5 Exercises for a Full-Body Playground Workout
It can be hard to fit in a workout in the modern world. Time is always at a premium these days, it seems, and you may not always be able to get to the gym before the day runs out. So, what do you do? Well, you make the best of the situation at hand. In this case, that may mean training at the playground.
That’s right, the playground. As long as you have your bodyweight with you – and you do – it should be relatively easy to work your body effectively with the help of outdoor exercise equipment. Let’s take a look at five exercises for you to consider.
#1 – Bar Dips
Anyone familiar with a gym is familiar with dips, and you should be able to do these just as easily at the playground as you can in a formal training facility. Both parallel bars and a simple straight bar will work for this purpose. When performing your dips, do your best to achieve a full range of motion while maintaining control of your body weight throughout the exercise.
#2 – Pull-ups
This is an easy one. You should be able to find a variety of places around the playground to do pull-ups. You simply need something that you can grab onto comfortably with both hands, and something that allows room for your head as you pull-up. Again, as was the case with dips, be sure to control your body weight as you move up and down.
#3 – Split Squats
For this exercise, you are going to head to the swing set. While standing on one foot, lift your other foot up behind you and place it on the top of the seat of a swing. Then, perform a squat with your other leg, while using the swing as a balance point. Of course, the swing is going to move around, so you are going to need to work hard to keep yourself stable during this exercise. Keep your front foot flat on the ground as you squat, and do your best to achieve a full range of motion.
#4 – Knee Tuck
While you are at the swings, you may as well knock out another exercise. This time, you are going to put your hands on the ground and place both feet up on the swing seat. You will basically be in a push-up position, only your feet will be up on the swing seat rather than down on the ground. From there, you are going to swing your knees in toward your chest, and then back out again. Move slowly during this exercise, and engage your core to maintain balance and stability.
#5 – Monkey Bars
To finishing things up, look for some monkey bars. Basically, the idea here is to simply make your way from one side to the other. If possible, try to limit your swinging action while gradually moving your body, one rung at a time, across the bars. This might not sound like much of a workout at first, but you may be surprised at how difficult it can be.
