Here are some great reasons to include a playground workout in your workout routine:
- It's a great chance to play with your kids
- It gets you outdoors and in the sun, which is great to maintain your vitamin D levels, something you need to absorb calcium
- It's a free alternative to a gym membership or a home gym. They don't call them "jungle gyms" for nothing!
Warmup
Walk/jog to the park or on the running track.On the track
- Do 10 track lunges on each leg. Then continue walking until your breathing has recovered to a normal level.
- Do 10 lunge squats on each leg and recover.
- Jog/run as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Work up to the length of a competitive skating program at your level plus 1 minute running.
Parallel Bars
This workout mainly targets your upper body and your abs. I love it because I think it will help develop the upper body strength I'll need to be a pair skater.
- Iron cross: Push yourself up on the parallel bars and hold your weight for 10 seconds. Lower yourself and repeat 2 times. Work up to 30 seconds.
- Iron cross: Push yourself up on the parallel bars and hold your weight for 10 seconds. Lower yourself and repeat 2 times. Work up to 30 seconds.
- Swing: Push up so that your arms are straight. Swing your hips forward and backward, trying to get your legs parallel to the ground. Start with 5. Work up to 10 – 12. When you are able, swing your legs over the bar and release so that you land outside the bars. Repeat on the other side.
- Sit ups: You should use a spotter on this one until you are strong enough to do it yourself. Push yourself so that you are sitting on one bar, facing the other. Lock your ankles under the bar. Lean back as far as you are comfortable and do 5 situps. Work up to 12. When you are able, do these hanging upside down from a jungle gym.
- Dips: Push up so that your arms are straight. Bend your knees so that your feet don’t touch the ground. Bend your elbows and lower yourself as far as you can. Do 5. Work up to 10 -12, getting deeper elbow bends. (If you aren't strong enough to do these, instead do them on a park bench.)
- Stretching: use one of the bars as a ballet barre for some good stretches, especially working your spirals.
Uneven parallel bars
This one focuses mainly on your upper body and plyometrics, but the over-and-under is great for your waistline.
1. Pushups: choose a bar to rest your hands on to do pushups. It’s OK if you use a higher bar at first. Do 5 – 12 pushups. When you are able to do 12, move to the lower bar or the ground.
2. Over & under: Lightly hold onto the high bar and duck under it so that you twist to your right. Stand up, step on the low bar and step over it. Repeat through the circuit, alternating twists to your right and left sides.
3. Sideways jumps: stand at the end of a low bar with your feet parallel to it. Jump over the bar one foot at a time. Try not to touch the bar. Jump back over. Repeat until you reach the end of the bar. Work up to doing this as a 2 foot jump.
4. Dips: put both hands on the low bar and use it to do bench dips
5. Stretching: use the high bar as a ballet barre
Jungle gym
The jungle gym will give you a full-body workout.
1. Step ups: Hold onto the jungle gym for support. Step onto a rung and bring your other foot to the same rung. Step down. Repeat 10 – 12 times. When you are strong enough, choose a higher rung to step onto.
2. Assisted pull-ups: Get underneath the jungle gym. Walk your hands across the rungs until you find one that is high enough for you do to pull-ups, but still close enough to the ground that your feet/toes can touch. Pull your chin up to the rung where your hands are. As you get stronger, go to a higher rung (or bend your knees) so that your feet are no longer supporting you.
3. Jumps: Stand underneath the highest portion of the jungle gym. Jump up and try to catch the highest rung. Start with 5. Work up to 10 to 12.
4. Climbing: Climb the jungle gym until you are on top of it. Do 5 pushups – try to have your hands on the top and your feet on the diagonal until you are strong enough to do them flat. Climb off the other side, sliding through when you are comfortable.
5. Stretching: use the rungs like a ballet barre for some good stretches.
Rock wall
Alyssa Czizny enjoys rock climbing as a form of cross training. If your gym or playground has rock climbing or bouldering walls, take advantage of them to increase your leg strength.
1. At the shortest edge of the rock wall, climb to the top and hop down.
2. Choose a slightly higher section of the rock wall and climb it. When you get to the top, climb over, twisting around, until you are able to climb down to a safe distance for jumping.
3. Choose the highest section of the rock wall and climb it. Climb back down on the ladder until you are comfortable jumping the rest of the way.
4. Repeat down the rock wall for 3 – 5 sections.
Zips and spinners
More core and upper body exercises
1. Grab the spinner. Swing your feet and hips to spin you around. Repeat in the other direction. Work up to 3 complete spins in each direction
2. Zip: Stand under the zip line and reach up to grab on to it. (Don’t stand on the jungle gym and reach over unless you want to dislocate your shoulder.) Pick up your feet, swing your hips forward and backwards to propel you forward. Start with 3 forward movements. Work up to pushing yourself across in one smooth movement and repeat 5 times.
Skating jumps
1. Start with a small step in an area of the park that has plenty of much or other cushioning and do 5 - 12 of each of your skating jumps.
WWhen you are ready, move to a higher section. Work up to jumping onto a platform or bench.
Last ditch cardio
3. Find the biggest, highest slide you can. Run to the top of it as fast as you can. Slide down. Repeat 5 times.
Cool down
4. Find a swing and swing for 5 minutes. (Jump off if you dare!)
