As kids we played for hours with complete abandon. Our imaginations ran wild, and we had fun chasing, hiding, and exploring. How long has it been since you’ve skipped or galloped? I’m guessing for most of us, it’s been decades. And why is that? When you skip, you can’t help but smile, and galloping is just plain fun. As adults, we may feel silly skipping around unless we’re entertaining those tireless tots in our lives. I say let’s borrow the best of recess, combine it with our grown-up fitness regimen, and create an exciting and fun new workout. Try it–I double dog dare ya!
Elementary Intervals
Change up your routine walk by adding a youthful and energetic twist. Begin your walk as normal, then start skipping to increase your heart rate and intensity of the workout. Return to your regular walking pace. Then try galloping for a while. Simply alternate walking with skipping or galloping. Always be sure to end your interval training with a cool down walk.
You may feel a little silly at first, but it really is kind of fun. Get a friend to join you for the workout, and I bet you’ll both be giggling in no time as well as burning extra calories. I walk in the privacy of my large backyard while Sid explores. As long as I watch for dips in the terrain, I can be as silly as I want with Sid as the only witness. If you literally want to take your workout back to school, many tracks are available for public use during off hours. Walk the curves, and skip along the straights. Just keep it fun.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is great exercise.
Don’t have a jump rope? No problem! Back in elementary school, I had a teacher who ingeniously made us jump ropes out of plastic bread bags. All the kids loved using them at recess. While I haven’t purchased bread in months, I do have several plastic bags lying around the house. So this morning, I decided to get crafty and give it a try.
I started with three plastic bags and put the handles at the top.
Using a rubber band, I secured the handles together.
I began braiding the bags. As I got toward the bottoms of the bags, I attached another bag to each one using tape. I connected the bags handles up and overlapped them from the bottom of the handle to the top of the handle. The overlap helped incorporate the next bag into the braid for additional durability. The tape will help hold as well but mostly helps facilitate the braiding process. I continued adding bags until I reached the desired length. At the last addition of bags, I put the bag handles down so that I could rubber band the end and create the second jump rope handle.
Using packing tape, I wrapped the ends to create “proper” handles. And there you have it, my new jump rope.
While my elementary teacher schooled me on this one, I did create a usable product. Having the length of a bread bag would have made the project easier and less bulky. The rope can also double as a cat toy, as it’s basically a really long “string” for kitty to chase. Sid was a bit apprehensive about the project and watched from a comfortable distance. I know he was wondering what on earth I was doing to his “poop bags.”
Of course if you don’t have a jump rope and don’t want to make one, you can always resort to your greatest childhood resource–your imagination. Simply go through the motion without the rope. It’s still good exercise, and you won’t trip!
Hopscotch
Get out your sidewalk chalk, grab a rock, and show ’em all you’ve still got it!