Who says exercise can't be a walk in the park? Walking or running can help you meet the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendation for 30 minutes of moderate cardio, five times weekly, or 20 minutes of vigorous cardio, three times a week.
The ACSM also recommends doing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 strength training exercises; a simple park bench is all you need to get a good start on meeting this recommendation, too.
Bench Push-ups
Bench push-ups work your chest, shoulders and arms. To do bench dips, place your hands on the bench seat, slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and walk your feet back until your body is in a straight line from head to feet. Bend your arms as you lower your chest toward the bench, then straighten your arms to push your chest back up off the bench.
If you feel like bench push-ups aren't challenging enough, try lifting and holding one leg slightly off the ground as you do the push-ups. Make sure to switch to the other leg halfway through your repetitions.
Bench Dips
Bench dips work your triceps. Sit on the edge of the park bench, place both hands on the edge of the bench to either side of your body, fingers extending over the edge of the seat, and scoot your butt forward off the bench. Support your weight on your hands and your legs, which should be extended straight in front of you.
Lower your bottom down toward the ground, keeping it as close to the bench as possible, until your shoulders are nearly level with your elbows. Straighten your arms to push your body back up.
Bench Pull-ups
Bench pull-ups work your back, shoulders and arms. They might look just a little funny to onlookers, but you should make the most of a rare chance to work your back without any extra exercise equipment.
To do bench pull-ups, slide underneath the bench. Grasp the edge of the bench seat in an underhand grip and, squeezing your abs to keep your body straight, pull your chest up to the bench. Slowly lower your body back to the ground.
Bench Lunges
Bench lunges help tone your hips and thighs. Take a step forward away from the bench, then place the top of one foot on top of the bench seat. Lower your hips down into standard lunge position. Your front knee and hip should both be bent at 90 degrees, front foot flat on the ground, and your rear leg will bend no sharper than 90 degrees, with your back foot's shoelaces resting on the bench. Push with both legs to straighten back up again. Focus on keeping your torso upright, including your pelvis; resist the urge to let your hips tilt forward. Complete a full set on this side before switching to the other side.
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