Go Outside and PLAY!: Playground Workout for Fitness and Fun

by Kimberly S. Vanderbrook

Don’t get me wrong. I like to sit on a shady bench, cold iced tea in hand and chat up the other playground mamas just as much as the next mom. I love to fritter away the seemingly endless hours between naptime and dinnertime, debating methods of potty training and getting the good local gossip while my kids tire themselves out playing. But especially in the summer, I have a hard time scheduling gym time around time with my kids. Now, the drinks and chatter must wait until cocktail hour, because playground time has become workout time for me!

No mirrors, no spandex, no music blaring overhead, just fresh air and natural beauty. This outdoor workout is the brainchild of personal trainer Molly Duet. After taking a boot camp class on the beach, Molly decided that Covington, with its year-round good weather, needed an accessible outdoor workout option. “I realized when I started running outside and doing stadium workouts that I loved exercising outside and that other people would love it, too.” A certified sports performance coach, she started Duet Fitness last year and has been running outdoor fitness sessions at local parks ever since.

Always athletic, Molly moved to Covington in 1994 and got involved in the fitness scene right away, “We joined Franco’s Athletic Club literally before the boxes were unpacked.” She says that her views on fitness have changed over the years. “I used to think of exercise in terms of calorie burn and how exercise could change your body, but somewhere in my thirties my perspective changed. Now, I worry less about how I look in my swimsuit and more about how exercise affects my health, longevity and long-term quality of life. I don’t want to see life through a tour bus window. I want to be vital, healthy and able to travel when we retire. Regular functional exercise is an investment in that.”

Functional exercises are the foundation of Molly’s routines. “Functional fitness focuses on building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine. Challenging yourself on a functional level is important, even if you are not a high-performance athlete. In real life, we move our entire body 100 percent of the time. You need balance to prevent falls, strength so you can lift that bag into the overhead carry-on compartment or lift your child and endurance so you can walk with confidence anywhere you want to go—even if it is a mountainous hike or you are pushing a double stroller! Life is movement, and when you restrict your movement, you restrict your life.”

While Molly advises that regular workouts with a trainer are the safest and most effective way to get into shape, many of us just don’t have the time or funds to make this a reality. “If you can’t get to the gym or work with a training group, try and squeeze in fitness wherever you can; run, walk or ride your bike instead of driving and take advantage of the playground and the many ways you can use it as your gym with these exercises.”

Molly Duet’s
Playground Workout

The ultimate in multitasking, a playground workout allows you to gain strength, power and agility using playground equipment. Follow these exercises in a circuit doing 20 jumping jacks between sets. Sure, you may feel like a moron at first, but you are setting a great example for your kids and doing something wonderful for your health! You’re here anyway, so you might as well do it! And don’t be surprised if other moms ditch the bench and join you!

Warm-up and stretch. Park a little further away than you normally would and make your trek to the playground a little more vigorous. Pushing a stroller is a great way to get going, but don’t stop once you unload the kids. Lead them on a game of follow the leader, taking advantage of the apparatus to get yourself warmed up and ready to move! Bring your knees up high and pump your arms, as you survey the playground and decide how best to use your time.

Take time to stretch! Lengthen leg muscles in a forward lunge; knee over ankle and fingertips extended overhead ten times each side. Try a sidewise lunge with your arms windmilling, reaching for the outside of your foot with your fingertips as you shift your weight from side to side. Walk on your toes three ways to strengthen and lengthen the muscles and tendons around your feet and ankles: straight ahead, toes in, and toes out—25-30 paces each way.

Cardio: For real calorie burn, do three sets of jumps with a break in between each set. During the break, find a wall or fence and do wall pushups, keeping your stomach tight. Vary your jumps. Do ten tuck jumps, pulling knees high to your chest while your arms shoot upward. Do ten high jumps, placing an object on the ground and jumping over it side to side or using a playground apparatus to jump over. Do ten forward and back jumps.

Abdominal work: Somewhere there’s a bench nearby, but don’t even think about relaxing now! Scoot your bottom to the end of the bench, bring your knees up and extend your toes to the sky. Keeping your hands on the bench for stability, pull your knees to your chest and then extend your legs, crunching your abdominal muscles. Repeat rapidly 20-30 times.

Tricep dips: Alternate abdominal crunches with tricep dips. Bring hands close to your butt, lift your butt off the bench and work your arms by bending down and up. Keep your elbows in tight, your butt close to the bench, and your chest lifted, bending down as far you can for 20-30 reps. The farther your feet are away from the bench, the greater the challenge.

Bench step-ups: Turn around and face the bench for step-ups. Step up on the bench, alternating right foot with left foot, forcibly stepping down onto the bench to lift yourself up. Bring your opposite knee high to your chest as you come up, and pump your arms. For a greater challenge, extend the opposite leg behind you when you step up. Aim for at least 25 reps each side.

Ball work: Grab a ball of any size and weight and hold it between the palms of your hands. Squeeze, applying pressure, for eight counts. Then, keeping the pressure on the ball, slowly straighten elbows a little and take the ball out and in eight times. Hold steady for eight more counts. If you don’t have a ball, you can also do this exercise by simply squeezing palms together.

Playground plank: Before you abandon the bench, squeeze in another ab workout. Get into pushup position on hands and toes, or on elbows and knees. Keep abs contracted and back straight. Don’t collapse in the middle. Hold this position for as long as you can, and repeat for as long as you can.

Dips: Find railings that are a narrow distance apart so you can support yourself off the ground without compromising your shoulders. Hold the railings and hoist yourself up. Straighten your arms with your feet behind you. Bend at your elbows to a 90-degree angle, and then straighten your arms. Do as many as you can. They are very challenging and effective.
Pull-ups: For pull-ups, you might want a friend to give you a little support under your knees.
Find a bar sufficiently high so that your bent knees are off the ground when you hang suspended by your hands. Keep a wide grip and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself until your arms are extended, and pull yourself up again. Do as many as you can.

Of course, you need to keep an eye on the children, but don’t be surprised if they want to join in once you begin your workout! Don’t be shy about using your playground time to work out—far from looking goofy, you will look like someone with a purpose. You can set a standard not only for yourself, but also for other parents struggling with time constraints and fitness goals. Now, go outside and PLAY!