YOUR CHILDREN PLAY WHILE YOU EXERCISE
As outdoor gyms are often set up in a park or community environments, it means that your kids can run around and play while you get time to exercise. Definitely a win, win! If your park doesn’t happen to have a fitness set up as yet, you can try to do some exercises on the grass or even using the monkey bars for chin ups and rows.
Furthermore, studies have shown that exercising outdoors comes with a range of physical and mental health benefits and has since been dubbed ‘green exercise’.
Research has found that ‘green exercise’ leads to increased energy, decreased levels of stress, confusion and depression when compared to indoor exercise.
SOCIAL
We live in an age where many of us don’t even know our neighbours and as a result many of us are missing out on the social community environment that our parents would have enjoyed.
The good news is that these gyms are designed to be social as they are often set up in local neighbourhoods. After doing a few sessions at your local outdoor gym, you will no doubt start to spot the regulars and your training experience will become social in no time. Better still, invite your mums group to come along with you.
GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
We live in a time where 2 in 3 adults are overweight
- 1 in 4 Australian children are overweight
- Heart Disease is the biggest killer in Australia and the most costly health issue
- One Australian develops diabetes every 5 minutes and diabetes costs the health sector $14.9 billion per year
- According to a 2014 report, Australians are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety than ever before. This may come down to inactivity levels, lack of sunshine and lack of face to face social behaviour due to the rise of technology and/or long working hours.
GOOD FOR THE MIND
Outdoor exercise provides mental stimulation that indoor workouts simply cannot match because no matter whether you train in your home or in a gym, you are still surrounded by four walls. Training outdoors means you have constantly changing scenery that stimulates your brain (plus you get to people watch)!
