Free Park Workouts That Actually Work

We take our workout outside and prove you can build real strength using free public park equipment instead of paying for a gym. Kim Chapman and trainer Keldrick Emery walk through beginner-friendly and advanced options, plus simple safety rules that keep you consistent and injury-free. 
• using BREC park equipment as a free outdoor gym option 
• scaling push-ups from incline to more advanced positions 
• improving balance for core and leg strength 
• building core strength with knee raises and holds 
• turning a park bench into squats, push-ups, and single-leg work 
• avoiding injury with slower reps, better form, and stopping on pain 
• choosing consistency over intensity for better results 
• finding accessible equipment for mobility challenges 
• making 10 minutes of movement count 
Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.

Transcript

Welcome To Money Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need, and save the money you want. Now, here is your host, Ms. Kim Chapman.

Taking Fitness Outside For Free

SPEAKER_01 0:14

All right, welcome back to another edition of Money Matters. We have literally taken things outside because guess what? If you have not been able to achieve your fitness goals inside, I bought Keldrick Emery back so that he can show you how you can use some of the free resources here at the Break Parks to go ahead and get your fitness on and stop using those excuses. Today you're gonna park those excuses. And Keldrick, thank you for coming back.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

He's gonna show us how to use all of this free equipment. So again, you don't have to go to the gym. And maybe you saw our previous episode where he showed you how you can use some things inside. I know some of you want to be outside in nature, so we've got something for you too. So, Keldrick.

SPEAKER_02 0:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

What are you gonna show us today? Or tell us, can we actually use this equipment to really achieve our fitness goals?

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Yeah, you definitely can. Uh, there's so much equipment out here, so and definitely that can be used, as well as just the park itself. So uh I'm sure he'll show a video, but there's a whole walking pathway, and that's something that can be done easily, uh really simply and free of charge.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Right. And I you definitely see, I think, the walking parks all the time when you're driving, but I think this is a hidden gem. People pass by this and don't even realize what this equipment is and that it can actually help you reach those goals. So I guess we're just gonna go ahead and get to it. And by we, I do mean you. So kind of walk us around and show us some what some of the equipment is and how it can be used.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

Okay, well

Push-Up Station For All Levels

SPEAKER_02 1:44

do. Um, we'll I'll start over here with something as simple as the push-up station. So we'll walk in this direction.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

All right, so Keldra, can you really get some fitness done with just this equipment that's here in the park?

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Yes, definitely. So, first I'll start with this. This is called a push-up station. It looks a little bit awkward, but you probably you definitely will get what you need out of it. Um, so here you'll be placing your hands here, um, and just kind of put your feet back, and you're leaning into a push-up, right? And so, because we're in this position, uh, it's taking most of the weight away by what we call an incline push-up. And so you'll you'll feel less of the weight. The closer you are to the ground, the more uh weight you'll feel, and the harder it is. So, this will be like for my beginner level. This is a good way to start your push-up, right? To start to build up strength to be able to do this. Um, you can also switch positions here and push here, right? And then we can go further down to a little bit more uh advanced, same concept, um, just a little bit more advanced. You'll notice you're lower to the ground here, and so the lower you are to the ground, the more difficult it is. Same concept, but you'll see this is a regular push-up, right? So that's just the first uh the first one I would show. Um, even for something as simple as balance, you could come here and begin to work just your balance, something that we used to do as kids, real simple, right? Just trying to walk on the balance being. You don't have to you don't exactly have to do something you see maybe on TV, but just a matter of just trying to hold your balance and take a step, right? So this is working core, legs, just and also something that's free to you, balancing yourself, just walking back and forth a couple times.

Core Work With Dips Station

SPEAKER_02 3:56

So that's two different things. Um then we're gonna move over to the next station, which will be dips and pull-ups, and that'll work more core and also some of your um shoulders. Okay, so for this one, um, this is a core exercise here, and so you would basically you're gripping here, and you're gonna step on the blue, right? And so for this one, what you're gonna be doing is you're gonna pull, try to pull your knees up to your chest, and you're using this to balance, right? So here, pulling the knees to the chest. Uh, if that's too hard, you can start with one or just trying to get as far as you can. But you'll notice just being able to hold your body weight up is a lot more difficult than what it initially sounds or looks like, right? So just holding here, you could even start just saying, hey, two seconds. I'm gonna hold and put down. Five seconds, I'm gonna hold and put down, right? And start working the core that way. So that's another one I would

