A great workout can be as close as your neighborhood park. Exercise equipment has been installed in some parks near you through partnerships with the cities and St. Jude Hospital. Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra and Placentia have installed park equipment.
Click here to see which parks have equipment installed. We have created a series of 5 videos to help you take advantage of these parks. Each video provides a workout that you can do along with tips to help you be successful.
Before starting any workout, consider consulting your doctor if you have any health concerns that may limit your ability to exercise.
Exercise equipment at Peak Park, Buena Park
Introduction/Cardiovascular Activities
The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week plus two days of muscle strengthening activities. This video provides some ideas for how to add cardiovascular activity to your workout. Tips for Goal Setting and Active Planning are described.
Goal Setting & Active Planning Worksheet
In this video, learn a warm-up that you can do before using the equipment or exercising at your park. Also covered include exercises you can do after your workout to improve your flexibility and balance. Tips for reflecting on your workout are described in this video.
Upper Body Workout
In this video, learn about an upper-body workout that will work on your arms, shoulders, chest and abdomen. One tool that has been associated with success is tracking your activities. Use the calendar provided to plan which days to workout and then record your successes on the calendar.
This video focuses on giving your lower body a workout and includes exercises for your legs, hips and abdomen. Tips on how to remind yourself to get in a planned workout are included in this video.
Body Weight Workout (No Equipment Required )
If your local park does not have any equipment installed, you can still get a great workout. This video provides a workout of exercises done with just your body weight that can be done at your local park or even in your house. Some of these exercises could be added to the upper and lower body workouts if your local park does not have all the pieces of equipment. Tips for how to overcome common barriers to being active are discussed in this video along with a worksheet for you to think about your own barriers.
Videos were created as part of KNES 532 Physical Activity Promotion & Behavior Change Class in Fall 2015. Videos were filmed at Bellis Park in Buena Park.