Green exercise – body weight training – weight loss and strength training

I lost 20lbs in 3 months without a gym membership but just by doing what I love to do.

So, you want to lose some weight and be in a good shape but not the strongest person in the world then you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars in a gym membership, and other medications. I lost 20 lbs in 3 months by doing what I love to do. I did a few kilometers of cycling, played 20-30 minutes of basketball and did some bodyweight training in a park to lose 20 lbs. I am sharing my experience which worked for me. No formal study has been done. You can try if you like but professional help is always recommended especially if you have any medical conditions.

Green Exercise – an excellent choice for both physical and mental health.

Yes, you can work out anywhere; any physical movement is a workout. ” Generally, participants engaging in physical activity display more desirable health outcomes across a variety of physical conditions. Similarly, participants in randomized clinical trials of physical activity interventions show better health outcomes, including better general and health-related quality of life, better functional capacity and better mood states” Penedo et al., 2005. The body weight training is one of the greatest ways to train your body and especially to train out in nature is always a plus. Pretty et al., 2007, studied the effects of green exercise in UK countryside on health and psychological well being found a significant improvement in self-esteem and total mood disturbance (with anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment, depression-dejection and tension-anxiety all improving post-activity). So, why not try bodyweight training and general activities in greenery outside and enjoy some clean refreshing air.

70 minutes exercise routine – 5 days/week – Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sunday.

Again, try this, worked great for me to lose 20 lbs in less than 3 months time. I bet you will love it and will work well for you too. And yea I forgot to mention, I did not do any dieting to lose 20lbs in 3 months. I enjoyed all my regular food but yes, I usually don’t prefer those readymade junks.

So, let’s start.

My routine starts with a 4kms cycling which includes 2Km plain road, 1km uphill, and 1km downhill. There you go I burnt 125kcal, as per Zeopoxa cycling app on my phone. On top of calorie burning, there are all kinds of benefits when you cycle in a trail early morning listening to birds singing, rising sun, fresh air, birds flying with you, sometimes a deer come out of woods to greet you a Good morning, oh I simply LOVE it!!!!

Ok, this is a good 12 min warm up which will take me to this nice outdoor basketball court. Most of the time I meet a few friends there, and we play a full court 25 minutes game. Basketball is one of the best cardio work out as well as the whole body work out. During a game, you run, you jump, you throw, you turn, you sprint, you make a quick decision, you balance, you concentrate, you be social, and top of all you laugh and have tons of fun. So, a basketball game gives you all the benefits you can think of exercises for a healthy life. Tsimaras et al., 2009, reported that a systematic participation in basketball without the application of a resistance training program can improve muscle strength levels of individuals.

And again, I burnt 400 Kcal with this 25 mins game. Yes, sometimes there is no one to play with. I still play a full game myself with lay-up shots, suicide jump shots, sprint and stop shots. You can bet on this, this 25 mins play can be as effective as any form of well designed cardio work out routines.

Strength training – body weight

Tired!!! Save some energy, you are not done yet. So, enjoy your break for water and a quick carb for strength training. I usually enjoy a banana or a small apple.

Now, its time to use your body weight for circuit training in an open exercise park. This is what I do;

Pull-ups – front  x 8

Leg lifts hanging in a bar – abs/core training x 10

Pull-ups – back x 6

Floor Pushups x 20

Pull-ups – biceps x 8

Abs crunches/dead bug/box jumps x10

So, I usually do 2- 3 circuits of the above exercises. Yea, I definitely started from a single circuit, took me about 3 weeks to be able to do 3 circuits. Congratulations, you just completed a 15 min intense strength training. No more waiting for your turns for weights or machines, no more speech from personal trainers to sell their package and all other time wasters. For sure, if you have time, spend some time to work out your social skills, you will meet all kinds of people at the park, it is a fun.

Time to go home – cool down

All right, let’s go home, but remember you cycled to this park.

Cycle back home. 2km uphill and 2km downhill/plain surface. Thus, you are cutting some more fat and cooling down yourself to start a day all refreshed and energized.

There you go, a green way to lose 20 lbs. Have a good day.