Lisa Reed
WTOP Fitness Contributor
WASHGINGTON — There’s no need for a gym membership when you live in the nation’s capital. D.C. offers a variety of parks, monuments and waterfronts that are the perfect locations to get in a fabulous workout without spending money.
Exercising outside does more than benefit your wallet — it improves your mood and motivation too. So grab a workout buddy and a bottle of water, and get ready to burn some calories.
Workout: Iwo Jima Memorial
What are you waiting for? Get up and start exploring any city spot and make it a history lesson too. Perform 36 repetitions, unless otherwise noted.
- Mountain-climbers with opposite knee to elbow core twist: While you hold a push-up plank, cross and touch your opposite knee to the elbow; compete 36 repetitions. This exercise is an excellent warm-up that you can perform anywhere. It will work in your arms, shoulders, back and chest, while getting your heart rate up.
- Wall push-ups: For beginners, perform push-ups leaning against the wall. Advanced: push your body up to extend your hips. This exercise is excellent for upper body strength; it works your shoulders, back, chest, triceps, abs and even your legs when you push off. Since this is a pure strength exercise, do nine repetitions.
- Walking lunges: Perform 36 steps; take a big forward step, making sure your knee does not go over your front foot. This exercise is excellent for the glutes, hamstrings, quads and abdominals.
- Push-ups to side plank: This will strengthen and tone your arms, shoulders, back and chest. This exercise also targets the abs, obliques and legs.
- Plyometric step-ups: Place your entire foot on the step and drive through the heal as you extend your hips; switch feet at the top of the step and repeat. This exercise works your glutes, quads and hamstrings, as well as abdominals. Perform 36 alternating step-ups.
- Tuck-ups: The core is the foundation of all movement. Finish strong with this abdominal exercise that works all the obliques as well as low back and hip flexor muscles.
- Finish with a stretch.
Editor’s Note: Lisa Reed, MS, CSCS, is a USA Fitness Champion, IFBB Pro, personal trainer, educator, motivator and owner of Lisa Reed Fitness, LLC, where she leads a team of in-home personal trainers in the Washington, D.C. area. Lisa and her team design online fitness and nutrition programs for clients around the world. She has trained hundreds of elite and professional athletes, including Monica Seles. She was the first female strength coach at the United States Naval Academy, and trained top athletes as a strength coach at the University of Florida. For more information on Lisa, visit her Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter.
