By Cornel Chin

Celebrity fitness trainer Cornel Chin has trained a number of Hollywood stars, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Audrey Tautou, and Colin Firth. These are his suggestions for getting a Hollywood-quality workout without leaving the parks and beaches of Ballard.

Golden Gardens

If you’re fortunate enough to live near Golden Gardens, it is a great place to go to relax but also a great place to do your workout. There are countless activities you can do at the beach that will provide you with health benefits, though they won't seem like exercise at all.

Enjoy the sounds of the ocean waves breaking, take in the fresh sea breeze and feel the sand massage your feet as you get into these exercises that are suitable for your next visit to the beach. The sand and surf offers plenty of options for a great workout. Try out these ideas the next time you hit the beach.

Most of these exercise do not require any equipment, or can be modified to increase resistance using buckets or jugs, and filling them up with sand to make some dumbbells.

Take a dip.
An ocean swim will be much tougher than laps in a pool, due to the ocean currents. Practice your strokes by swimming either back and forth or swim crossways. Safety first, so always stay in view of a lifeguard.

Running water.
Try water running sprints. Dispense with your footwear and find an area with water up to your ankles or calves, avoiding stones, rocks or debris. Water running requires you to lift your knees higher than regular sprints, so you'll definitely notice the difference.

Feel the sand underfoot.
Try running on hard-packed sand. Wet sand is softer than tarmac and therefore less harsh on your joints. But, it still makes for a challenging run. Find as flat a surface as possible.

Softly, softly.
Run in soft sand or up a sand dune. Running in loose sand will work muscles that even experienced legs may not have used in a while. Be careful not to overdo it as excessive running on sand can stress your ankles and Achilles.

Game on.
Take part in traditional games, such as beach volleyball, Frisbee and touch football. They will all get your heart rate up and keep things social with your family and friends.

No gym needed.
Two of the simplest and most effective exercises are also the most portable. Get your towel handy and knock out a few sets of push ups and sit ups. Standing squats and lunges are similarly portable. A natural and easy movement, they’re great for toning and shaping up your thighs.

Enjoy your environment.
Give meditation or yoga a go. Locate a peaceful spot, probably in the morning before the crowds show up. The beach is a great place to realax and find your inner peace.

Parks

Working out in a local park can be a great way to get in shape and enjoy the outdoors for free. All you will need for this minimalist workout is a good, supportive pair of exercise shoes and some comfortable clothes to wear.

Get Moving.
One of the best ways to workout in the park is to walk or jog. Many parks have jogging or cycling trails for people to use, and these are much safer than running on the street. If these trails are paved, it may even be possible to rollerblade. You may jog or walk on the trail independently and listen to music or jog with a friend. Some parks also have hiking trails, which can be great exercise as well.

Try it: The track behind Sunset Hill Elementary, Golden Gardens, nearby Woodland Park or Green Lake, the Ballard Locks, the Burke-Gilman Trail, especially once the Missing Link is complete.

Play ball.
Another way to workout in the park is to play sports. Many parks have football pitches, tennis courts or basketball courts that are free to use, and you will only need to bring your own gear. These sports are great workouts because they develop aerobic endurance and coordination, and it can be fun to play with other people.

Try it: Loyal Heights Community Center, Webster Park outside the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Ballard Community Center, Gilman Playground.

Let’s go outside.
Some people choose to workout in the park by practicing things such as yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi or other stretching exercises. Even though these exercises may be practiced inside, spending some time outside in the park in pleasant weather can be nice. Jumping rope is another great way to exercise in the park, or even taking your dog for a walk.

Try it: Ballard Commons Park, Salmon Bay Park, Sunset Hill Park, Ballard Corners Park, the Ballard Locks.

Pole to pole.
A great way to get in shape in your local park, and one that is especially fitting in Ballard, is walking with Nordic poles. Nordic walking is great for the novice exerciser. Increasing heart rate, oxygen consumption, burning up to 30 percent more calories than with regular walking. By using all four limbs, there is an upper body boost. Nordic Walking allows you to use your arms to help propel yourself forward as you walk. The poles, one in each hand, extend your arms down to the ground, giving you 4 limbs to walk on instead of two.

Try it: Green Lake, the Ballard Locks, the Burke-Gilman Trail, up 14th Avenue Northwest to see the newly installed planters.

Elastic in the park.
A great "go-anywhere" exercise devise is the TRX, or Total Resistance Exercise band. TRX is ideal as it’s fully portable. The TRX is a super-strong strap apparatus that can hang from a tree or attached to a park bench or even fence top. With more that 300 exercises, the TRX incorporates stretch, Pilates and strength training in one piece of equipment. The TRX is easy for most anyone to use.

Try it: Ballard Commons Park, Ballard Corners Park, Salmon Bay Park, Marvin's Garden, Sunset Hill Park.

Perhaps one of the best reasons to take exercise outside and into your local parks is that you work harder. You’ll find you tend to push a bit harder in the great outdoors. The park is right and summer is around the corner, so why not pump it up at the park?

Cornel Chin is a celebrity fitness expert and fitness troubleshooter. He is a frequent guest on numerous television and radio shows and regularly contributes to a host of leading international publications and Web sites. He is also the author of several popular fitness books. His latest book "Celebrity Body on a Budget" is now available in all good bookstores and online. Visit Chin's Web site at www.cmcfit.co.uk.