Attain Fitness Completely Naturally!

Explanation of Natural vs. Non-natural Exercises:

When we say Natural Exercise, what do we mean? Basically, we are referring to exercise that does not require the use of apparatus, except in some cases. In all cases, though, the exercises should be done in nature whenever possible!

NATURAL: Bodyweight exercises are exercises that don’t generally require equipment to train with, so we call these Natural exercises. Such exercises are running or sprinting, hiking, dancing aerobics, martial arts, calisthenics (pushups, situps, squats, etc.), muscle control, isometrics, deep breathing, dynamic stretching, yoga and self-resistance.

Now, swimming and rock climbing are examples of exercises that we count as Natural even though there is a minimal amount of equipment necessary, because these are activities that you can generally do out in nature without the apparatuses if you choose (but you normally wouldn’t swim without the “apparatus” of goggles, and would be an imbecile to rock climb without ropes and proper footwear). Natural exercises are typically the endurance kind, which builds the ideal kind of health. You don’t “naturally” do something in 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions; you just do it, and have a lot of fun doing it, until you get worn out.

SEMI-NATURAL: Kayaking, mountain biking, snowboarding, scuba-diving, and inline skating are all examples of great exercises that require a good deal of equipment, but because they at least are activities we do out in nature and fresh air, are counted as Semi-Natural. Semi-natural exercises are encouraged as part of the organic-fitness lifestyle, though they do generally require more money, as you graduate to higher-quality equipment.

Why are semi-natural exercises still encouraged as part of the organic-fitness lifestyle? Because although mountain biking requires equipment to participate, it is preferable to working out in the gym because at least you are still IN nature. Get it? Goggles, ropes and clips just make swimming and rock climbing a little more effective and safer, so these activities are still considered natural. Likewise, tree climbing would certainly be a “natural” exercise, while rope climbing in the gym is only semi-natural (because the rope is manmade), but is still a bodyweight exercise. There is no need to get anal-retentive about dividing with mathematical precision every single activity into “natural” and “not-natural”; the purpose of that classification is to get your gears churning and get you thinking about a lot of exercises that are available to us that really don’t require any (or much) human-fabricated apparatus at all.

NON-NATURAL, or Human-Fabricated: Weight lifting, cable pulling, weight machines, and the latest dazzling, over-promising infomercial techno-gadget are as far removed from nature as possible. They don’t get you exercising out in fresh air, and often consist of only boring, repetitive movements with no room for creative adaptation. The worst part, though, is that exercise machines and gadgets, and even free-weights, are much more prone to causing injury, and that is why we NeVeR advocate non-natural exercise systems as anything other than an occasional, supplemental system.

!!! It is not this website’s intention to say that exercises must be done ONLY completely naturally. Swimming is a natural exercise, but to say that we should swim without goggles to be natural as possible is ludicrous, especially if the water is dirty and irritates your eyes. Likewise, running and hiking are completely natural exercises, but I would never advocate doing them barefoot, unless you know the terrain and the risks of doing such a thing (or your feet are really calloused!). It is much more preferable to obtain the best-quality hiking or running shoes as you can afford, to give you a safe, pleasant running or hiking experience. Likewise, jumping off a cliff into a lake or river is enjoyable for many people, but when there is no water at the bottom, a parachute is absolutely encouraged! ;o) Don’t worship the word Natural; it is only a guideline. !!!

A list of bodyweight exercises appears on the
bodyweight calisthenics page, or you can access them here:

Upper Body Exercises
Lower Body Exercises
Core (abs and lower back) Exercises
Neck Exercises
Finger Exercises


Other Bodyweight Fitness Programs Why do I advertise other bodyweight fitness programs? Because no one person has all the answers, that's why. Always do your own research, and in anything you learn, from painting to bodyweight exercises to a martial art to fishing, always listen to what everyone has to say, consider what works best for you, and keep searching for more nuggets of truth.

Check out Roger Haeske's Lightning Speed (bodyweight) Fitness program

Disclaimer: Consult your physician before embarking on this or any other exercise program.

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