With gyms and fitness studios still closed in many parts of the country (ours included), we’re making the best out of the nice weather by taking it outside! We don’t need no fancy machines (although a nice cycle couldn’t hurt!) or special weights, because we’ve created a total-body explosion that you can do in your nearest park or playground! 

This park & playground workout utilizes equipment that you can probably find in your local spot, so all you have to bring is some water, a towel, and the will to sweat! So without further ado, let’s swing into some awesome park and playground exercises to keep you moving, grooving, and sweating!

Ladder Plank

Another bruiser of a core workout, this modified walking plank involves a lot of core stability, plus some nice upper body work. 

What you’ll need: Plastic or soft rubber-coated ladder, usually connected to a large playground set. 

How it’s done: 

• Start in a plank position with your face just inches behind the ladder
• Place your left hand on the first rung of the ladder, followed by your right
• Release in the opposite direction
• Reaching forward further, place your left hand on the second rung of the ladder, followed by your right
• Release in the opposite direction
• Repeat a third time with the third rung
• Then do all the above again, but switch your starting hand to be the right hand

Try 3 sets of 3 rungs on each side

Monkey Crunches

This is an all-out ab crunch out. A play on the classic hanging crunch, this one really gets those abs busting. 

What you’ll need: Monkey Bars, Jungle Gym, or any other overhead bars

How it’s done: 

• Find a set of bars about 6-12 inches taller than you, otherwise you’ll need to keep your knees bent
• Swing your knees up as high as you can towards your chest
• Try to hold for a second, then release
• For added difficulty, keep your legs straight and extend them in front of you
• Repeat for 3 sets of 7

Slide-Ups

Or should we say push-slides? Either way, this is a modified version of the classic incline and decline push-up, using our friend, the slide. 

What you’ll need: A slide, preferably double wide

How it’s done: 

• Start with your feet on the sand, hands on both sides of the slide
• This should give you a nice incline
• Slowly lower yourself down into a push up, pause at the bottom, lift yourself up again
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10
• Then switch to a decline, with your hands still on the sides of the slide, with your feet up on the slide behind you. Repeat for 3 sets of 10

Posterior Swing Plank & L-Sit

This is a powerhouse workout that utilizes your hips, quads, tris, lats, and more. 

What you’ll need: Just one swing, at a comfortable height from the ground.

How it’s done: 

• Starting seated with your hands at your sides, place both feet on the swing
• Press outwards, pushing the swing forward and straightening your arms under you
• Pause for a moment with your back completely flat, and come back down to starting position
• Repeat for 4 sets of 10

Park Bench Jumps

Ready for the ultimate lower body blast? This is one of the simplest yet most effective exercises you can do – we’re talkin’ hams, calves, glutes, and quads!

What you’ll need: A park bench.

How it’s done: 

• Standing feet shoulder-width apart, position yourself directly behind a sturdy park bench
• Spring yourself up, landing as softly as you can, bending your knees into a squat as you land
• Reverse the movement, careful to land softly on the way down
• Repeat for 3 sets of 5

There you go! That’s your ultimate park & playground workout! This total-body routine should get you plenty sweaty, but make no mistake, this is just scratching the surface. When you sign up for Studio SWEAT onDemand, you’ll get access to our huge library of streaming workouts that you can do in your living room, your backyard, even the park! Here’s a few to wet your whistle: 

• Our TRX in the Park class gives you 30 minutes of TRX terror! All you need is some TRX bands, some trees, and a whole lotta sweat.
• Our hugely successful Soccer Mom & Soccer Mom II workouts are both total-body calorie crushers, designed to be done – you guessed it – right in the park! 

All of these classes are available with our All Access Pass plan. But if you wanna dip your foot in, check out our 7-Day Free Trial and experience our streaming classes free of charge. Welp, that’s it, see ya in the park!