We’re all about taking advantage of the cooling weather and moving our workouts outside. And thanks to trainer Laura Yochelson’s Beyond Bounds routine, outdoor exercise doesn’t have to mean just going for a run.
How to Perform the Workout
Head to your local school or community center with an outdoor basketball court for Yochelson’s workout, as you will use the court baselines for many of your exercises. A tennis court or a football field’s sidelines will also work.
Part 1 (warmup)
Perform five exercises from baseline to baseline on the court—light jogging, butt kicks, high knees, grapevines, and skipping—followed by jogging backward between each exercise.
Part 2 (lengthen, stabilize, and center)
Each move is performed from baseline to baseline with a run back to the starting baseline.
1) Walking leg kicks with opposite arm reaches: “Keep the chest broad and shoulders back as you reach toward the opposite kicking leg, maintaining good posture and drawing the navel in,” says Yochelson.
2) Lateral walking squats: Stand facing a sideline. Extend your arms as you squat to the side and row them at a 90-degree angle as you stand.
3) Walking lunges: Stretch your arms overhead as you lunge.
4) Moving figure four squats: Cross your left foot over your right knee and squat with your arms above your head. Switch legs with each step.
5) Defensive stance/active feet: Stand facing a sideline with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hands in front of your chest with palms facing out. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and quickly bounce from one foot to the other, baseline to baseline.
Part 3 (strength, speed, and agility)
Choose four of the following exercises and give each one your all: suicides, hill running, intervals, running stairs, burpees, pushups, pullups, calf raises, mountain climbers, and planks.
Yochelson does not suggest a set number of reps for each exercise, as she says the individual should complete the number of reps right for his or her body. Instead of focusing on the numbers, be attuned to your body and proper form.
How to Cater the Workout to You
This is a longer workout than those we typically feature and will likely take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. If the three-part workout is too intense, start off with just parts one and two, or one and three, and work your way up to completing all three segments. Yochelson also says you can cater the running in between each move to your preferred speed.
The Verdict
“It’s a fun workout that includes exercises people may associate with their days of playing sports in childhood, and therefore provides an opportunity to let go,” says Yochelson.
We enjoyed being in the fresh air as we grunted our way through Yochelson’s workout—but we still aren’t keen on suicides.
