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October 2017 — Property Management Quarterly — Page 25
comes through loud and clear – exer-
cising outside lasts longer and can
create greater results than exercising
indoors.
“If outdoor activity encourages
more activity, then it is a good thing,”
said Jacqueline Kerr, a professor
at the University of California, San
Diego, who led a study of older
adults that found outdoor exercising
lasted longer and helped reluctant or
inconsistent exercisers become more
active.
Municipal recreation centers, parks,
schools, multifamily, corporate offices
and senior living communities are
all areas where outdoor fitness areas
are expanding, and not just with
cargo nets and balance beams. There
are remarkable similarities with key
indoor equipment pieces. Apartment
complexes across the country are
plugging in to this unplugged equip-
ment trend and adding a little spir-
ited competition through low-main-
tenance sports and gaming activities
that complement the landscape and
maximize use of green areas, accord-
ing to an article from Property Man-
agement Insider.
The popularity of obstacle course
racing, mud runs and the like has
fueled a greater interest in outdoor
exercise equipment, where the ele-
ments play a part in the fitness
experience, and the tougher the bet-
ter. The range of options for outdoor
fitness equipment is vast – from
balance and stability options that
serve active-aging communities well
to performance and operational
options that can be used to train
more active athletes, first respond-
ers and military personnel. Compa-
nies like Beaver Fit can even package
a boot-camp-worthy outdoor gym
into a cargo container and ship it
anywhere.
From apartment complexes and
corporate campuses to schools
and community recreation centers,
outdoor exercise opportunities are
being considered and built at a rapid
pace. As facilities try to expand to
meet the demands of certain trends
(like functional fitness or obstacle
course training), many do not have
the available space or the flexibility
to adapt an internal space to new
options. It’s expensive and time-con-
suming to expand facilities, so many
are choosing to creatively explore
underutilized outdoor spaces to cre-
ate innovative, compelling outdoor
fitness areas.
Site planners are carving out small
spaces next to well-lit parking lots
to put in a consolidated outdoor
training system or looking at indi-
vidual pieces of equipment that
can populate spots along a paved
trail. This allows you to start with a
few pieces and add on as time and
budget allow. It also helps if the
equipment is under shade and rain
protection like a shade sail, canopy
or other structure. This will protect
the metal pieces from getting too
hot and reduce exposure to the ele-
ments. In some cases, building own-
ers with limited space are putting
outdoor fitness spaces on the roof,
which can provide both security and
a compelling view.
To properly install and secure
outdoor fitness equipment for long-
term use, concrete footings are
required to ensure a long-standing
hold of each base, and outdoor fit-
ness flooring often is considered to
absorb the impact from jumps and
landings (for other pieces of equip-
ment like balancing bars or plyomet-
ric boxes), which helps protect an
athlete’s joints.
Having an outdoor fitness area
with durable, quality equipment is
an evident and popular way to pro-
mote wellness across the communi-
ty, and it’s a benefit that many com-
munity members are seeking out,
using and appreciating, especially in
outdoor-lifestyle embracing commu-
nities across the state of Colorado.s
agement of the building, the prop-
erty manager of the rental unit, the
building insurance carrier and the
renter’s insurance carrier to bring
the situation to a swift resolution.
In summary, there are ways to
avoid delays in the mitigation pro-
cess.
• Have strong wording in the HOA
bylaws, especially when an event in
one particular unit has the potential
to affect other units.
• Keep track of where the owners
of the rental units are so you can
contact them in the case of an emer-
gency. In many cases, the owner can
turn control over to a local property
management company if they often
are out of reach – encourage this if
you have rental properties.
• Have records on what areas
already have been tested for lead
and asbestos and have come up
clean.
• Maintain a good network of pre-
approved contractors. s
How well do you know your property?
SBSA can evaluate your property and provide e ective solutions
to recurring facility maintenance, repair, and replacement
SBSA helps clients understand the physical and
financial needs by providing:
- Reserve Studies
- Capital Expenditure Plans
- Property Condition Assessments
- Feasibility Studies
- Risk Reserve Analyses
(877) 221-7272
- Home Assessments
Peppers
Marsik
Life Fitness
When outdoor space is limited, some building owners are putting fitness equipment on
the roof, which can provide both security and a compelling view.