When you were a child there were multiple games that provided a great work-out. What was
your favorite activity as a kid, and could you perform it now with ease?
Jump Rope
I use jump rope a lot with my clients. Jumping rope puts a large demand on your cardiovascular system. This activity also requires agility and coordination. A warm up I use frequently is 3:00 of Jump Rope followed by :30 of rest for 3 rounds. If 3:00 is too much start off with 1-2:00 of Jump Rope and work your way up to 3:00 straight.
Monkey Bars
This activity takes a large amount of strength. Most children can fly across the monkey bars with ease because their strenght to body weight ratio is proportionate. As we get older we grow in size and don’t always keep up with strengthening exercises. Pull-ups are a simple exercsie that you can get large strength gains from. For beginners assisted pull-ups with a flex band are a good way to transition into regular pull-ups.
Hopscotch
This childhood game was a great way to get your heart pumping while working on agility and single leg strength. Agility ladders are a great substitute for this game that will provide the same benefits. There are multiple drills you can do with an agility ladder. Gain strength and balance with this simple piece of equipment.
Hula Hoop
Want a great core work-out? Revisit this activity from your youth. The hula-hoop is a non-tradition fitness tool that you can get great benefits from using. Many companies have made weighted hula-hoops to add intensity to this activity. Use this as a warm up or cool down to add a new element to your work-out.
Remember how easy these activities were as a child? There’s nothing that you could do back then that you can’t do now with a little practice.
Photo Credit: http://thesantosrepublic.com/
