12 Outdoor Workouts to Do During the Summer at the Park or Beach

SUMMER IS JUST around the corner. That means one thing: It’s easier to get out of the humid, sweaty gym air and taking your workout outside.

All the reasons to bundle up inside are melting away. The weather is warm, the sun is shining (hopefully). Gyms can be hot and packed with legions of people prepping for swimsuit season and hogging all the choice weights and racks. What better way to beat the rush and enjoy the weather by making the great outdoors your gym?

You’ll cut all of the inconveniences out of your gym-based workouts and replace them with more space, less commute time, and a much better atmosphere. You might wind up a little short on equipment for heavy lifting routines—but you can improvise to get your workout in by utilizing what’s around you and thinking slightly outside the exercise box.

Benefits of Outdoor Workouts

Getting outdoors is scientifically proven to be good for you. Even in small bouts, exercising outside can provide us with noticeable benefits. A 2023 small study published in Nature found that even a short stroll outside improved concentration and memory when compared to participants who walked indoors.

Studies have shown that the longer the exposure, the greater the benefit. A separate 2019 study reported that those who spent at least 120 minutes outside a week had better health and well-being reports then those who got less outdoor exposure.

How can you carve out more time outside? Take your workout there. Don’t fret, though— we’re not saying you need to lug hundreds of pounds worth of bumper plates to your backyard to get a little bit of vitamin D while you squat (although that is a great plan if you have the space and resources). Your body is all you need to get a sweat on in the summer sun. We’ve culminated 12 workouts that are quick and easy to take outside with you the next time you’re gunning for some fresh air.

No Equipment Needed

If you’re part of the latter group of people above, no worries. You don’t need fancy stuff to exercise effectively outdoors. Jahkeen Washington New York City and winner of the 2020 Men’s Health Next Top Trainer competition, hosts his 7 Minute Blitz series— workouts you can do anywhere, in only 7 minutes time. No equipment necessary.

The Outdoor Workouts for Summer

The 7-Minute 2:1 Blaster

This Tabata-style workout will have you pushing to your max in only 20 seconds of work, and only 10 seconds of rest.

Warmup

30 seconds each

• Airplanes
• Frankensteins
• Downward Dog

Workout

3 rounds of 20 seconds work / 10 seconds rest

• Hurdles to Diagonal Slides
• Plank in and Outs
• Alternating Lateral Quick Feet
• Lateral Walk to Renegade Row

Finisher

Keep moving for 1 minute with no break.

The Legs and Core Outdoor Burn

Here’s a workout for you if you’re looking for a little something to torch your lower body and light up the core. Alternate between core and lower body movements for the ultimate leg and core burn.

Warmup

• Lunge to Rotation
• Single-Leg Hops (Left and Right)
• Plyo Jump

Workout

1 minute work / no rest

• Bound Jump to Lateral Slide
• In and Out Abs
• Skater Lunge to High Knee
• Hollow Hold
• Single Leg Plyo Jump – 30 seconds each side
• Plank to Oblique Twist
• 4-Point Run and Retreat

The Full Body Beach Workout

This workout incorporates a little bit of everything to give you a quick full body burn.

Warmup

• Spiderman Lunge
• Squat to Pike

Block 1

8 rounds; Start with 3 reps per exercise / add 1 rep every 30 seconds

• High Knees
• Lateral Jumps
• Pushups

Block 2

6 rounds of 30 seconds of work, following the below rep count

Rounds 1-4

• Lunge Jumps – 3 reps
• Burpees – 2 reps
• High-Lows – 1 rep

Round 5

• Lunge Jumps – 4 reps
• Burpees – 3 reps
• High-Lows – 2 reps

Round 6

• Lunge Jumps – 5 reps
• Burpees – 4 reps
• High-Lows – 3 reps

The Glutes Blitz

This bodyweight-only workout will have you struggling to walk tomorrow. This workout separates the three major muscle groups of the lower leg: the glutes, the hamstrings, and the quads. No equipment needed, but have a bench or elevated surface handy to raise a foot onto for Bulgarian split squats.

Block 1

2 rounds of 20 seconds work / no rest / finish all exercises on one side

• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Standard Split Squat
• Pulse Split Squat

Block 2

2 rounds of 20 seconds work / no rest / finish all exercises on one side

• Single-Leg Hip Thrust (R)
• Single-Leg Hip Thrust (L)
• Bilateral Hip Thrust

Block 3

2 rounds of 20 seconds work / no rest / finish all exercises on one side

• Hamstring Walkout
• Bridge Hold
• Bridge Hold Marches

The Pushup Blitz

Want to get better at pushups? This 7-minute workout will take you there. Work through 4 exercises, and finish off with a quick cardio burst.

75 seconds work / 20 seconds rest / increase by 1 rep each time until the period ends.

Finisher

Keep moving for 1 minute with no break.

