Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Overview
- Length: 1.5 Miles
- Hiking Time: 30 – 45 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy (Beginner-Friendly)
- Elevation Gain: 30 feet
- Route: Out-And-Back
- Best Season: Any Season. Plowed in the winter.
- Pets Allowed: Yes (leashed)
- Kid-Friendly: Yes.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Trailhead Location: Located at the North parking lot on the Chippewa Creek Road, almost 1/4 mile before Riverview Road
Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Guide
- Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Overview
- Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail (Brecksville Reservation)
- Expert Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Virtual Hike
- Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Map
- How to Get There (Driving Directions)
- Learn More About Brecksville Reservation Hikes
Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail (Brecksville Reservation)
The Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail is a 1.5-mile, out-and-back paved trail in the Brecksville Reservation (Cleveland Metroparks). According to the Cleveland Metroparks, “The physical fitness trail consists of 18 exercise stations. Each station provides a different type of exercise.”.
Regardless of age or fitness level, this trail provides individuals seeking active pursuits with a fulfilling and fun experience. It is a flat course with spectacular views and different exercises targeting all parts of the body.
Below is a list of the 18 exercise stations that you can visit while walking the Brecksville Reservation All-Purpose Trail:
- Achilles Stretch
This station focuses on stretching the Achilles tendon. Stretching the tendon can improve ankle flexibility and range of motion and help prevent numerous injuries.
2. Sit-and-Reach
The sit-and-reach station stretches the lower back, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Its primary benefits are helping with movement, allowing one to lift items, preventing injury, and maintaining good posture.
3. Touch-Toes
The Touch-Toes Station focuses on another exercise that helps flexibility and strength of core muscles, hamstrings, lower back, and calf muscles. The purpose of this exercise station is to relieve tension in those muscles, increase athletic performance, and promote relaxation.
4. Knee-Lift
This exercise focuses on continuously bringing your knees to your chest. The purpose is to improve cardiovascular health, lower body strength, core activation, hip flexibility, and weight loss.
5. Jumping Jacks
Jumping Jacks is one of the most well-known exercises taught from elementary school to fitness classes. This exercise helps improve cardiovascular health, weight loss, and lower-body and core strength.
6. Log Hop
The log hop exercise is called the lateral hop or side-to-side jump. This exercise’s benefits include improved cardiovascular health, coordination, lower body strength, and hip and ankle stability.
7. Step-Up
The step-up exercise station is straightforward for anyone to do. All it involves is stepping up onto the block and back down. Expect improved lower-body strength, functional movement, balance and stability, and unilateral strength development.
8. Circle Body
The circle body exercise, or hanging rings, can provide numerous workout variations. Depending on the type of workout you perform, it can improve core stability, grip strength, joint stability, and upper body strength.
9. Body Curl
The body curl may be the most popular and famous exercise on this list. This exercise aims to help strengthen the core and improve abdominal endurance, increase stabilizer muscle engagement, and enhance spinal flexion.
10. Chin-Up
The Chin-Up exercise is another famous workout that almost everyone knows about. This exercise strengthens back muscles while helping develop biceps, shoulder stability, core and grip strength, and provides a challenging bodyweight exercise.
11. Hop Kick
The Hop-Kick exercise is a cardiovascular move often practiced in martial arts. It helps improve lower-back muscles, core stability, agility, and coordination.
12. Vault Bar
The vault bar is commonly seen in gymnastics, parkour, or other athletic activities. It can significantly improve explosive power, upper body strength, flexibility, and core stability and strength.
13. Sit-Up
The Sit-Up is the most basic and common core exercise practiced for decades. The main purpose of the exercise is to improve core strength and stability, agility, and overall power.
14. Push-Up
Like the sit-up, the push-up is a fundamental and most commonly practiced upper body strength exercise for the last few decades. This exercise will help improve upper body strength, explosiveness, and movement.
15. Bench Leg Raise
The bench leg raise is the perfect workout for the core and hip muscles. Leverage this exercise for a low-impact way to improve strength, muscle engagement, and stability in the above muscles.
16. Hand Walk
The handwalk is a lesser-known exercise that yields incredible results. Expect an improvement in shoulder mobility, upper body strength, core stability, and functional movement
17. Leg Stretch
The leg stretch is a great way to cool down as you come to the end of the 18-exercise circuit. This exercise will target a stretch for your legs and hips.
18. Balance Beam
No circuit exercise would be complete without the balance beam. This station will help you improve coordination and balance.
Expert Tip
The Brecksville Reservation Physical Fitness Trail can be completed as one course from exercise stations 1 – 18, in reverse order, or in different sections.
To create the most effective exercise circuit, it is recommended that you complete it from 1 to 18. This will allow you to stretch and warm up as the creators appropriately intended and also allow you to track your progress better as your training continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can bike on this trail. It is part of the Brecksville Reservation All-Purpose Trail.
Yes, you can bring leashed dogs on the trail at any time of the year
The path itself is incredibly easy and can be done by anyone. The exercise stations vary in degrees of difficulty. With practice anyone should be able to do all 18 exercise stations.
Carrying a phone, water, hiking boots or shoes, and a light snack is always recommended.
There are 18 exercise stations.
This is a great way to get your children into physical activities in a fun and safe environment.
This trail is recommended for individuals with mobility challenges or physical disabilities. It should be noted that not all exercises may be doable for those with mobility challenges or physical disabilities.
The exercise stations are not crowded. You should have no problem using any of them without waiting. It should be noted that the All-Purpose Trail it is part of gets crowded in the summer and on weekends.
Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Virtual Hike
Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail Map
How to Get There (Driving Directions)
The easiest way to the Brecksville Physical Fitness Trail is to put the Brecksville Reservation into your phone and GPS. This will bring you to the closest parking lot to the trailhead.
Driving Directions:
- When driving, enter the Brecksville Reservation off Royalton Road (Route 82). Follow the road straight for approximately 1.5 miles. Right before you reach Riverview Road, take a left and enter the last parking lot. This parking lot will be used for the beginning of the Physical Fitness Trail.
Learn More About Brecksville Reservation Hikes
While the Physical Fitness Trail provides a great circuit course for individuals who want to try different exercises, numerous trails within the Brecksville Reservation can achieve similar cardiovascular results. Check out some of my other favorite hikes below:
- Deer Lick Cave Loop Trail
- Wildflower Loop Trail
- White Oak Trail
- Hemlock Trail
- Gorge Loop Trail
- My Mountain Trail
