45 In-spire LS
S
ummer is here which makes this write up even more fitting. I've been asked on many occasions about what my opinion
is of outdoor gyms. I cannot deny that I have been a little bit of a sceptic and I do not fully believe that they have been
executed in the best manner. Having said that; the idea and the practicalities of it is very much spot on.
Pros
1) Working out outdoors is notoriously more uplifting
then being indoors.
2) You have the chance to breathe in natural oxygen as
opposed to the air ventilation units we have indoors;
particularly in gyms. As much as they are beneficial, there
is no denying that we are breathing is recycled air which
increases the risk of the spreading of viral diseases like
colds and flu's.
3) The scenery is far more appealing, especially in the
warmer months that we are in...... As a result of if being
within a park where many people go to; there will
automatically be that electric buzz that that will motivate
you to keep going. After all, what is better than having an
audience to spur you on?
4) Training outdoors also allows you to not feel confined
to a space, so you would feel much more "free" when using
the outdoor equipment.
5) The equipment is exactly like the machines you use in
the gym, the major benefit is that you don't have to pay
major monthly subscription fees and save hundreds of
pounds a year. Imagine what else you could invest that
money in.
Cons
1) Every park that I've been to that has a gym in it, is
never entirely 100% functional. Anyone could go on the
machine and without any qualified fitness instructors at
hand, many people are running the risk of getting injured
because they are not using the machines correctly and
could cause long term damage.
2) The equipment doesn't look completely safe. I've seen a
treadmill that had roller rails as the belt. That is a serious
health and safety hazard in itself and an accident just
waiting to happen. The question that must be raised is
how often are these machines checked and repaired if
something is wrong? As it's outside, it is imperative that
they are well maintained by the government and not
just left there once they've added them to the parks. The
weather has a field day with the machines as they easily
rust at the joints and wherever there is an iron nut, bolt
or screw. I have first- hand experience of using a machine
that was wet and I made sure that I `trialed' the machinery
out myself. As soon as I started to run, I felt the machine
was not in good working order.
3) The weight bearing machines should have been
designed a whole lot better then what they are. The
movements on these machines feel more difficult than
they would normally do within an outside gym.
This list of pros and cons is only based on my opinion. However, as a qualified personal trainer, I would recommend that
if you want to engage with outdoor equipment but are not completely familiar with the machines; you should book an
appointment to have an induction at your local gym and be given a complete run through on what each machine does and
what part of the body it works.
T
he
P
ros
& C
ons
of
P
ark
G
yms
In-spire LS Fitness
By Alexander Renaud @xander29_pt