A park visitor works out on outdoor gym equipment which is gaining in popularity

Outdoor fitness equipment is fast becoming the new "adult playground" at parks around the country as local citizens now prefer a total workout outside instead of just the normal jog or walk through the woods.

Park managers across the US report strong participation when they add these outside gyms, or "Fitness Zones" as they are called. That's good news, considering how there are many trends in society today causing us to burn fewer calories than normal (basically our tablets, cell phones and computers).

In fact, a recent survey of state park managers found one of their biggest concerns is how fewer and fewer young people are using park facilities. It doesn't take a university research team to figure out why: Those kids are at home on the couch playing video games