Tired of the stuffy gym scene? Exercising outside with a park workout is one of the best alternatives.

Are you tired of the high cost of a gym membership? Do you want to fit workouts into your schedule instead of working around an instructor’s class times? Sick of waiting to use gym equipment? Maybe you just want to get outside and exercise in the fresh air. Or maybe you’re traveling and need a workout that you can do anywhere, anytime.

Exercising outside in a park is one of the best alternatives to the stuffy gym scene. Working out in a park is free, and you don’t need to worry about business hours or class times. You don’t have to wait to use equipment, you get to breathe fresh air, and if you’re a traveler, you can easily find parks all over the world.

These are just a few of the benefits of working out in a park.

Below you’ll find a park workout for beginners that is focused on high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.). It’s easy to learn, fun to do, and proven to achieve incredible results.

What Type of Park is Ideal for a Park Workout?

There are many types of parks that you will find in your neighborhood and around the world. The park workout for beginners that I’m about to share with you only requires two pieces of standard park equipment: a bench (for stepping) and a bar (for pull-ups).

What if your local park doesn’t have a bench or a bar? That’s okay! The park workout for beginners has substitute exercises that require no equipment.

Learn the Exercises in the Park Workout

Each exercise in this park workout benefits different parts of the body. It’s important to perform the exercises in the order they are listed so you don’t exhaust one muscle group before the workout finishes. Here’s a rundown of the exercises you’ll be doing:

Bodyweight Squats: Develop quadriceps (tops of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), calves, glutes (buttocks), and hip flexors.

Pull-ups: Build muscle and improve strength throughout your entire back, especially the latissimus dorsi (lats).

Bodyweight Lunges: Activate your legs, hip flexors, abdominals, and lower back.

Push-ups: Develop your chest, front deltoids (front-facing shoulder muscles), and abdominals.

Single Leg Squat with Abductions: Engage quadriceps and hip flexors and increase balance.

Mountain Climbers: Activate abdominal tract and improve fast-twitch muscle fiber response.

Superman: Challenge the lower back and improve definition, strength, and endurance.

Burpees: Burn fat, improve speed, boost power, and build muscle.

The Park Workout for Beginners

Not sure how to do these exercises? This park workout video below will show you how. (Fun fact: This was performed in a park in South Korea!)

  • 15 bodyweight squats
  • 5 pull-ups
  • 15 bodyweight lunges
  • 10 push-ups
  • 10 single leg squats with abduction
  • 30 mountain climbers
  • 20 supermans
  • 5 burpees

Do not take a break between exercises. Once you complete all the exercises, rest for a few minutes and then repeat the exercises above two more times (for a total of three sets) to complete the park workout for beginners. During your rest break, keep active: march in place, actively stretch, and sip water. Do not chug water as doing so may cause a stomach cramp.

Exercise Substitutions

Pull-ups: If you don’t have a bar for pull-ups, perform the superman exercise in its place.

Single leg squat with abduction: If you don’t have a bench to step on, perform 10 bodyweight squats with hip abduction. Note: This exercise is not shown in the video, but it’s similar to single leg squats with abduction.

Do You Prefer a Park Workout or the Gym?

Do you prefer exercising in parks to gyms? Do you have your own no-equipment workout that is perfect for traveling? Tell me about it in the comments below!

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