All Natural

With the weather warming and April ushering in Earth Day, here are our top Fitness tips that incorporate Mother Nature

By Jack McLaughlin / Story Design by Atlas Biro

No gym, no problem. Now that spring has arrived, we all want to get outdoors and jumpstart our fitness routines. With warmer weather making an appearance for the first time in months, and with Earth Day and Arbor Day both in the month of April, we’ve decided to show you a handful of fun, refreshing ways to take your workout to the outdoors.

One, Two, Trees

While we don’t recommend hanging off unfamiliar tree limbs, did you know there’s still a ton of bodyweight-focused exercises you can implement in your fitness routine with trees? To feel it in your legs tomorrow, try a tree squat today, which is essentially nature’s version of the wall squat. Remember these from gym class? Did you know that tree climbing is actually, in many respects, a great full-body workout? It’s also a competitive sport, with an international championship every year. And while this can be a great way to get in shape, and a whole lot of fun, we would recommend doing it on your own property, with trees you know well.

At Your Stations

You can find many of these in the greater Columbus area (and of course, it depends on what your fitness goals are exactly), but a great workout involves a brief run or jog to your nearest outdoor workout station plus a full body bodyweight circuit using the relatively simple, but impressively efficient equipment. One of our favorites is Olentangy Park’s Outdoor Exercise Station. A space for pull-ups and multiple parallel bars make this a calisthenics hotspot. The best part? It’s located in a wooded area that feels totally cut off from the surrounding urban neighborhoods.

Another great workout with an arguably better view involves Scioto Audubon Metro Park which includes an obstacle course with a running track, tunnel crawl, and even its own climbing wall.

These Dam Stairs

If jogging through the same neighborhood streets has you bored to tears, or if it’s not giving you the results you want, we have a tip for you. Stairs. While stairs at a local football stadium or another public space are great as well, we’re preferential to the Hoover Reservoir Park in Westerville, which offers a massive staircase and a great view of the turbulent water in the Hoover Dam below.

You can jump into the same workout–with similar views–at the Alum Creek Below Dam Area in Delaware.

Hit the Trail!

Looking to lean more into cardio or biking? Columbus is full of scenic outdoor trails. With views of downtown and plenty of woodsy cover, the Olentangy Trail (which snakes along the Olentangy River, as you might have guessed) is a great, local option that you can pick up throughout parts of Columbus.

Looking for more? If you’re looking into longdistance cycling, you can catch the lengthy Ohio to Erie Trail in Westerville, which covers a whopping 326 miles on its path to connect Cincinnati, the Columbus area and Cleveland.

The Heritage Rail Trail, which can be picked up just off Center Street in Hilliard, heads west before ending in Plain City. This option may be a bit short for a bike ride, but makes a fascinating jogging path, and is dotted with antique train cars along the way.