Healthy Outlook Blog

Creative Exercise Spaces for All Ages

By Healthymagination | Posted June 3 2010

Children, Design, Fitness, Senior Citizens

Fitness centers can be intimidating to some people, especially the young and old who may be less physically capable. And most gyms and exercise spaces are not tailored to serve these specific age groups. But recently, city governments and companies around the world are using creative methods to transform exercise spaces and encourage the young and old to exercise.

London recently opened its first playground for senior citizens. The purpose of the new playground is to provide a fun and friendly outdoor space for the elderly to exercise and socialize with each other. The “Senior Playground” features pedaling and pull-up stations and other low-impact exercise machines.

And on the other end of the spectrum, In Motion is a youth wellness club in Saudi Arabia. We met with founding partner Osama Al-Othman at last week’s Games for Health conference, and he described the program as focusing on youth between the ages of seven and 17 and using age-specific activities and machines. Studies show that kids can spend over eight hours a day using the Internet, playing video games and watching television. So In Motion exploits this obsession with games through fitness programs that combine physical activity, education and interactive gaming equipment. The hope is to inspire youth to stay fit and healthy through activities they already enjoy.

Senior Playground and In Motion demonstrate how we may re-design fitness spaces to accommodate the needs and interests of specific age groups.

Pranav

Nice. Thanks

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