If your life is anything like mine, you find yourself at a playground multiple times a week. Now that my kids are a bit older and not in need of me pushing them on the swing or constantly spotting them as they climb structures, I find myself at playgrounds feeling as though there’s nothing for me to do. I look around and I see other parents in the same state – and mostly they have their heads down, staring at their phones until a child cries or they hear “MOM” hollered from across the playground.

Since I hate feeling as though I’m doing nothing (I know, I know, I’m working on it), I decided that I would play too. My body is craving movement just as much as my kid’s bodies are and while I’m not going to try to jam myself into a swing anymore, there are plenty of ways adult bodies can benefit from playground structures too.

Sure, I get some looks from other parents, but mostly they are looks of curiosity.

If you find yourself outside at a playground, don’t spend the hour staring at your phone. Move your body, you’ll feel better, build strength and flexibility and maybe, just maybe, one day your core and upper body will be strong enough to swing all the way across the monkey bars with the same ease your 7 year old uses to accomplish the task.

Here are 4 ways you can play at the playground.

Play #1 Squatting

Find a poll that you can hold and back yourself up until your arms are straight. Slowly lower yourself keeping your shins vertical, pelvis untucked, ribs in. Be sure your weight is in your heels. Press through your heels to come up on an exhale. Inhale and lower yourself down. Do 5-10.

Play # 2 Swing Set Pull Up

Find the side pole of a swing set and hold it. Let your ribs be down (in neutral). Most swing set poles are at an angle, so don’t have your feet next to the pole, but instead imagine you dropped a line down from where your hand is holding the pole and have your feet close to that. Slowly lower yourself out until your arm is straight – keeping your body in line – your hips don’t sag out further than your shoulders (this takes some core and upper body work!). Then slowly pull yourself back up. Repeat on each side, 5-10 times.

Play #3 Hanging

Not all playgrounds have monkey bars, but most have at least one bar you can hang from (even if it is low to the ground). Most adults (myself included) lack the upper body and core strength to do monkey bars, or to even hang with their feet off the ground. However, there is still lots of benefit to hanging and working towards building that strength. Just hold the bar, keep your shoulders down (no hunching your shoulders up by your ears) and slowly lower your body until you start to support your weight in your arms. Stay for a minute, come back and do it 3 times while you are at the playground.

Play #4

Pelvic Listing. This move is all about activating the lateral hips, where we all seem to lack strength. You can stand on something or on the ground. If on the ground, shift your weight into one leg and think about sliding the hip of that leg toward the ground, far enough that the opposite foot clears the ground by an inch or so (don’t hike the leg using the muscles of that side, use the muscles of the hip of the standing leg). If you are standing on something, the opposite foot comes level with the standing foot by sliding the hip of the standing leg down – once you find the right action you will really feel this in your outer glute/hip area!