Easy exercises you can do outdoors

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/07/2014 (4141 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Summer is finally here, and it seems like a waste to spend it indoors at the gym.
Instead, use your local park or playground as your summer training grounds.  It’s a great way to spend time with the kids and to get fit at the same time. Here are five exercises you can do at the park or playground:

Push-ups — Start in a high plank position with elbows straight and abs tight, bend elbows keeping arms close to your sides as you go down as low as you can, ideally chest to deck. Make these more accessible by doing them with your hands on a park bench.  By elevating your hands, you transfer more of your body weight onto your feet, making the exercise easier. For more challenge, try putting your feet up on the bench instead, so that your arms work even harder.

Bench Jumps — To get stronger, more explosive legs and hips, try jumping up on to a bench. Start standing in front of the bench facing the bench, use your arms to help with balance and momentum as you jump onto the bench and then step down, ensuring that knees don’t cave in as you jump. If you have knee, ankle, or back issues, you may want to start with step-ups or jumps on a lower bench, box or a curb.

Pull-ups — Monkey bars aren’t just for kids. Use them to work on your chinups, or work your grip, shoulders and core by simply hanging on the bar or traversing the monkey bars like you used to do as a child. For a pull-up, start hanging on the bar with elbows straight and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Make these easier by using a lower bar so that you can use your legs to help.

Lunges — Lunges can be done anytime anywhere, and there are so many variations, from walking to stationary lunges, forward, rear, and plyometric lunges, just to name a few. The swing set at the playground offers a unique opportunity to work on balance and body awareness while doing lunges. Start by standing in front of a swing, facing away from the swing, and place the back foot on the swing. Bend the front leg, lowering yourself as far as you can comfortably go while keeping torso upright and knee in line with toes, then come back up.

Plank — The plank is one of the best core stabilization exercises out there. Just like lunges, there are so many variations, front, side, reverse, on elbows on hands, on knees or on feet. The swings at the playground add an element of balance and stability to your plank. Start on all fours in front of a swing, facing away from the swing with hands planted firmly into the ground, indexes pointing directly in front of you. Place your feet or shins onto the swing and hold your plank in this position. For added difficulty, tuck your body into a ball by bending at the hips and knees, and then going back to your straight plank.

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com.