoor Yoga and Meditation Area
Maybe high intensive interval training is not your thing. If you’re yearning for more time spent outdoors in nature, listening, observing, a mediation area provides the perfect retreat. Mediation is a great activity to do outdoors while enjoying the peace and quiet of your backyard.
There’s ample evidence to show the benefits of a regular yoga stretching routine. Many yoga enthusiasts say it not only improves balance and flexibility (a goal that might interest those who are ages 40 and beyond), it can also help alleviate chronic back pain and symptoms of arthritis.
Yoga stretching is a perfect outdoor exercise for all ages! All you need is an exercise mat (unless you prefer to come in direct contact with the earth, which is also beneficial to your health) and a flat area without safety hazards.
Your outdoor yoga center can be as simple or luxurious as you prefer. You can create a backyard oasis that includes things to inspire peace and meditation, such as a fountain, plants, herbs and flowers, candlelight or even, instrumental music playing in the background.
Create An Outside Fitness Center Using Toys and Other Play Focused Items
You might already have a lot of things in your garage or surrounding outdoor areas that you can use to create a regular fitness routine in the privacy and comfort of your backyard.
The following list includes items that are fun to use and can help you get in shape:
- Hula hoops
- Mini trampoline
- Regular-sized trampoline
- Volleyball set
- Basketball hoop
- Hard surface for skating
- Cinder blocks or logs
- Stairs
- Hills
Use any or all of the items mentioned to create an excellent cardio fitness routine. Hula hoops are affordable pieces of equipment that will help you trim your waistline and increase your heart rate.
Setting aside time to climb stairs or run up hills builds strength and endurance.
Using cinder blocks or logs is a natural way to “lift weights” outside. Jumping on a trampoline works all the muscle groups in your body, and playing an outdoor game such as volleyball or basketball is not only a healthy physical activity, it’s a lot of fun, too!
Benefits to Having Your Own Backyard Exercise Space
Getting in shape is not just good for losing weight or building muscle strength. A regular outdoor fitness routine promotes overall good health in mind, body, and soul. If you set aside time on a consistent basis to exercise outdoors, you might benefit in more ways than one, including the following:
- Increased levels of vitamin D from direct exposure to sunlight
- More quality family time
- Enjoying sights and sounds in nature
- Less time (and gas money) commuting back and forth to a local gym
- Less money spent on gym membership fees
- Enjoy a more active lifestyle
Studies show that insufficient exposure to direct sunlight has sparked a health crisis throughout the country. Reduced sunlight can lead to inadequate levels of vitamin D, as well as serotonin.
Spending moderate amounts of time outside in fresh air and sunshine may help you prevent numerous diseases, including heart disease and various types of cancer. Studies also show that spending time in nature boosts the average person’s mental and emotional well-being.
The more time you spend at home, the more money you might save. You might even consider using some of the funds you’d previously use on gasoline or gym memberships to invest in a few basic supplies to create a one-of-a-kind outdoor exercise space!
Are You Ready to Build Your Own Backyard Gym?
There’s no better time than the present to set attainable goals that help you become more active and help you build physical strength, endurance, and agility.
Whether you’re single and live alone or are married and have several children, you can design a fitness space that meets your specific lifestyle needs and helps improve your quality of life.
If you want to find more ways to spend more quality time with your family, why not give one or more of these outdoor exercise ideas a try? You will end up saving money and improving your physical, mental, and emotional health at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds.