The Ultimate Guide to Playground Yoga for Adults
Elevating Family Bonding and Fitness: Embracing Playground Yoga for Shared Joy and Wellness - Beth Rush
Reading time: 4 minutes
Playground yoga for adults can hit two birds with one stone. Get out of your comfort zone and spend time with your kids simultaneously.
Why Do Playground Yoga?
Playground yoga is straightforward, as it entails practicing outdoors. Engaging in can be quite fun, as it gives you a whole new environment to do yoga. Apart from the breath of fresh air, you can bring kids along with you.
If you have a daughter, son, niece or nephew, arrange the outing. You can even try parent and child yoga together if you have an older child interested in trying out the exercises.
Playground Yoga for Adults
You are responsible for planning the outing, bringing the kids and doing your routine while they have their playtime. There are several factors to remember, so keep calm and plan what to do.
1. Find the Right Venue
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes kids should have an hour of outdoor physical activity daily. Community playgrounds are an accessible outlet for these energetic pursuits as they have great designs and equipment for you and your child.
Once you find a playground for yoga, mark a spot to set up your mat. It’s ideal to have enough space for you to flow through your poses while having the vision to supervise your kid throughout the hour.
2. Dress for Public Yoga
You should dress the part since you’ll do yoga poses in public. Wear a tank top and yoga pants when doing your session. You can also choose a classic T-shirt or sleeveless shirt that’s form-fitting and comfortable enough to stretch your muscles and shift your body around. Do a test run at home to check whether it’s too tight or loose.
3. Bring Water and Snacks
Gather water bottles and food before running to the playground. Having a quick snack and hydration session can be good before jumping into your routine. Plus, your kids will appreciate having something to energize them before their play session. They can also come back for a break in between.
4. Practice Different Poses
Around 85% of people prefer to practice yoga at home as they may feel uncomfortable sweating and flowing in public spaces. Some poses may seem a little better to perform in private, but here are a few suggestions you can easily do while at the playground:
- Downward dog: The downward dog is a great opening pose to relieve your back and stretch. You can also open your hip and leg before shifting to an upward-facing dog.
- Anjaneyasana: The Anjaneyasana (crescent moon) pose appears like a regular lunge as you put your hands on your hips and kneel on one knee. The main difference is how much you stretch your other leg and how you bend your back.
- Chaturanga. The Chaturanga (four-limbed) stance can improve your posture. It starts with a plank, which you can decide how long to hold. When you’re ready, shift your weight to your toes and start doing pushups.
- Tadasana. The Tadasana (mountain) pose is ideal to do between other poses, as it helps you stand still and meditate. Ground yourself while in public and have a confident stance before flowing to the next step.
5. Interact With Your Kids
If you want to have a more fun and free-form version of yoga, head directly to the playground area and interact with your kids in the process. Do your Chatarunga while standing and leaning on the equipment. Practice the Tadasana while your child is going down the slide.
Bond With Kids Through Outdoor Yoga
Playground yoga can bring you closer to your little ones and the great outdoors. You may even meet a fellow yoga enthusiast in your community who you can befriend in the process.