Shane Lance B.S., MEd

Remember when you were a kid, how active you were?  You were throwing things. You were jumping over things, on things, and from things.  You were running.  Sometimes toward things, Sometimes away from things, and sometimes just for the fun of it.  You climbed trees, fences, and hills your mom said you were forbidden to be on.  You went swimming in rivers, streams, ponds, and ditches, even when you were not supposed to get wet.  You played in mud, snow, weeds, cat tails, and willow patches.  Not to mention all the sports and games you participated in.  The point is, you were always on the move.  Life was a big adventure.  You were always in good shape. 

Well, maybe that was just the way my childhood was.  You may not have done all those things but it’s probably safe to say you stayed in shape and didn’t have a gym membership.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am a gym rat, by I am also willing to admit that there are many more ways to get in shape that are fun, effective, and cheap.

One great and fun way to get in a workout is on a playground at your local park and/or elementary school.  Now, timing is everything.  If you are a man, and you show up in spandex during recess and start doing a workout on the monkey bars, this might cause some concern.  You may end up doing a jail cell workout.  So, make sure the playground isn’t crowded with kids.  It does help to bring your own kids with you if you have some.  There are a lot of good exercises you can do on a playground.  You are only limited by your imagination.  Also, look up playground workouts on the internet if you need to get some ideas.

It’s a little cold and snowy out there now in some places in the country.  I probably should have saved this post for later but for some reason that was just what was on my mind.   So there you have it.  See you on the monkey bars!