While there is nothing wrong with working out in a gym, if you limit yourself to gym-based training, you are missing out on a world of enjoyable places to exercise. Gyms can be loud, crowded, and force you to work out in a very specific, even regimented way. Membership is also often expensive.

What’s more, studies have shown that physical activity outdoors lowers a person's blood pressure and heart rate. As a result, exercise outdoors feels less strenuous than similar exercise indoors, which, in turn, pushes you closer to your maximum performance. When you exercise outdoors, you get fresh air which helps to alleviate insomnia. Regular exercise and fresh air will help you to fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep! Not sure where to go for your gym-free work out? Here are some great ideas!

1. The playground

Your local playground is a great place to work out, but you don’t have to limit yourself to running around it. Play equipment is all-but tailor-made for exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and other calisthenic staples. Many have shock-absorbing floors which are not only good for stopping kids from hurting themselves when they fall, they also provide the ideal surface for high-impact jumping exercises called plyometrics. Take a few resistance bands or even a suspension trainer for extra exercise variety.

2. The beach

If you don’t mind sand in your workout shoes, beaches are a very enjoyable place to exercise. Shifting sand makes virtually every exercise you do doubly demanding and will also challenge your balance and stability. Running up sand dunes is one of the most demanding cardio workouts you can do and will make you forget all about boring treadmill intervals. For strength training, take a large bucket, sack, and shovel to the beach. Fill and lift the bucket and sack to challenge your muscles in a way that even freeweights cannot match.

3. A sports pitch

The lines on a sports pitch are perfect for a range of workouts. Use them to create a circuit of calisthenic exercises or as targets for sprint intervals. The large, flat space is perfect for things like tumbling and other agility exercises. If your sports pitch also has bleachers, you can run or jump up them for a great fat burning cardio workout.

4. The forest

Running along forest trails makes the miles fly by. You’ll be so busy focusing on ducking branches and jumping logs that you’ll forget all about the ache in your legs and your heaving lungs. You’ll also find things like logs and rocks for lifting, and overhead branches that are ideal for pull-ups. A lot of people are fans of the Paleo or caveman diet but exercising out in the forest is the perfect paleo workout.

5. Your yard

You don’t have to go far to work out. In fact, your yard could be the perfect non-gym exercise venue. For starters, it’s always open and free to use. You can also stock it with a range of exercise equipment to enhance your workouts.

6. Your garage

If inclement weather makes working out outdoors less than appealing, take your training indoors. Park your car on the road and get busy training in your garage instead.

7. Your living room

Lack of space does not have to mean you can’t work out. In fact, you only need a couple of square yards to work your muscles and your cardiovascular system all at the same time. You can do lots of types of exercises in the comfort of your own living room. Try yoga, kettlebells, weights, resistance bands or body weight moves like pushups and crunches. The options are wide open, so you’ll never get bored with it.

8. An empty carpark

Like a sports pitch, an empty carpark is a great place to work out because of the abundance of space and the handy markings that you can use for interval and circuit training. Load up your car with a few training equipment essentials for workout variety or push and pull your car for the ultimate strongman workout. Make sure you have a training partner to steer and operate the breaks though!

9.A dance studio

Dancing is a top-notch form of exercise. You burn calories and work the muscles throughout your body. Join a dance class or become a member at a dance studio and you always have a great place to fit in a workout. Try ballet, swing or ballroom dancing. It’s a fun way to stay fit and active and you’ll make loads of great friends.