Bench Moves For Strength

SPEAKER_02 5:05

use.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

So, Keldrick, this looks like I'm sorry, just a simple park bench that I would just want to take a break after all of that workout that you've done. But you said this can be used too. How can you use this as and incorporate it in your workout?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, so a bench is really, really useful. Um, so we could just start even with some of the same things I talked about last time, like a squat. Um, and so you could just start feet like shoulder width apart, start sitting down, standing up, right? That's your basic squat. But if you wanted to get more deeper into it, then same position. Now you're going to touch and come back up. And you notice my form, so my feet are flat on the ground. I'm digging my heels in and touch, coming back up. You can do that 10 times, and you'll begin to feel something. Uh, as well as the same push-up that we talked about that we did over there, you can do it on this same bench. So, for my beginners, you want to start here. So, feet on the floor, hands on the bench, pushing up. Just like you'll notice this bench here is bolted to the ground. So, just make sure if you're using a bench, make sure the bench is bolted into the ground or some type of way is good and sturdy. Um, you can get a whole lot more complex with a squat, a whole lot more complex with a push-up. So, I'll show you a little bit more complex way. So, the more complex way uh into a push-up would be the opposite of what I showed. So, it would be feet on the bench, hands on the floor. So this. And that's called a decline push-up, which that's a whole lot more harder. As you can tell, I'm breathing harder, just doing it. Even taking that same squat, you could take one foot, put it on the bench, come out a little bit, and then begin to separate those muscles and a one-leg squat. Right? And you'll switch, do the same thing on the other side. So, all with that same bench. Uh, there's plenty more that you can show, even working the core, some of your legs, a lot more work.

Form, Safety, And Avoiding Injury

SPEAKER_01 7:27

So, Keldrick, what are some things that people can do to avoid injury? What are common mistakes that they make when they come out and use this equipment to make sure that they stay safe?

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Yeah, so uh making sure your form is good, going slow. Also having somebody maybe with you to be accountable, or even if you're by yourself, videoing yourself and looking at your form to make sure that it's not um anything awkward. And then initially, if you feel if something makes you feel bad or it's painful, stop immediately, right? And then retrack and looking at the way you're doing it to make sure you're not damaging or hurting anything.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Now, how more how important is consistency over intensity?

SPEAKER_02 8:11

Oh, consistency is very important. Um, if somebody comes and works out once a quarter versus somebody who works out three times a week, the person who works out three times a week is gonna see a great improvement in their working out and their strength, uh right? So just being consistent is is valuable, very, very valuable. And you have to continue to do that.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Okay, let's

Accessible Equipment For Mobility Needs

SPEAKER_01 8:37

see. Let's go take a walk. We've got a couple more pieces of equipment. So you've taken the moment and you've showed and highlighted stuff for beginners and even advanced, but this was rather unique, and I was a little confused as to what you could do with this. So why don't you explain how this can be used and how this is actually even designed for someone that may have a disability?

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Right. So even if you have somebody that um that's disabled, they have these types of things to work, shoulders, upper body, and what this is this is a Tai Chi equipment to work shoulders to stimulate blood flow. So you would be sitting lower, moving and stimulating here the shoulder, shoulder arm work and doing that kind of upper body work, as well as these uh spinning wheels here. Sorry, I moved so fast, but but yeah, so and getting here and moving, moving those shoulders, getting the work of the shoulder right uh in both directions and in both shoulders. So this equipment is here free of use and free of charge, and it's here for everybody to use and to get um some type of some type of workout.

More Parks With Free Options

SPEAKER_01 9:46

And we're here at Kenilworth Park, but that's not the only park, right? This is a breck park, but there are other breck parks. I know that there is the Sherwood Breck Park. Can you think of any others?

SPEAKER_02 9:55

Yeah, there's the park in Baker as well as the um Zachary City Park. Um, and those are just two that I could think of. Of course, we got parks all throughout East Baton Ridge Parish uh that are available to you that have these type of devices. So, and these type of uh this type of equipment as well as walkways and other different things all throughout the Parish Howell Park. There's um the Exxon Mobile Park right behind it. Doesn't have equipment, but it does have a walkway with heels and other different things. So it's always somewhere for free that you can

Why Ten Minutes Still Counts

SPEAKER_02 10:28

get a good workout.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Now, if I only have 10 minutes, 20 minutes, should I waste my time coming here?

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Oh yes. 10 minutes is better than no minutes. Um so yeah, even if you get 10 minutes of a walk and come back, that's very valuable. Or 10 minutes of a push-up. Um, if you just try to be consistent and use what you have, I think it's very valuable. Your health is valuable and it's worth it.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

All right. So if you've been giving yourself excuses that maybe the indoor exercises didn't work for you because you don't like being inside, now you have a way to come outside for free. And even if you have some mobility challenges, they even have equipment for you. So no matter what your reason is, we have something for you to where you can get your fitness goal on without having to break your budget. So any final thoughts, Keldrick?

SPEAKER_02 11:15

No, just try to be consistent and try to make sure that you continue to come out somewhere to do something. Get moving. The weather's beautiful now. Um, it's getting a little bit warmer, so it's a good time to go ahead and get started with that. If you need any help or any assistance, I'm always available uh as well as um all of our gyms and all of these different spaces that you can use.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

All right. Thanks again for coming out and sharing this information.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Thank you for having me.

Final Encouragement And Subscribe

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Stay on track with your financial journey. Subscribe to the Money Matters Podcast, and visit neighborsfcu.org slash financial wellness for more tools to help you build a strong financial future.