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Zest
Play workout, August issue
Words and workout devised by Christianne Wolff
When was the last time you played bat and ball, ran around like a mad thing for the sheer fun of it or enjoyed the childhood pleasure of swinging a hula hoop in satisfying circles around your hips? If it's not since you were in braces and knee high socks, it's time to inject the fun back into your fitness routine by trying a play workout.
The notion of getting fit by doing hopscotch and playing tag may take a bit of getting used to, but has actually taken off in a big way in the States (where it's known as Recess Training, after the American word for play time). Celebrity personal trainer Radu uses these kind of classic kids moves with his clients (which include Jennifer Lopez and Cindy Crawford) and says `I wanted to fill people with a spontaneous desire for movement, so I devised a class you can do in the great outdoors, where people will lose their inhibitions and learn to laugh.'
His classes typically start with a warm up game of chase, followed by running, then games like basketball and indoor football as well as running up fixed ladders, climbing ropes and playing team games in relays. The theory is that because the moves are fun, you'll forget you're working hard and loose yourself in the spirit of things, which in turn helps you burn more calories than when you're plodding through your boring old gym routine. And, because the moves target all different areas of your body, with many encouraging you to put in short bursts of intense effort, they may be just what you need to take you on to a new level of fitness
and a step closer to a leaner, more toned body. 
We've taken inspiration from the trend and devised a special Zest Play workout for you to try, which incorporates both cardio vascular work and toning moves. Either do the workout from start to finish 3 TIMES A WEEK, which will take about 75 mins and burn 4-600 calories. Or, choose a few of the individual exercises to try and do each day. They're perfect for the beach on holiday, or for your local park - but wherever you are, your main priority is to enjoy yourself!
1.Frisbee
(15 minutes, cardio vascular work)
If you and your partner are not particularly good at catching you'll end up racing around all over the place playing Frisbee, which will pretty much work on every part of your body. And, if you're a pro, your abdominals and forearms will get a good toning session. For good technique, Marc Darvell, champion Frisbee player suggests placing your fore finger and middle finger straight under the Frisbee, gripping your fingers and thumb around the edge. Turn at an angle to your partner and flick the Frisbee from your wrist, using your forefinger to point in the direction you want it to go. To add more of a challenge, get a group of you in a large circle and keep running to the next post as you are throwing or catching. Alternatively, play forfeits every time you drop the Frisbee - try going down on one knee, two knees or catching with one arm behind your back. If you pull your abdominal muscles in when you throw, keeping your shoulder blades dropped from around your ears, you will see an instant improvement in your posture.
2.Beach Tennis
(15-30 minutes, cardio vascular work)
Try to move around continuously to allow your body to reach into its fat burning . Get into a pair or group of four, and try hitting the ball between you until it drops. Set yourself boundary lines - if you hit beyond them you should use forfeits; e.g. ten press-ups, twenty sit ups, or running in and out of the waves, which will give you a whole body workout. Even without the forfeits, your legs will benefit greatly - playing on sand or grass is more demanding than concrete or a hard surface as your foot will sink slightly, requiring greater effort to push back off again. Avoid playing the game on the shore line - it's cheating if you leave the waves to bring the ball back to you. Make sure you pull your abdominals in all the time you're playing, which will make your postural and stabilizing muscles work, helping your stomach to flatten.
3. Tag or It
(5-10 minutes, cardio vascular work)
Playing Tag provides you with a great cardiovascular workout which will help you to expand your heart and lung capacity and increase oxygen to your vital organs. This game will also help you to tone your thighs. Take it in turns to be `it', and chase the others on your team, putting in lots of sprinting, and aiming to keep moving. Apparently Jennifer Lopez uses a bouncy castle for her games of tag, but you can use any surface, obviously the more unstable, the more gruelling the workout - sand or sticky mud will make you work harder. If you want to improve then use plenty of sprint action, which helps improve your anaerobic threshold . If your heart rate is increasing dramatically let it decrease slowly with gentle jogging.
4. Relays
(three minutes, cardio vascular work)
Get into groups, set up an obstacle course and get crawling, jumping, zig-zagging in and out of objects to work your body in all directions, and then join the back of the team. While you are waiting for the next round perfect your lunges and squats, or throw a ball between you. This will work the whole body, improve co-ordination and agility, and is good for team building. Go through the obstacle course three times, aiming to make each round last for around 1 minute. Use any object that allows full range of movement, from hurtling over a branch to sprinting away from people squirting water at you. Use your imagination, and have some fun.
5. Leap frog
You must remember this from school! Start low if you're nervous about making the leap. The frog should bend forwards from the waist with their knees slightly bent, hands on their thighs, tummy pulled in and their back rounded. You race up to them, plant your hands on their back, driving your weight through your arms, which allows your feet to leave the floor, and splitting your legs wide enough to jump over them. It is very effective for improving flexibility, agility, and strength in abs, inner thighs and buttocks. If you are in a group, jump over as many people as possible, asking your team mates to go from the front to the back to extend the line. Make sure you leave yourself room to take a few steps in between each person. Both the leaper and the frog benefit in strength and endurance
6. Hopscotch
(5 minutes, cardio vascular OR toning??)
Draw a grid on tarmac or concrete with chalk, boxing one to ten. Throw a stone to No. 1, then hop and jump on the squares, missing out No. 1. Go through all the numbers this way. As you jump exaggerate your knee bends into a squat to get a good thigh and bum workout. As you hop hold the balance momentarily to work on your transverse abdominis (the band around your waist that pulls it in If you want to increase the work load draw much bigger boxes so you have to lengthen your spring action. You could also use something heavier to throw with
7. Hula Hoops
(15 minutes, toning move)
A little tricky on the technique side, but worth it because they're truly fantastic for the waist. The hula-hoop was introduced in 1958 TO THE UK?, and was so popular that stores kept running out. According to www.fitnesssports.com you can lose one inch every two weeks if you practise this 15 minutes a day. They sell special function acupressure hula-hoops Hold the hula-hoop around your waist, arms in front of you. Start to spin it around your waist, gyrating in a circular motion. At the same time keep your abs pulled in tight, and keep on trying till you succeed. Failing that, ask your niece, nephew or anyone under twelve to demonstrate - they will embarrass you with their expertise!
8. Climbing
(10-30 minutes, toning move)
Bounding over rocks or climbing trees is so much fun and will help you improve your definition, and develop a lither body. Climb a tree or rock as if you were climbing a ladder - remember not to pull up with your arms and let your legs do the pushing, as these muscles are so much bigger than your upper body. If you are lucky enough to go to New York, check out Radu's classes, as they venture out to an island with old ruins on it - Radu says, “It's mysterious and spooky. We use the ruins to climb, and to feel part of Mother Nature''.