Get Movin' Monday: 3 Simple Outdoor Exercises

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Monday is our chance to start fresh and get a jump on the week. Every Monday, the WCCO Morning Show presents ways to improve your life from experts around town.

This week, Women's Health Magazine's Next Fitness Star and Tiger Athletics owner Stacie Clark is back, taking us outside for a workout that requires no money or gym membership, and just 9 minutes of your time.

Clark promised a workout broken down into just three simple moves at three minutes each -- 50 seconds on with a 10 second rest.

Exercise 1: Hill Sit

For this exercise, Clark says simply use the incline of a hill. Facing toward the downward slope of the hill, drop your seat slowly with your hands out in front, putting all your weight in your heels until you're sitting.

Then stand back up and draw your hands behind you, squeezing your glutes to activate your core.

"This is all about posterior activation," Clark said. "Basically what that means is a new backside."

Clark said if the hill sits are too hard, you can simply walk up the hill backwards.

Exercise 2: Tree Stand

The second exercise provides total body activation, Clark said. Stand about two or three feet away from the trunk of a tree, far enough to be able to bend over and place your hands on the bark. Then extend your leg back and lift it to hip height before dropping it back down.

Your standing leg will be working as well by stabilizing your body. Also, you're going to be activating your upper body by pressing into the tree.

Exercise 3: Stair Skips

The last exercise is very simple. You simply use a running motion as you ascend a set of stairs. Make sure you're thrusting your opposite arms with each step up, and also add a skip as well.

You can see a demonstration of all these exercises in the video above.