CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - October 2017
During the summer months, outside becomes an ideal place to continue a fitness routine while taking in the Colorado blue skies, fresh air and sunshine. Baseball diamonds fill up, soccer fields overflow, and trails become crowded with runners and bikers. If those aren’t quite your “thing,” take heart, as there are other ways to enjoy outdoor fitness, even if you want a similar structure to the one you’re used to year-round. Functional fitness training and strength training alike use equipment to guide body movements and help support performance, and some of those equipment pieces are finding their way outside. At first glance, you might think back to your childhood playground, but today’s outdoor fitness areas aren’t just for the young. More and more, fitness equipment is being integrated into landscape plans as outdoor exercise equipment options are becoming more common and available in communities where outdoor lifestyles are prevalent. At the Village at Belmar, a newly opened senior living community in Lakewood, the presence of outdoor fitness equipment encourages more physical activity among residents who routinely are found walking the grounds on the ¼-mile walking path and stepping up on one of several outdoor fitness stations. “Working out outside breaks up the routine and energizes you in different ways, so it’s a great option for those who enjoy that, especially in Colorado,” said Bonnie Bachman, executive director at the Village at Belmar. “Our community members are lovers of the outdoors, and it’s great to be able to work out under a roofless blue sky with the birds as onlookers and the mountains in view.” Since Colorado routinely gets 300 sunny days each year, this equipment will see plenty of use year-round. It’s accessible even to seniors who don’t have as much kick in their steps as they once did, and it’s easy to use. Many facilities like the Village at Belmar pair an outdoor fitness setup with an accompanying indoor facility, which can then combine more technologically interconnected cardio equipment with the simpler functional movement pieces outdoors, so that users get the best of both worlds. Outdoor fitness continues to rank among the top 20 trends in fitness, according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends. Outdoor options can help address the rising childhood obesity crisis alongside meeting the needs for other age groups, interests and athletic abilities. Capitalizing on a number of these trends, companies that are creating outdoor fitness equipment are combining scalable body weight training stations with extremely durable construction and galvanized, weatherproof materials so that equipment can stand up to all of the elements. Surprisingly customizable, outdoor fitness stations can be reconfigured to change height choices for steps and jumps, adjustable hand positions for upper body rowing and pulling exercises, moved to different press positions and the resistance levels can be altered. By offering everything from basic balance and cardio exercises to resistance training and high intensity interval training, simple equipment installations like a dip or press station, boxes for stepping or jumping, pull-down machines and ski/slide/glide options can deliver a full-body workout, all challenging whatever the individual’s personal fitness level may be. Differences in terrain can work different muscle groups and improve balance and coordination when compared to more controlled indoor environments. Wind and temperature fluctuations have different impacts on cardiovascular endurance and stamina. Physiologically, exercising outside just seems to boost the overall effect. Though studies have small control groups and sometimes blurry scientific parameters, one result comes through loud and clear – exercising 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 equipment trend and adding a little spirited competition through low-maintenance sports and gaming activities that complement the landscape and maximize use of green areas, according to an article from Property Management Insider. The popularity of obstacle course racing, mud runs and the like has fueled a greater interest in outdoor exercise equipment, where the elements play a part in the fitness experience, and the tougher the better. 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 responders and military personnel. Companies 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-consuming to expand facilities, so many are choosing to creatively explore underutilized outdoor spaces to create 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 individual 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 elements. In some cases, building owners 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 fitness flooring often is considered to absorb the impact from jumps and landings (for other pieces of equipment like balancing bars or plyometric boxes), which helps protect an athlete’s joints. Having an outdoor fitness area with durable, quality equipment is an evident and popular way to promote wellness across the community, and it’s a benefit that many community members are seeking out, using and appreciating, especially in outdoor-lifestyle embracing communities across the state of Colorado.