Best equipment for training outside: here’s what to shop

Warm temperatures and fresh air — what could be better than working out outside? Once you set up your station for outdoor workouts, it will serve you well into the fall and then can be revived for the next season as early as spring! And the options for outdoor workouts are truly endless. Whether you are doing some heavy lifting in your own backyard, running loops around your neighbourhood or hitting the trails, here is the best equipment you need for training outside and having a great time. 

Outdoor workouts and best outdoor workout equipment

Here are some of our favourite ways to get our cardio on outside:

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  Running: if you aren’t blessed with a big backyard, no worries — the city is a great playground! You can create routes and circuits right in your own neighbourhood and track the distances. Run the same loop every day and challenge yourself. We recommend looking for a hilly area to add in some resistance too. All you need for running is a good pair of shoes and comfortable clothing, perhaps with a wearable weight option once you get established.

• Jump rope: skipping rope is an awesome way to get the blood flowing outside and you don’t need to go far from your house! Choose a beginner’s rope or a weighted rope and hop to your backyard or front yard to work on that footwork. 

• Jump boxes: these are an awesome way to train explosive movement in a relatively small amount of space. Start with a box that can be adjusted to different heights and start small, really paying attention to our technique of launching yourself on the box.

• Resistance bands: a good set of different resistance level bands is always a good idea. You can add these to your core exercises, while lifting or while stretching for extra depth.

• Core: get your abs on outside. Whether you choose to engage in floorwork on a workout mat with a set of resistance bands, or in some knee raises while holding yourself up on a pull-up bar outdoors is a great way to get toned in a small amount of space. You can even do core on a balcony! 

And of course, we can’t forget the weights! You can get an amazing strength-building workout outdoors. Lift heavy and get sweaty and enjoy the fruit of your hard labour. We recommend a fitness mat if you are on a deck or patio to protect the surface of both the ground and the weights and then it’s up to you — do you prefer kettlebells? Dumbbells? Adjustable or fixed?   

How to choose outdoor workout equipment

When thinking about designing your outdoor fitness routine, always consider how much space you are working with, the surfaces that you will be jumping or laying or dropping weights on, your budget, and your workout goals and practice. It’s all a personal choice and there are lots of workout equipment and accessories options available on our website!