After months of being stuck inside due to Covid-19, pump your fist if you yearn to be outside every chance you get! You probably already do computer work from a lawn chair in the backyard. Maybe you sip refreshing beverages from your front porch. And, hopefully, you are working out in the fresh air!
If you’ve got a garage gym, there’s no doubt those doors are swung wide open. If you’ve got a driveway and it’s not raining out, that’s a perfect place to do your daily fitness too.
But what if your house or apartment doesn’t have any clear outdoor space to exercise?
Enter the Playground Workout.
If you live near a park, and can manage minimal human contact, working out at a playground is a killer opportunity and can vastly expand your workout options. For example, given the low ceiling in our garage, I can’t safely do box jumps on our big plyo box. Muscle ups are out of the question too. Even burpees and squat jumps in the garage can be uncomfortable.
Access to a playground structure opens up a large array of movement opportunities. Besides swinging from the monkey bars, you’ll often have stairs, ladders, and low walls to climb over. The padding of wood chips and rubberized surfaces can be nice respite to your joints during high-impact motions. Other features like benches and low bars provide additional ways to strengthen your arms, chest, and legs.
Here is a simple three-exercise circuit to try next time you hit the playground. Warm-up with whatever rhythmic movements get your heart rate up and feel good. Butt kicks and knee bends are a nice start. After that, cycle four times through: Bulgarian split squats, box jumps, and bodyweight skull crushers. Instead of the plyo box and weight bench illustrated in the picture below, use a low platform or stairs to do the squats and jumps in this workout.
After you’ve cycled through the circuit, cool down with rowing crunches on a bench, and hanging trunk twists.
Enjoy and have fun out there!
