Nature offers many good and fun opportunities for varied and challenging training, and moving training to a new place can be good for motivation. We have found five good ideas for how you and your child can use nature for training during an ordinary walk in the woods.

JUMP OVER LOGS

If you are walking in the woods, chances are that you will pass a log on the way. A log can have many uses when it comes to training. Try to jump over the log . forwards, backwards and from the side. This is a really good coordination exercise, and you can decide how difficult it should be, depending on the size of the log you choose.

BALANCE ON A KERB

On the way to the woods, you can also use a kerb for training. Use the kerb to “walk the line”, and train your balance that way. Balance training is good for all of us, but especially for children with cerebral palsy. You can also walk the line on a log, but this is a little more difficult and your child may need support from a training partner.

RUN QUICKLY UPHILL, SLOWLY DOWNHILL

Running is always good training. If you have cerebral palsy, running can be a challenge, but this is extra motivation to train running. Find a hill and run as quickly as you can up the hill. When it’s time to run down again, try to run very slowly. Running downhill requires a lot of leg muscles strength to counteract gravity.

WALK ON STEPS

If you pass by some steps in the woods, use them as part of the training. Walk up the steps quickly and skip a step each time. This is very good training for leg muscles. Try to walk op the steps with your legs spread, too.

DO DIPS

You have walked around in the woods, and now you return to the log where it all started. Until now you have mainly exercised the legs, so now it is your arms’ turn. Put both hands on the log while you face away from the log. Do as many dips as you can. This is a really good exercise for the arms, and now your daily training is finished.