The Lower Body Blitz

Another quick and easy leg day option that requires just your bodyweight.

Block 1

20 seconds work / 1 set at each exercise / 30 second break after all 3 exercises / 2 rounds

• Up-Down Squats
• Duck Walk
• Foot Fires

Block 2

20 seconds work / 1 set at each exercise / 30 second break after all 3 exercises / 2 rounds

• Reverse Lunges
• Side Lunges
• Broad Jump to Shuffle

Block 3

20 seconds work / 1 set at each exercise / 30 second break after all 3 exercises / 2 rounds

• Split Squats (L)
• Split Squats (R)
• Skater Lunges

The Core Blitz

Not getting enough ab exercises in your routine? Add this quick core circuit to the end of any workout.

Block 1

Every 30 on the 30 / complete 8 reps of each exercise / 6 total rounds

Block 2

Every minute on the minute / complete 8 reps of each exercise / 6 total rounds

• Side Plank Knee-to-Elbow (R)

• Side Plank Knee-to-Elbow (L)

Block 3

30 seconds all out.

The Full-Body Ladder Workout

You’ll ladder your way down from 10 reps to zero reps in this full body workout. You want to finish as fast as possible, but be sure not to sacrifice form to do so.

Warmup

30 seconds

• Spiderman Lunge to T Rotation

Workout

10 reps of each / decrease by 1 rep every round until you hit zero reps / finish as fast as possible

• Bodyweight Squat
• Half Burpee
• Reverse Fly
• Pushups

Take the Gym Outside

We get that there’s more variety in what you can do when you have access to equipment, but it might be a pain to bring everything in your home gym outside if you want to catch some rays. Get the best of both the great outdoors and the gym by bringing a few pieces of portable gear outside with you.

The 5-Minute Dumbbell Finisher

All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a small patch of grass to set yourself up for a solid workout. This grueling upper body workout from trainer J Malik makes a great close out to a lifting session, or do it a few times over to get a full workout in.

1 set each / 45 seconds of work / 15 seconds of rest

All Out Studio’s Upper Body HIIT

Pick up the pace and sculpt out your chest, arms, and back with All Out Studio‘s High Power HIIT program by trainer Gerren Liles. You’ll be toast after these 15 minutes.

Close-Grip Chest Press – 30 seconds

Close-Grip Chest Press with Crunch – 45 seconds

Close-Grip Chest Press with Crunch and Leg Lowers – 75 seconds

Squat Hold – 45 seconds

Renegade Rows – 30 seconds

Weighted Walkout to Renegade Row – 45 seconds

Weighted Walkout to Renegade Row to Knee Raise and Twist – 75 seconds

Squat Hold – 45 seconds

Dumbbell Over-the-Shoulder Chops – 30 seconds

Squat and Over-the-Shoulder Chops – 45 seconds

Squat Thrust and Over-the-Shoulder Chops – 75 seconds

Cooldown Stretch – 45 seconds

The 5-Minute Kettlebell Full-Body Workout

Kettlebells are incredibly versatile— and portable. Take one outside for this super simple and effective full body workout. Tack it onto the tail of a run, or go through it a few times to get a longer workout in.

Perform the given reps every minute on the minute, and use the remainder of the minute to rest for the first two rounds. For rounds 3 and 4, do the same exercises each for 30 seconds. For round 5, go all out on each exercise for 30 seconds. Shoot for eight RDL-thrusters, eight pushups, and 20 mountain climbers.

• Kettlebell romanian deadlifts to thrusters – 15 reps
• Pushups – 15 reps
• Mountain climbers – 30 reps

The 5-Minute Double Kettlebell Workout

Double the weight, double the fun. Grab two kettlebells and head outside for this quick hit. If you’re looking for a longer burn, complete the first circuit a few times, still saving the finisher for last.

For the first 3 rounds, perform 4 reps of each movement, then rest for the remainder of the minute. For the fourth round, bump your reps up to 6 per movement and set the clock for 1:15.

• Bent-Over Row
• Gorilla Clean
• Forward Lunge Clean
• Lateral Lunge Clean
• Reverse Lunge to Overhead Press

Final Round Finisher

Keep moving for 1 minute with no break, 1 rep of each.

• Kettlebell Swing
• Goblet Squat

Sprint and Shoot-Through Cardio Finisher

This brutal metcon workout is the perfect quick cardio blast you need to try. Grab some yoga blocks and set up some cones to perform the shoot-throughs and create your sprinting distances. If you don’t have blocks, two kettlebells of the same height will work fine.

Set the timer for 5 minutes. Finish 1 shuttle run, first running to the middle cone and back, then the far cone and back. Immediately shift to 5 shoot-through reps. Move to 2 complete shuttle runs and 5 shoot-through reps. Add another shuttle run every time, until the clock hits zero.

Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.