Here are five different outdoor workouts that can be done at any age, designed to firm and shape muscle while simultaneously shrinking fat cells.
These workouts can be done anywhere, but if possible, I encourage you to try them at an exercise park or outdoor gym. It’s more fun than you might imagine.
See the videos lower with this article for specific ideas on how to use an exercise park – or how to get motivated to use an outdoor gym for the first time.
Is Exercising Outside Better?
Working out in a gym is fine, but nothing beats an outdoor workout.
Human beings were probably never meant to spend so much time indoors, and outdoor exercise provides the benefits of fresh air, sunlight, and a new environment when those gym workouts begin to feel stale.
It’s perfectly natural to workout outdoors – and more people over 50 do it than you probably think.
Of course, people have been exercising outdoors since the beginning of human history. Still, more recently – since the pandemic of 2020 especially – older adults have been reminded of the health benefits of fresh air and sunlight, and outdoor exercise has experienced a sort of renaissance.
Call it whatever you want – exercise park, outdoor gym, fitness trail, parcourse, fitness court, or simply “playground for grown-ups” – the point is that fresh-air workouts seem to be making a big comeback.
Is it weird to workout outside? Perhaps to an aggressive conformist, someone using an outdoor gym might seem weird – but conformists think everything is weird if they’re not accustomed to seeing it.
Ultimately, the only person responsible for your own emotional joy and physical health is you, so be careful about putting too much stock into what other people think, especially after the age of 50.
Life is short enough, and you don’t want to waste valuable time worrying about others’ judgment.
Outdoor Gyms Are Helpful At Any Age
The exercise park is important because it helps all people – including mature citizens – improve their emotional and physical health.
Is it better to exercise outside or at an outdoor gym? Research suggests (see sources below this article) that outdoor gyms are better:
- fresh air is often better for lung tissue than indoor air;
- many people have dangerously low levels of Vitamin D, which can be safely aided by moderate exposure to sunlight;
- being active outside has more significant health benefits than being active inside;
- improves self-esteem;
- improves energy;
- improves mood;
- more people will return to an outdoor gym than an indoor gym;
- outdoor gyms help people to form intergenerational social ties with their neighbors.
Comp compelling research studies have also suggested quantifiable benefits of being barefoot outdoors.
Exercise parks are trending, and newly built ones are turning up in neighborhoods worldwide.
What Is an Exercise Park?
An exercise park is any gym-like area built outside in a public space, often with rubberized impact-absorbing tracks and all-weather exercise machines – kind of like a playground for adults.
Initially, an outdoor gym was often just a pair of adult pull-up bars installed in a park – separate from the children’s playground equipment.
Later, parcourses became popular.
A parcourse is a park fitness trail that charts its path outdoors – with stations of exercise equipment – or “obstacles” – along the way.
Though a parcourse was seen as a potentially enjoyable way to do something healthy, they weren’t often used. Taxpayers said they wanted them to improve their health, but they didn’t use them often.
However, after fitness became commoditized and many globo-gym chains started selling memberships for as little as $10 a month, these gyms became increasingly crowded.
Suddenly, outdoor workouts started sounding like a good idea again – fewer germs, more fresh air, and a chance for your body to make some natural Vitamin D.
Think You Don’t Have a Free Outdoor Gym Nearby? Think Again
Many communities are investing in an exercise park to increase property values of the surrounding residential area and to add life-quality cachet.
The exercise park – sometimes called a Fitness Court – can occasionally be quite elaborate and high-concept.
Ask a few locals about an exercise park in your area.
Many towns have an outdoor gym with either a parcourse or exercise stations (or, at the very least, some pull-up bars).
Most people don’t realize they have an exercise park nearby (they’re not always findable online). You have to ask around.
I’ve seen people insist that there is no fitness park in their town, even though I know of several outdoor gyms in their immediate area.
Don’t just assume you don’t have access to a nearby exercise park – you have to research it.
5 Effective Outdoor Workouts for Muscle Firming and Fat Reduction at Any Age
Use the following five workouts as inspiration. Choose the exercises that most intrigue you. Modify them to match your unique circumstances.
These workouts are for men and women and can be modified to match a person’s fitness level or unique circumstances.
