January is the time of year when gyms fill with people working on their New Year’s resolutions. Getting started in a big gym can be overwhelming, but there are easy ways to get in shape outdoors. As Bear Grylls says, you can get fit “whether you’re in the wild or in your garden.”
In a YouTube video entitled “Bear Grylls’ Full-Body Wilderness Workout You Can Do Anywhere,” Grylls lays out a plan for a 30-minute workout that does not require equipment. You can simply use your natural surroundings, like a tree and a rock or other heavy but portable object.
The workout is broken down into four five-minute blocks. Between each block is a 90-second rest. That comes out to 28 minutes, so Grylls recommends a minute warm-up and a minute cool-down to round out your 30-minute sweat session.
The Wilderness Workout
Here are the components of the workout listed in order. Grylls suggests taking a 10-second break between each segment as you move to the next activity.
- 20 seconds of squat jumps with a rock he found outside
- 20 seconds of pull-ups on a tree branch
- 20 seconds of pushups over the rock
- 20 seconds of leg raises using the tree branch
- 20 seconds of weight lifts using the rock
- 20 seconds of dips (for this, you can use a rock, a chair, or stairs)
- 20 seconds of Russian twists with the rock
- 20 seconds of mountain climbers with the rock
- 20 seconds of farmer squats using the rock
- 20 seconds of bicycles
This ends the first block, after which you get a 90-second rest. The workout then repeats three more times.
Grylls reminds viewers that this workout isn’t easy, but it’s a great way to get in shape outdoors.
“You don’t need a gym. For me, I find that gyms actually suck the energy out of me. Those fluorescent lights, air conditioning, and everyone strutting around trying to look cool is not my sense of community,” says Grylls. “I love being outdoors.”
Grylls, like many outdoor enthusiasts, believes in the positive impact nature has on one’s mental health, which is yet another benefit of exercising outdoors.
Will you try Bear’s full-body wilderness workout?