" Getting away from the house, desk and computer and into natural surroundings not only stimulates creative thought, but presents a fresh palette for activity. In a park, the tedious notion of "exercise" can be rediscovered as just fun. "

" It is easy to drive by parks without really checking them out as opportunities for adventurous exercise. Are there hiking paths? Park benches? Hills? Stairs? Pull-up bars? Open fields for Frisbee-tossing or soccer? Are there canoes, rowboats, paddleboats or kayaks for rent? Is there a baseball field? Take a walk along the landscaping and check out the options. "

" Most of us understand the benefits of cardiovascular exercise for our health. You can walk, run or bicycle around the many park paths and byways for 20 minutes or more. (Moving at a consistent pace and elevating the heart rate for 10minutes or longer is classified as aerobic exercise.) Always walking on a solid, smooth surface is not necessarily the best medium "

" Rather than just walking around the path you share with bicyclers and joggers, head out across the grass toward a hill and run or power walk up that hill as fast as you can. Rest as you walk back down, and repeat. Climbing hills is not only good for the leg muscles; it also challenges the body's anaerobic energy system. For practical day-to-day purposes, success at this will make it easier to walk up stairs. Again, exercising on natural terrain enhances balance and stability. "

" Trees can be used as "goal posts" for testing speed, for rapid change in direction and for working on jumping skills. "

"Play tag between two trees, seeing how many times you can run or walk between them for one minute. Explosively racing back and forth between two or three objects increases anaerobic ability
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