Fitness/03/20/2020

These Are the Most Effective Workouts for Home and Nature

We need your consent to enable the rating function!

This feature is only available when corresponding consent is given. Please read the details and accept the service to enable rating function.

Rate
Bookmark

Nowadays, individual training and fitness at home are more and more in demand. Because of the corona crisis you have to renounce group sports and crowded training locations such as football training or the gym. But that's not an excuse to neglect sports altogether. We've put together the most effective workouts for training alone, at home or outdoors in remote locations.

Trailrunner macht Sport in der Natur

1. Strength Training

Strength training is not only possible in the gym, but also at home. Even without, or with very little equipment. These are the best training methods:

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training

HIIT is a combination of high-intensity bodyweight exercises and short training breaks that alternate. These are often performed in a ratio of 1:2 (e.g. 20 seconds load and 40 seconds break). Suitable for all those who want to increase their physical strength but at the same time not neglect their endurance.

Tabata - the 4-Minute Workout

Tabata is the result of a scientific study carried out in 1996 to burn as much fat as possible in the shortest possible time. Similar to HIIT, this method combines periods of exercising with rest periods, but with faster change. With a highly intensive load time of 10 seconds and a 20-second break, more fat is to be burned within 4 minutes than after a one-hour cardio session.

TRX - Total Body Resistance Exercise Training

Unlike HIIT and Tabata, TRX training requires equipment. However, the required suspension system is not expensive, easy to stow and easy to transport. Also, the setup is simple - just jam it in a door and the training can start. The slings support the classic bodyweight workout, but also make many additional exercises possible, for example, to train the back in a targeted way.

Mann stützt sich in den Schlingentrainer während einem TRX Training
Effective bodyweight training with the TRX suspension system
Image credit:
Olena Yakobchuk

Kettlebell Training

The Kettlebell is a special kind of dumbbell, with which strength exercises are performed. Due to its special construction, the Kettlebell is more versatile and requires more stabilisation work in the torso, wrists and shoulders than the classic dumbbell.

2. Endurance Training

Endurance training is a popular way to burn calories and improve overall fitness. Both indoor and outdoor in nature.

Spinning - the Bicycle in Your Own Home

The space in your apartment or house is often very limited, which makes endurance training difficult. A good way to overcome this lack of space is to use exercise bikes, such as the spinning bike. The stationary bike is ideal for intensive indoor endurance training.

Jogging - Relaxed in Nature

Jogging is the classic endurance sport. If you don't live in a big city, you usually have the opportunity to enjoy nature in remote places, like in the forest or on paths along a riverbank.

Frau joggt auf einem Weg im Wald
Jogging trains endurance and clears the mind
Image credit:
Vadim Martynenko

3. Fitness with Fun and Relaxation

Fitness does not only mean to push weights or perform repetitive exercises. Here are types of training that focus on fun and relaxation:

Zumba -Dancing and Fitness Combines

Zumba might be the exact opposite of boredom - if you like a workout with music and action, Zumba is the right choice. The combination of dance rhythms, aerobics and interval training creates a highly intensive sport that is fun.

Yoga - Training for Body and Mind

Yoga is considered a perfect mixture of physical effort and relaxation. The thousands of years old traditional sport with its origins in India challenges not only physically but also mentally with its exercises and versatile yoga postures.

Frau macht eine Yoga Übung
Yoga trains the body and relaxes the mind
Image credit:
Prostock-studio

Pilates

By combining yoga, gymnastics and strength training, Pilates challenges the whole body. With its huge variety of shapes and positions, Pilates training at home not only trains the muscles but also stretches the tendons and helps to relax.

4. Outdoor Sports in Nature

Those who want to avoid the gym do not necessarily have to train at home. Nature also offers numerous opportunities for sports and fitness without the hustle and bustle of people:

The Gym in the Forest

If you want to avoid the gym, but don't want to give up the exercises, you have to get creative. With its trees, stumps and branches, the forest offers an ideal training basis for exercises like in the gym - with fresh air and without membership fees.

Mann macht ein Workout im Wald auf einem Baumstamm
Workout in the forest - clever use of your own body weight
Image credit:
Thinkstock

Trail Running - Running in Unspoilt Places

Trail running is ideal for those who want to get away from the asphalt of the cities and into the wild nature. It is a big trend, and not without reason. Trail running takes you right into the wilderness, away from all paths and trails, over tree roots and stones. This way you can enjoy the unspoilt places of nature - without the hustle and bustle of the well-known hiking trails. Due to the demanding running conditions on the uneven surfaces, full concentration is required.

Frau beim Trailrunning auf einem Berg
Trail running combines demanding running training with breathtaking views of untouched nature
Image credit:
Sander van der Werf

Outdoor Boot Camp

Training in nature. Bootcamp means effective outdoor circuit training with usually seven stations, each of which must be kept up for one minute. In between, there is a 30-second break. Exercises such as squats, push-ups, air boxing and burpees challenge the body from head to toe and can also be done during a jog.

 

More exercises and workouts are available on our topics page: