8 great outdoor workouts to try now

Looking for ways to get fit without spending your workout hours stuck inside a dark gym? You can stay active while enjoying your time outdoors with these eight fun-in-the-sun workouts. And don’t forget to recruit a buddy to join you; each activity is more fun with friends.

Why get stuck on the treadmill when you can breathe in some fresh air and take in the beauty of the outdoors? Walking at a moderate pace can burn 280 calories per hour for a 150-pound adult.

Getting a fitness tracker can help you stay motivated. In 2022, a systematic review and meta-analysis in the journal BMJ found that people who started using trackers walked an additional 1,239 steps each day. If you don’t feel like buying a fancy tracker, use your phone. The Sharecare app (available on iOS and Android) has a step counter to help you track your progress.

When it’s hot outside, it feels great to take a dip in the pool, ocean, or lake. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), swimming and other water-based exercises offer a number of benefits, and may be especially helpful for people with arthritis. That's because it’s low-impact, can relieve pain, and may improve the ability to move. You don’t even need to do laps—just swimming leisurely can burn more than 400 calories an hour.

Riding a bike is a fun way to get where you’re going—and get fit on your way there. An easy ride can burn 290 calories an hour, while more vigorous pedaling can burn nearly 600.

Just remember that biking comes with the risk of injury. In the United States, there were 337,338 preventable bike-related injuries and 1,360 bike-related deaths in 2022, according to the National Safety Council. Make sure to wear a helmet and bright, reflective clothing, stick to designated bike lines as much as possible; and follow the rules of the road.

Next time you hit the links, do yourself a favor and skip the golf cart and grab a lightweight bag designed for walking. Carrying your clubs and walking the course can burn up to 330 calories per hour. Just keep an eagle eye out when you’re crossing the fairway (“fore!”) and pay attention to your back. A 2024 study of more than 900 golfers in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine found that injury to the lower back was the most common reason for missed golf days. This is likely due in part to the twisting nature of the golf swing.

Not only is tennis a great workout, but there’s something satisfying about whacking the ball over the net. Singles tennis can burn up to 549 calories per hour, according to the American Cancer Society. Plus, tennis can strengthen your muscles; running and jumping helps keep your legs toned while swinging the racket and hitting the ball works your arms.

Staying fit might be a compelling reason to knock out some of your chores. Light gardening or pushing a lawnmower can burn about 330 calories per hour. Cut the grass, plant some flowers and two hours later you’ll have burned the equivalent of a double cheeseburger.

Now that you’ve mowed the lawn, it’s time to play in the yard. A game of Frisbee or horseshoes will burn about 200 calories an hour, and croquet can burn 225. But if you really want to turn up the heat, try Ultimate Frisbee. It’s fun, fast-paced, and can help you shed 544 calories.

Canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding aren’t just for sightseeing—they can help you stay active. Paddling a canoe will net you about 240 calories per hour, while kayaking is a little more vigorous, burning about 340 calories per hour. Stand-up paddleboarding is a serious workout that can improve balance, exercise your core, and strengthen your bones. It also burns over 400 calories per hour.