<div>In Rocky IV, Sylvester Stallone playing Rocky Balboa trained using heavy logs, ice slabs and an overloaded sledge for his do-or-die revenge slugfest with the Russian, Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. The latter, on the other hand, had access to a high-tech gym and a battery of trainers. Predictably, Stallone the underdog got the better of Lundgren in the climax.<br /> </div><div>You may or may not be a Rocky fan, but you could certainly take a tip or two from his outdoor regimen. Your everyday park has plenty of things to make your workout quite challenging, if you don’t like being cooped up in a gym. The trees, park benches, children’s swing —improvise with them to get a workout that is as good as what you can get with high-tech machines.<br /> </div><div><strong>The Playground</strong></div><div><strong>Pull-Up</strong>: Make your way to the children’s playground area and while the little ones swing away, grab the overhead bar and pull yourself up so that your chin is above the bar. In case you are unable to grab the bar by jumping, stand on some rocks and then reach for it. The kids may shriek a little louder seeing you hanging like that but don’t let that distract you. You will need every ounce of strength to hang in place. The pull-up is great for your shoulders, biceps, triceps and upper-back. Repeat at least 10 times.<br /><strong><br type="_moz" /></strong></div><div><strong>Hanging Knee Raise:</strong> Next, it’s time to streng­then your abdominal muscles. While hanging from the overhead bar, raise your legs till they are parallel to the ground and your body is in an L-shape. Alternate it with lifting your knees towards your chest. Repeat 10 times. Remember there’s no gain without pain.<br /> </div><div><strong>Swinging:</strong> Seeing you hanging from the overhead bar, clenching your teeth and doing things which probably appear torturous to little kids would ensure that they vacate the swings fast. Here’s your chance to have some fun while exercising. Settle down on one of the swings (do it gingerly as you want to make sure it can take your weight), and swing away, with your legs stretched straight out, perpendicular to your upper body. Hold the position for as long as you can.<br /> <br />This is good for leg and abdominal muscles. Go ahead have some fun but don’t get lost in childhood memories, stop after 5-7 minutes. <br /> </div><div><strong>The Bench</strong></div><div><strong>Push-Up:</strong> It’s time to head to an empty bench which will be your gym set-up for the next few exercises. Start by placing your hands on the edge of the bench and taking two steps back so that your legs are straight out behind you. Slowly lower your body, keeping your chest lifted and your stomach in and then push it back up. Vary the width of your hands to engage different muscle groups. Push-ups build your chest and arm muscles. Attempt at least two sets of 10. <br /> </div><div><strong>Squat:</strong> The park bench is a versatile object and can be used for several exercises. Post push-ups, do some squats. Stand in front of the bench with your back facing the seat, your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips. Lower yourself halfway to the bench, hold for 30 seconds and then stand up. Don't cheat, make sure your back is straight. Do at least two sets of 10. Then you can also do your tricep dips on the bench.<br /> </div><div><strong>Step-Up:</strong> Did you know that a 15-minute climb up the steps offers the same workout as 30 minutes of running on flat ground. Climbing up and down the stairs helps tone legs, butt and even stomach muscles. Don't despair if there are no stairs in the park, you always have your bench. Just step up and down. <br /> </div><div>How long should you do this? Imagine you are climbing a skyscraper and you have to reach the top floor. The longer you take to get to the top, the tighter and more shapely your butt is going to be. <br /> </div><div><strong>The Trees</strong></div><div><strong>Plank Exercises</strong>: What’s a park without trees, right? While they are lovely to sit under and relax, they are even better for exercise. Tone your chest, shoulder, back and abdominal muscles through plank exercises, using a tree trunk. Lie down flat on your stomach with your feet against the trunk. Then raise yourself so that your forearm is still on the ground while your upper arm is perpendicular to it. Move your feet up the trunk of the tree till your body is parallel to the ground. Hold for 10 seconds. Keep going till you can hold for a whole minute. <br /> </div><div><strong>Wall Sit:</strong> Another exercise you can do using a tree is a wall sit. Stand about two feet away from the tree before leaning back onto the trunk in a sitting position. Keep your thighs parallel to the ground. Basically, pretend you are sitting on an invisible chair. Hold the position for 30 seconds. This exercise helps build lower body strength. Repeat at least 10 times.<br /><br />smitatripathi(at)bworldmail(dot)com<br />(at)smitabw<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 25-03-2013)</span><br /> </div>
