Warm, sunny weather practically begs for sweaty outdoor workouts. This cardio circuit workout is ideal for those who aren’t into “traditional” outdoor workouts like running or cycling but still want to get some much-needed vitamin D—and a rush of endorphins too.
The full routine takes only 12 minutes, but we promise, you’ll be breathing heavily by the end. And as it turns out, short workouts have a slew of benefits. While a long, steady-state cardio session can be beneficial, it’s not the only way to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness. There are plenty of other ways that can take much less time and—if you’re not into the steady-state stuff—might be more enjoyable for some folks.
Time-efficient, HIIT-style workouts encourage you to go as hard as you can (your work periods), knowing that the end is in sight (your recovery periods). This max effort increases your heart rate higher than you might normally during steady-state cardio like walking or cycling. These kinds of workouts have also been shown to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance (how efficiently your body uses oxygen), insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure.
Alicia Jamison, CPT, a NASM-certified personal trainer at Bodyspace Fitness in New York City, is big on functional training workouts that mimic real-life situations. And she believes circuit-style training, with its HIIT-style cardio outbursts, is more realistic than steady-state cardio.
“During HIIT, your heart rate gets really high, but in the 20 seconds of rest, you have to really focus on calming your breath down and getting your heart rate back down before you get into your next exercise,” she tells SELF. In life, we sprint to catch the train, lug heavy items up the stairs, and chase after our pets, which requires us to raise our heart rate quickly and catch our breath afterward. Functional training is all about making those kinds of everyday activities easier.
The best part? Functional training can involve all kinds of exercises.
“You can make almost any exercise a cardio exercise if you increase your tempo and lower your rest time,” she says. Take squats, for example. They’re an excellent lower-body strength training move, but if you quicken your pace for speed squats, you’ll not only light up your quads and glutes, but your heart rate will spike too.
Most cardio exercises have a few things in common, according to Jamison: They’re large, dynamic movements that are high-impact and performed quickly. For this workout in particular, they’re the bodyweight exercises that burn so good: split jump lunges, high knees, and froggers. Jamison added bear crawls, a core exercise, in this cardio routine as a form of active recovery. (If you have hip, knee, or ankle issues, talk with your doctor before doing high-impact workouts. You can also use the low-impact modifications listed below each exercise.)
You can do this quick cardio circuit workout, which Jamison designed, outside during warmer months—just make sure you have plenty of water by your side. Jamison also loves bringing a small cooler with a frozen towel to place on hot spots (behind your neck, under your armpits, and between your legs) post-workout.
Ready to crush this outdoor-friendly cardio circuit workout? Here’s everything you’ll need to get started. (Don’t forget your sunscreen!)
The Workout
What you’ll need: If you’re doing this workout outside, all you need is a patch of even ground. You might bring a picnic blanket or sheet for core exercises and recovery. (Many yoga mats can get too hot if taken outdoors in the sun, or can be damaged by UV rays, Jamison says.)
The Exercises
- Split lunge jump
- Frogger
- High knees
- Bear crawl
Directions
- Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, taking 20 seconds of rest after each move.
- Complete the circuit three times total.
Demoing the moves below are Cookie Janee (GIF 1), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Amanda Wheeler (GIF 2), host of the Covering Ground podcast; Tiana Jones (GIF 3), a dance and fitness instructor based in New York City; and Shauna Harrison (GIF 4), a Bay Area–based trainer, yogi, public health academic, advocate, and columnist for SELF.
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Katie Thompson1 Split Lunge Jump
- Stand with your feet together. Step back (about 2 feet) with your left foot, landing on the ball of your left foot and keeping your heel off the floor.
- Bend both knees until your right quad and left shin are parallel to the floor, your torso leaning slightly forward so that your back is flat. Your right knee should be above your right foot and your butt and core should be engaged. Hold your hands in front of your chest.
- Push through both feet to jump straight up, swinging your arms by your sides to add momentum.
- As you land, lower into a lunge and bring your hands together before immediately jumping again.
- Continue for 20 seconds on one side, then 20 seconds on the other side.
This is a full-body exercise, but it really works your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, soleus (calf), and core. To make it easier, remove the jump and do alternating reverse lunges.
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Katie Thompson2 Frogger
- Start in a low, wide squat position with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your hands planted on the floor in front of you, in between your legs. This is starting position.
- From here, jump your feet back to extend into a high plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders, core engaged, hips level, and legs straight behind you.
- Pause for a moment in your high plank, then jump your feet forward and wide again to return to your low-squat starting position. Lift both hands fully off the floor so all of your weight is on your feet.
- Place your hands back on the floor to return to starting position.
- This is 1 rep. Continue for 40 seconds.
To make this cardio move easier, step back to a high plank one foot at a time rather than jumping back.
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Katie Thompson3 High Knees
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, hands at your sides. Bend your elbows so your forearms are parallel to the ground.
- Keep your chest lifted and your abs tight as you quickly drive your knees toward your chest, one at a time. Your knees should touch your palms.
- Continue this movement as quickly as you can for 40 seconds.
To make this move easier, remove the jump and do marches, lifting one knee toward your chest, lowering your leg, and then lifting the other knee.
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Kelsey McClellan4 Bear Crawl
- Start on all fours and lift your knees so they’re at a 90-degree angle and hovering an inch off the ground. Keep your back flat, your legs hip-width apart, and your arms shoulder-width apart.
- Move your right hand and left foot forward an equal distance while staying low to the ground. Repeat with opposite limbs for the next step.
- Crawl a few steps forward, then backward. Continue for 40 seconds.
Jamison emphasizes going slow on this core exercise. The slower you go, the more your core will feel it. To make this move easier, you can drop your knees to the ground after each rep.
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