Park workouts
Breathe in nature’s air while you take advantage of park facilities! And it’s free!
Some parks come with their own outdoor gym, free for all to use. Make sure you take advantage and use it to exercise in the fresh air!
Here are some other ways to work out in the park without using the park gym equipment.
- Monkey bars – going across the monkey bars can be good fun and exercise. You can also use the bars as a substitute for pull-up bars at the gym.
- Use the trees! Utilise the trees for various exercises including wall sits and planks.
- Benches – Common park object that you’re bound to find. Use them for triceps dips, bench jumps and step ups.
- Cardio – using park objects as such as lampposts, trees or benches as markers, run between them and improve your stamina.
Check out how you can utilise your surroundings at the park in this video from Active Sussex featuring Tess:
Why is it good for me?
In addition to the physical benefits of getting your fitness fix in your local park, exercising outside is a fantastic stress reducer. Exercising outside has been proven to improve blood pressure, decrease risk of cancer and even improve short term memory!
A good bodyweight workout can be just as effective as lifting weights in the gym, is easier on the joints, and brilliant for building all-over strength and stability.
Exercises such as step ups, lunges, tricep dips, and press ups use your own weight as the resistance and are known as compound movements, meaning they work multiple muscle groups.
For example, a simple press up works the chest, shoulders and triceps, and it might not look like much, but a wall sit works multiple muscles in your legs including your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves!
Exercising in the fresh air will also bring a host of benefits to your mental and physical health – you’ll have more energy, be less stressed and sleep better. If the kids are joining in they’ll reap the benefits too; plus you get to do something fun together as a family.
How much does it cost?
Nothing – the park is free to use!
What equipment do I need?
Everything you need is at your local park!