Get Fit Friday: Parks & Recreation Workout

It’s finally cooling off here in Indiana. Last night my mom and I took a nice stroll out of our neighborhood, around the school, and through our local park. It was great. I’d been planning a Get Fit Friday post with a park workout and here it is! If you live nearby a local park or have your own jungle gym in the back yard this is a workout you can try! This one is just for fun. Get some fresh air and invite along the kiddos.

First, check out your local park and see what it has to offer- walking trails, biking routes, roller blading allies, swing, etc. I’m going to use our park amenities for these suggestive ideas:

Walk, Run, Bike, or Blade the trails– In our park, two laps equal one mile. I’m not much for doing laps though, so we like to walk or run from my neighborhood which is nearby and make a big loop through the park and around the school or the country roads.
Play! Be a kid again and test out the slide, swings, tire swings, monkey bars, and hamster wheel. If you don’t feel comfortable using the equipment take your children and run to push them on the tire swings- trust me this will be exercise enough!
Try Tennis- this is a great way to get a sport workout. Keep score or don’t. The main point is to keep moving.
Throw Pitch & Catch a baseball, softball, football, frisbee, or even play kick ball in the open grassy area of your park. It only takes just a couple of you to create a game like this.
Hit Home Run Dirby– Empty baseball field nearby? Play an innocent game of home run dirby where the pitching is easy and the more home runs the better! Sometimes this is fun to play with tennis balls! Have an extra? Have he or she help shag balls- also a great workout!
Dig Sand Volleyball- Ever tried volleyball on the sand? It’s tough! Great leg workout and fun for the friends
Shoot Hoops- Our park has about six open goals available for pick-up games, shooting drills, and other basketball workouts. Don’t be afraid to try out an empty goal!
Gone Fishin’- Fishing and exercise are not always commonly found together, but you can get a great escape and mental re-charge from this activity.
Paddle A Canoe- white water rafting, canoeing, other manual water sports can be great arm workouts and tons of fun! If you get an opportunity to try this, please do!
Join an Outdoor Class- Or Create One- Grab your Yoga Mat or Monkey Mat and join an outdoor class at the park. If you community doesn’t offer one, maybe you should start one or ask a friend to start one for you. Classes are great for increasing motivation, learning new moves, and awesome for social wellness.
Suspension Training- If you have the equipment already, the park is a great place to use your suspensions. You can tie these up to several sturdy equipment for different positions and a new scenery for your suspension training workout.