How To Get Fit For Summer In Your Local Park

With summer fast approaching many of us will be hitting the gym to attempt to lose those extra winter pounds ready to hit the beach. But with the economy the way it is many people cant afford the pricey gym memberships so why not try these ideas to workout in a free space such as your local park?

Circuit Training

One of the simplest methods of training that is well used in the fitness industry is circuit training. This consists simply of a range of exercises back to back with a small rest period between each, usually 6-8 exercise is enough and they can be tailored for parts of the body or goals (strength/cardio).

In a park there is ample space to complete any type of circuit you want and you can either time each station or set an amount of reps. And the added bonus is that they can be relatively equipment free which will also save you money. If you are trying to torch fat then keep the time at each station high, for instance two minutes, with a low rest (30-45s) and maximum intensity. For cardio benefits then try each station at 3-4 minutes with low rest (15s).

If you have NO equipment try this set of exercises:

• Squats
• Sit Ups
• Burpees
• Lunges
• Mountain Climbers
• Bicycle Kicks
• Squat Thrust
• Push Up

The list is really endless as these are all body weight exercises requiring no equipment at all but if you want a bit more resistance get a resistance band and try something a little more challenging:

• Shoulder raises (Resistance band) — Stand on the resistance band with feet together, hold either end with each hand and try to raise arm to shoulder height, hold then back to resting at your side.
• Resisted Sit Ups — When performing the sit up, secure the resistance band around a pole/fence in front of you or around your feet.
• Biceps Curls — Again stand on the band and one arm at a time complete a bicep curl.
• Shoulder Press — standing on the resistance band try to lift the ends of the band up above your head.
• Standing Twist — Stand on one end of the band (or further along for added tension) start touching the toes of the opposite foot with one hand then lift and twist upwards across as if reaching across to the opposite top corner of a rectangle.

See Also: Street Workout: Get Fit In The Open

The biggest benefit to doing this with a PT is that increases your motivation, try writing down the amount of reps you get each exercise to challenge and push yourself next time. Or how about do it with a friend and see who can get the most? Having this competitive edge will help you work harder and further your fat loss. But remember its not all about beating your partner it's about improving yourself.

Other Ways To Get Fit At The Park

Children's Play Area

I hear you asking how you can use a children's play area as a training method, but it's actually full of great pieces of equipment. The best pieces of equipment that you can use are the monkey bars, pole bars, climbing frame and the wooden steps (small balance pods) if they have them.

Monkey Bars: There is no high-tech fancy way of using the monkey bars any differently than a child would, so simply get yourself across them as many times as you can in a set period of time. If they are quite low it's an added challenge to hold the legs up which will also work the core. Also try not allowing yourself to step off the end each time and continue hanging.

Pole Bars: These are the parallel bars which can sometimes be found in playgrounds, these are great for doing tricep dips on in a stationary position. Or try dipping and then moving along, dip and move and work up and down the bars.

Climbing Frame: If you like to train in unusual and freestyle fashion, a climbing frame is a great tool. I use it as an obstacle for my clients and set them a task of scaling it as many times as possible in a set time and they do really enjoy this different style of training.

Wooden Steps: Great for plyometric based training, usually these "stepping stones" are at different heights so a good method is to jump two footed onto each one working along the different heights.

Cardio Track

This is a self-titled method because one thing most parks have in common is a path that travels through or around the entire place. There are many sites you can use that can help you determine the distance of the track if you want to work that way but what an easier version is to decide a route and set the amount of times you want to circle it. For example if it's short 3/4 is good but if it's large start with once. Then time how long it takes to do it, and gradually set a target time to achieve each session or each week. Without realizing you are increasing your pace and seeing great improvements.

Yes you can get most of these from a gym environment and this kind of workout wont suit everyone but if you can add this in even once a month you will be surprised how it can help. Just changing up your routine will help your body to push itself and see much quicker gains.

See Also: HIIT Training Works To Improve Your Stamina

Again this is relatively weather dependent but if you don't mind the cold or rain then there really is no stopping you — it's actually harder to keep cool when the weather is great so make sure to take on plenty of fluids.