Park Exercises

Take advantage of these warm, sunny days and sculpt your muscles in the park with these simple park exercises.

• Tree plank. With your back to the tree, get down on all fours and put your forearms on the ground.  Straighten your legs and walk your feet up the tree until your body is parallel with the ground. Hold that position for 10 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds and repeat twice.
• Hot seat. Standing a foot in front of the bench, clasp your hands together so they are in front of your chest.  Lift your left leg straight out in front of you and bend your right leg to briefly sit on the bench.  Keeping left leg raised, stand up immediately, pressing through the right heel to straighten right leg.  Do 12 reps. Repeat, alternating legs each time.
• Toe tap. Sit on edge of a bench and place your palms behind you on the bench with your fingers facing toward.  Lean back, lift legs, and bend your knees 90 degrees off the ground.  Keeping your body still, touch the ground with your left toe and raise it back to starting position.  Switch sides and  repeat doing around ten reps.
• Park bench power pledge. Stand with your feet shoulder width  apart, 3 to 4 feet behind a park bench.  Lean forward, place both hands on the bench, and keep your body in a straight push up position.  Bend both elbows, lower your chest toward the bench, and press through your palms to push yourself back up.  Before your arms are back to being completely straight, lift your right arm off the bench and bring it across your body to touch left shoulder.  Then return both hands to the starting position and repeat but, alternate arms every time.
• Towel pulls. Wrap a towel around the waist of your workout partner and have them run forward as they drag you behind. This is great resistance training and also a good workout for your partner as well.
• Play on the playground with or without the kids! Having fun still counts as a workout! Going on the swings provides a great working for your arms and abs and climbing the stairs on the playground equipment is great for your legs. The jungle gym is perfect for your biceps, lats and abs.