Fresh air and fi tness
trim trail, circuits, and fl oor space for aerobics and dance. T e equipment is fully compliant to European playground safety standards and the zones have been carefully planned with fi tness professionals, off ering gym equipment and exercise options to improve cardiovascular performance, muscle tone, core strength and balance.’ T e new Family Fitness Zones were created in
response to survey data that showed a signifi cant trend of family members using TGO outdoor gyms. A 2009 survey at a facility in Greenwich revealed that 67 per cent of users came with at least one family member – including dads encouraging their children, competitive siblings and grandparents with energetic grandchildren. Another survey, carried out in 2009 by Nielsen at
the Tower Hamlets adiZone facility, categorised users into 6 key groups: ‘parents with babies and toddlers’; ‘families and tweenies’; ‘teens’; ‘gym intents’; ‘cardio actives’; and ‘curious trialists’. Since 2008, T e Great Outdoor Gym Company has
also been working with adidas to deliver adiZones – youth-focused multi-purpose outdoor fi tness facilities, with a large outdoor gym, basketball and football
YOU CAN THROW DOWN A MAT AND GO THROUGH A STRENGTH AND CORE WORKOUT, WITHOUT ATTRACTING AN AUDIENCE
area, climbing wall, tennis wall and a freestyle area for aerobics, dance, yoga and martial arts. T ere are now more than 40 such facilities open across the UK. T e adiZone programme was awarded central
government funding from the Department of Children, Schools and Families, with a key political objective being to encourage partnership-working among services such as schools, clubs, activity providers, community facilities, health centres and residential groups. T e Youth Sport Trust is coordinating a nationwide ‘activation programme’ to off er opportunities for children, young people and adults to participate in structured activity sessions at the adiZones. So is the headlong rush to the great outdoors having
any eff ect on gym operators – after all, why would someone pay to work out when they can do it on essentially the same equipment for free? T e growth of outdoor gyms seems assured, but will they represent a challenge for more traditional indoor facilities? As yet few, if any, leisure centres are providing an
outdoor alternative – even in the summer months – but, in these austere times, perhaps the lure of free workouts on proper equipment will represent a tempting alternative. Only time will tell.
www.imspa.co.uk
I M S INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The 2nd edition of IMSPA’s Integrated Management System will assist you in developing the co-ordinated
approach to procedural controls which is fundamental to the effective and efficient management of sport and recreation centres.
The IMS has been fully updated and
revised and features 22 entirely new sections to accounts for changes in good practice and legislation. For the first
time, the entire resource is supplied on CD-ROM, with the express intention that users create an easily updateable site- specific set of procedure documents.
The 2nd edition of the IMS is available
now from IMSPA. For more information, visit
www.imspa.co.uk or call us on Tel: 01509 226474.
www.imspa.co.uk
Sportphysical activity &
May 2011 »35
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