Park workouts that work!

A park visit can benefit the whole family. Not only is it a great opportunity for fresh air and sunlight (both essential factors of health) but the workout possibilities are endless – and FREE! (Consult your physician before beginning exercise. Perform exercises at your own risk.)

Hill sprints
This is a fantastic cardio workout and excellent example of high intensity interval training (HIIT) Most parks have a hill or steep slope. Start by running to the top as fast as you can. Walk back down slowly to reduce your heart rate. Repeat as many times as you can or set yourself a time to see how many you can complete.

Monkey bars
A great functional training tool, not just for the kids! They enable us to develop strength the way we were designed. Try hanging knee raises (bringing your knees towards chest) or toe raises (keeping your legs straight and lifting them out in front of you) to strengthen your core. Or just try swinging from one bar to the next, seeing how far you can get!

Lunge walks
You don’t necessarily need a park for this, but it’s a great leg toning exercise to do in a large open space. Lunge walk for as far as you can, going uphill to make it more challenging.

Ladder press/pull
If you struggle with press ups, the slide’s ladder rungs are a great progression tool! As they get easier, go one rung lower until you can fully press up from the floor. Lat pull ups can also be done standing on the ‘wrong’ side of the ladder and pulling yourself up towards it.

Gen Levrant
FASTER Personal Training Southampton
http://www.ptgen.co.uk

Park Workouts that Work! By Gen Levrant