Summer Playground Workouts: Add Some Resistance

Psst! The next time you’re at a park, I have TWO fantastic playground workouts for you: one suspension trainer workout for you using only a swing and a resistance band workout! Sculpt your total body with these quick, efficient, and super fun workouts – with detailed instructions included! You can grab it  for free BELOW!

The playground is one of the best places for a busy mom or dad to get in their workout and make fitness a priority.  Two reasons I hear often for not making fitness a priority are: 1. I don’t have enough time, and 2. my kids don’t like the day care at my gym.  Guess what?  A playground workout solves both of these problems!

When you workout at the playground while your kids play, you are making the time to workout and enjoy time with them.  Plus you don’t have to worry about them disliking the gym day care.

Playground Workouts

Last week I shared one of my go-to playground workouts that didn’t require any equipment besides what was there at your playground and this week I am here for two more playground workouts that will add more resistance.  A resistance band is an easy piece of equipment to take the the playground; you can easily throw it in your bag or in your stroller.  If you don’t have one, it is a great, inexpensive add-on to your workout equipment.  The second workout you can get today is a swing workout– yes, no need for  suspension trainer or TRX, the swing works great.

The full body park AMRAP will work your whole body, increase you heart rate and leave you sweating in just 20 minutes.  An AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) workout has you set your time for a given amount of time and complete each exercise one after another.  The goal is to see how many rounds you can finish in the given amount of time.

Remember, form is more important than speed.  Get your form down before you worry about the speed of the exercise .  Grab your timer, your resistance band, your kids and head to the park for this awesome playground workout.  You might be surprised, your little ones might even want to join you.

First Step

The First step to this workout is to find three areas of the playground that are relatively close together so you can move from one exercise to the other.

The first area you will need is a pole to attach your resistance band to and then be able to take several steps out.  You will put your band around the poll and cross the two ends.

The other two areas can be combined or separate.  You will need an area where you can step up and also an area where you can put your hands while your feet are on the ground so that you are in an incline position.  I used a step up for my step and the end of the slide for my incline position.

Exercises

Here are the resistance exercises that can be done the next time you are at the playground!

Face Pull: Once the resistance band is attached and crossed to the pull, take several steps out and grasp the band with a wide grip using both hands. Keeping the shoulder blades pulled tightly together, with the forearms at 90 degrees from the upper arms, pull the resistance band towards your nose. Keeping the upper arms parallel to the floor.When doing this, keep your chin tucked and do not allow yourself to reach forward with your neck.

Standing Chest Press: Attach the resistance band to the pull and cross it.  Grip each handle and walk out 3-4 feet.  Position your arms os that they are parallel with the floor and place your palms down.  Keep your back and head straight and your chest up.  Push the handles forward, up and in until they are at eye level and then return to the starting position.  Do not bring your elbows past your shoulders as you as you bring them back to the starting position.

Incline Push Up: hands on the step or slide, feet or knees on the ground and perform a push up bringing your chest all the way to the slide or step.

Incline Mountain Climbers: In the same position as the push up, slowly bring  your knee into your chest for a slow mountain climber that engages that core.

One Leg Rockets: Placing one leg on a step or bench, explode up and reach to the sky.  If the intensity of this move is too high, take the intensity down by performing a one-leg step up.

Toe Taps: Using the same step or bench, quickly touch the step or bench one foot after another.  To bring down the intensity, make the move slower.

Playground workouts are awesome- they kill two birds with one stone!  Your kids play and you get your sweat on and everyone is happy.

Now you have a body weight playground workout, and the moves for the resistance band playground workout.  You can put those resistance band moves together and grab your full workout below PLUS a bonus workout suspension trainer playground workout.  The best thing about this is you don’t need a TRX or other kind of suspension trainer.  All you need for this workout is the SWING. Get your TWO playground workouts below and add them to your workout routine.