Exercise Park Workout 1
This first workout has 13 exercises. If your outdoor gym doesn’t have this exact equipment, then choose substitute exercises that target similar muscle groups.
If you have a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells at home, bring them along!
You can do all 13 exercises in a row, take a break, and then start from the beginning again. Do the complete circuit 2 times (beginners), 3 times (intermediate), or 4 times (advanced).
As an alternative, you can do the bodybuilding style of training, which is simply to do 3 sets of 12 reps, with a 2-minute rest in between each set, before moving on to the next new exercise.
Warm-up carefully beforehand, and I encourage you to consult your medical doctor before making any dramatic changes in your exercise habits.
Outdoor Gym Workout 2
This parcourse workout has 13 stations. The exercises are classics, so you should be able to make it work even if your parcourse is slightly different than the one in the video.
It’s tempting to hold your breath while doing a strenuous activity, but do remember to breathe throughout each movement. Stay hydrated, and wear sunscreen or a hat.
Exercise Park Workout 3
Not only can an outdoor workout be as good as a gym workout – it can be better!
In the below 12 exercises, I’ve rearranged the sequence of muscle groups to keep things interesting. If you have an open-ended resistance band and a jump rope, bring them along with you to the park.
It’s always a good idea when you exercise at an outdoor location to bring a towel and water bottle, too. I keep a spray bottle of sunscreen in my car if I need a sunscreen touch-up about halfway through the workout.
Outdoor Gym Workout 4
Circuit training over age 50 can be done safely and garner positive results. I’m 58 years old, and my outdoor workouts are usually my favorite of the week.
These 12 exercise ideas in the video above are suitable for mature athletes. The movements can be modified to accommodate any age, gender, or fitness level.
Exercise Park Workout 5
After age 50, your body starts to lose muscle mass and strength. This is normal, but it also means you must work harder to stay fit.
It’s important to understand that by combining your workouts with an anti-inflammatory diet, results are exponential.
An anti-inflammatory diet, in conjunction with consistent exercise, will narrow your waistline and strengthen your muscles.
An anti-inflammatory diet lowers your fasting glucose level and, therefore, prevents accelerated aging. Additionally, the diet helps to keep your joints supple and healthy.
You know that getting stronger is essential for staying healthy after the age of 50, as well as looking good – but you don’t want to do the same old routine at the gym or jog on a treadmill every day.
You can get into excellent shape – even after the age of fifty – by creating muscle with weight training workouts, eating anti-inflammatory foods that help protect your joints and organs from damage, and following a cross-training fitness program that includes HIIT cardio circuits for rapid fat loss.
Conclusion on the Benefits of Outdoor Exercise
In conclusion, exercise parks and outdoor gyms are a key strategy – including for people over 50 – to improve emotional and physical health. They provide fresh air and moderate exposure to sunlight, leading to better lung tissue and increased levels of Vitamin D.
Outdoor workouts also have more significant health benefits, improve self-esteem, energy, and mood, and help form intergenerational social ties.
While outdoor gyms have gained popularity in recent years, many people are still unaware of their existence, so it’s essential to ask around and research your area to find one nearby.
Finally, the article provides five workout examples that, under the advice of a doctor, can be modified to match a person’s fitness level or unique circumstances. So, go out, breathe fresh air, and get started with these exhilarating exercises at an outdoor gym this week.
Additional Resources about the Exercise Park Concept:
Hazards of Indoor Air – https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2019/06/06/researchers-uncover-indoor-pollution-hazards/
Joys of Being Barefoot: Research on Physical Benefits of Grounding – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/
Subtle Changes in Policy Incentivize Neighbors to Exercise Outdoors – Sharing.Lab – https://medium.com/we-research-and-expriment-with-how-the-sharing/the-rise-of-outdoor-gyms-nudging-people-to-be-more-active-a1b3babe97f8
Dangers of Low Vitamin D – https://examine.com/supplements/vitamin-d/
Green Exercise Environment Benefits All – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710158/#:~:text=To%20summarise%2C%20outdoor%20natural%20environments,and%20self%2Desteem%20and%20perceived
2 Hours a Week in Nature Increases Wellbeing – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3