7 inspiring outdoor fitness videos
From spirit-lifting swims to beachside Pilates, our active breaks blend exhilaration and calm – with a two-mile stretch of beach and the South West Coast Path as your playground.
But even if you can’t get away right now, we still want to help you get an outdoor workout fix. Whether you feel like building stamina in the Italian mountains, or stretching skywards on the beach in Bali, we’ve gathered seven of our favourite outdoor fitness videos shot in striking wild locations.
So, limber up, press play, and get ready to be transported…
1. Isa-Welly full body mat workout filmed in Bali
Previously a dancer for the likes of Kylie, Robbie Williams and Snoop Dogg, Isa-Welly is now a registered nutritionist and certified health and wellness coach dedicated to helping others achieve holistic wellbeing. She also makes super-invigorating, inspiring exercise videos that will have you itching to move.
This one is beamed to our screens from Bali. With lush vegetation dancing in the breeze and azure waves rolling in, Isa-Welly takes us through an intense but low-impact full-body mat workout with an extra focus on abs and glutes. It makes the ideal morning energiser. And we now really want a zesty lemon-yellow workout kit, too…
2. Boho Beautiful lakeside yoga HIIT fusion
Shot on the shore of a beautiful lake somewhere on Vancouver Island, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees, this 15-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) yoga fusion workout will leave you feeling reinvigorated (and full of wanderlust for wild places).
In contrast to a regular yoga or Pilates class, this low-impact, high-intensity session cleverly mixes fat-burning, metabolism-boosting exercises with yoga postures and flow for maximum physical results. With no equipment needed, simply roll out your mat and get moving for a great way to wake up your body.
3. Breath workshop
with free-diver and ocean conservationist Hanli Prinsloo
While filmed indoors, this breath workshop with South African freediving record holder Hanli Prinsloo has the unique benefit of preparing your body for the next time you take the plunge in the brine.
Underwater, Hanli needs to have complete control of her breath, so she knows a thing or two about conscious breathing. This session includes relaxing stretching, deep breathing and breath-hold exercises, reminding us of our innate bond with the ocean – and guiding us towards a meeting with our inner seal…
4. Qigong in the park
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is an ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique, which encompasses controlled breathing, meditation and movement. Translated literally, it means ‘energy work’.
In this video, we’re transported to the dappled lawn of a local park (complete with passing dog walkers) for 40 minutes of easy Qigong exercises designed to release tension, open stiff joints and soothe the nervous system, and – of course, to increase that all-important chi flow.
5. Yoga with Adriene: Feel good flow on Nicaraguan sands
Let the familiar voice of Adriene Mishler (of Yoga with Adriene fame) wash over you alongside the waves of a tropical beach in this ‘travel edition’ feel good flow.
Shot on the golden shores of Playa Maderas in Nicaragua, this 20-minute, mindful yoga practice invites you to focus on being present as you build strength and tone. “Breathe deeply and move with ease so you can flow effortlessly in the NOW,” says Adriene.
6. Alicia Ray beach yoga for inner strength
Filmed on the beach with the ocean so close the tide is nibbling at her mat, this short practice with Cornwall-based Alicia Ray is designed to help you reconnect, create space and engage your core to develop inner strength.
The shore is Alicia’s preferred location for a yoga class, and she can often be found stretching it out on West Cornwall’s Gwithian Beach. She began livestreaming classes during lockdown, offering hundreds of free sessions to NHS staff. Tune in and feel your stresses tune out.
7. Pilates with Marina Huxley
Longing for a Watergate Bay backdrop? Check out our Pilates instructor Marina Huxley’s ‘Oceanside Pilates’ video giving you three exercises to try at home in less than five minutes.
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