The Ultimate Driveway Workout
You may have always thought of your driveway as a place to simply stand and open your mail, park your car, or even push a kid on a bike. But did you know your driveway is also a convenient miniature outdoor gym?
Ben Greenfield
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The Ultimate Driveway Workout
Last week, you learned how to exercise in a small space, like a bedroom, dorm room, basement, or hotel room. Now we’re going to expand out into your driveway, which you may have always thought of as a place to simply stand and open your mail, park your car, or push a kid around on a bike. In fact, it’s also a convenient miniature outdoor gym you can use for so much more!
Two days ago, I was at home, and as I surveyed my garage and home gym collection of dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, and a treadmill, I realized that I was a bit bored. I didn’t feel like lifting weights or doing a “formal” exercise session. And then I looked over at the pile of sporting equipment in the garage: tennis racquets, basketball, soccer ball, lacrosse sticks, skateboards, and more, and I thought these toys looked like far more fun. The question is this: 
how could I actually get fit in my driveway using these items?
What I came up with was a fun driveway workout that allowed me to play sports, challenge my brain, body, and coordination, and get a refreshing break from a standard, ho-hum sufferfest workout routine.
Here’s what I did, alternating through as many rounds as possible for 30 minutes:
60 seconds jumping rope with both feet
60 seconds jumping rope with alternate feet
30 tennis ball hits against garage door, alternating forehand from to backhand and shuffling side to side
30 rapid fire volleys against garage door, alternating forehand to backhand and again shuffling side to side
30Â jumping jacks
One time “around the world” with the basketball (shooting from the side, diagonally and from the front), with 5 burpees for any missed shots
10 body weight squats while balancing on the skateboard
The next step required my children, who, by this point, had wandered out onto the front porch to see what kind of crazy antics dad was up to. I grabbed one boy and did a weighted sprint around the house with him on my back. Then I did 10 weighted lunges holding my other boy. Of course, if no children were present, I could have done this with just about any weight I could get my hands on—like a small bicycle, a toolbox, a log, or even a rock.
Finally, I realized that my children’s driveway chalk was left out on the garage floor, and offered a perfect opportunity to draw four squares in the driveway for some coordination work just like I used to do back in my college tennis days. I simply drew four squares, then did a series of six drills, each one for 10 rapid-fire seconds before fully recovering and moving on to the next:
Over and backs (jumping from one square to the next square with both feet, in a clockwise direction, then repeating in a counter clockwise direction for the next set)
Diagonal over and backs (same as above, but diagonally rather than sequentially from square to square)
Single leg over and backs (same as above, but with one leg not two)
Diagonal single leg over and backs (same as above, but diagonally rather than sequentially from square to square)
Lateral foot “skating” (jumping from one square to a square beside it and landing on one leg, holding briefly just like skating, then jumping back)
Quarter turns (jumping from square to square just like the over and backs, but turned the body in a new direction with each jump)
I went through two rounds of this after the initial 30 minutes routine, and by the time I was done, I was sweaty and smiling. The driveway workout turned out to be fun, challenging, and entertaining at the same time.
So what about you? Do you have more ideas for driveway workouts? Your own routines you do in your backyard, the driveway or the park? If you have more questions or comments how to effectively exercise your driveway, then head over to Facebook GetFitGuy and join the conversation there! I’d love to hear what you have to add.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.