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Over recent decades, local authorities in the UK have been busy closing children’s play areas; in some cases selling off the land for commercial purposes. Schools and parks have been dispensing with playground equipment either to optimise space for classroom buildings or, in the case of parks, to save on maintenance costs.

But at what cost does all this come and how does it affect the nation’s children?

Effects on Health

According to research carried out by the Association of Play Industries, hundreds of playgrounds have been closed since 2014 in England and this is undoubtedly one of the factors contributing to the increase in child obesity. And with almost a third of children aged 2-15 officially obese or overweight, according to government statistics, outdoor play areas with dedicated playground equipment has never been more necessary to counter the decline in physical and mental health. Children who are cooped up indoors with no outlet for their energy are more likely to suffer from depression and feelings of isolation.

Why Children Need to Play

Play is essential for the healthy development of life skills. Through playing with others, children learn how to safely interact and communicate with others; they learn skills such as problem solving and social skills such as sharing and helping others. Outdoor play also allows children to learn about the environment and can give them a lifelong love for the outdoors. Crucially, being able to play outdoors especially where robust natural playground equipment is provided, allows children to use their natural and often exuberant energy constructively.

How Outdoor Playgrounds Benefit Children

Children love having the opportunity to run around and play games as much as possible in the fresh air with their friends. When playground equipment is incorporated into outdoor play areas the benefits increase massively. Physical fitness improves through active play and through the use of diverse pieces of playground equipment groups of children learn to work out routines amongst themselves whereby they can take turns on the equipment and even invent games. You will often see a sense of healthy competition creep in which encourages them to push themselves that bit further in a bid to improve their fitness levels, especially amongst older children.

Motor skills, balance and coordination all begin to improve the more children are allowed to play outdoors and by interacting with dedicated play equipment young children especially can develop their multi-sensory needs. As physical abilities and motor skills improve levels of confidence in their abilities and social skills usually improve too.

All of this contributes to a healthy dispersion of energy levels and a lowering of stress and over time improves a child’s ability to concentrate and apply themselves to whatever task is in hand. This means a boost in productivity and success in the classroom and in relationships with friends and family.

What Will Future Playgrounds Look Like?

Thankfully, the government, local authorities and schools are belatedly waking up to the damage done to our children by closing down playgrounds and are taking steps to remedy this by reinstalling play equipment where feasible. And with increasing concern for the environment the trend is towards more sustainable, durable and attractive natural playground equipment.

Many town halls are now designating cordoned-off areas and streets specifically for children to play in with, for instance tons of sand laid out as a city centre beach scene. In recent years even London’s Trafalgar Square was temporarily grassed over to create a family-friendly environment. Traffic is increasingly banned from urban streets to allow children to play and schools are turning to woodland play settings.

The new trend is to encourage creativity and independence among children to foster a healthier sense of wellbeing.

With more and more of us becoming aware of the consequences of weight gain and lack of exercise, particularly after the enforced lockdown many of us have recently had to endure, the need to get fit and have fun again has never been more important.

It is for this reason that trim trail equipment is enjoying a boost in popularity among adults and children alike as we all rush to embrace the great outdoors. Both families and schools are now returning to traditional ideas of mental health-boosting outdoor play for children, and what better way to do so than to install outdoor play equipment.

What is Trim Trail?

Trim trail has its origins in obstacle courses designed for military training in which participants run around an obstacle course navigating as many different obstacles as possible. Trim trail training is uniquely adaptable to all kinds of outdoor spaces large and small, which makes it a perfect choice for outdoor play equipment in schools and parks.

What Trim Trail Equipment Do You Need?

Usually consisting of monkey bars, benches and beams made from natural, sustainable wood you could also throw in ropes, tyre stepping stones and wobble boards to increase the fun and challenge factors. Wooden playground equipment with its much more natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance has a greater attraction for kids than formulaic, cheap-looking plastic. What’s more, it can help to encourage children to think and plan how best to use the equipment and can foster a spirit of friendly and fun competition.

Is Trim Trail Good for all Ages?

Undoubtedly yes it is. There are so many different pieces of equipment to choose from and so many ways in which you can formulate an obstacle course to suit your particular environment and the space available to you. Your trim trail can be made less challenging and more fun-filled for younger children or more complicated and more challenging for older children who may be ready to push themselves a little harder.

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The Benefits of a Trim Trail

By taking part in trim trail, children will not only massively improve their physical fitness levels but also their mental wellbeing too by being out in the fresh air and engaging with others. They can become more motivated to push themselves towards greater fitness while at the same time improving motor skills, strength and coordination. A hidden benefit is that children also learn how to take risks in a safe, supervised activity.

With the country in lockdown for the foreseeable future the question for many is how to get your daily exercise without breaking social distancing restrictions. The most obvious solution is to utilise whatever garden space you have but if you have a small outdoor space how can you best ensure a full exercise workout whilst having fun at the same time?

Using the space you have

Rather than simply jogging around the back garden every day which, let’s face it is going get very boring very quickly, why not look at installing some good quality outdoor wooden exercise equipment.

A smaller garden will need natural exercise equipment that is compact but still highly effective and useful and which can be used by more than one person at a time.

Introduce a bit of competition

A double outdoor sit-up bench, with the two benches sitting opposite each other, introduces an element of competition for extra interest plus the angles can be adjusted for different degrees of difficulty. Triple outdoor pull-up bars incorporating different heights offer the same opportunity for family competition, or you could opt for a single pull-up bar where space is at a premium. An outdoor squat and pull-up station is a compact piece of equipment excellent for building and maintaining muscle strength and suppleness in upper and lower body. Suggested exercises for this could include pull-ups, chin-ups, leg and knee raises and if you add a barbell with weights you could add weight-assisted squats and presses to your repertoire.

Step-up steps are very good for building stamina and improving cardio-vascular health, and fun when accompanied by music!

Upper body exercise

For upper body strength natural wooden monkey bars are the ultimate test and because these, like all our equipment are constructed from steel and timber, are strong and robust enough to withstand any amount of use by adults and children alike. Plus, because this particular piece is quite a substantial construction, should you neglect your garden exercise regime once the lockdown becomes a distant memory, the monkey bars could conceivably become an attractive pergola for climbing plants!

Jump around

A mini playground trampoline, designed to sit flush at ground level, to improve balance and general fitness, has to be the most fun option for all ages.

Exercising outdoors is an excellent way to get fit whilst having fun and boosting your levels of calcium-building vitamin D. Choose a good mix of natural outdoor gym equipment to suit all the family and who knows – this could kick-start a health habit all the family can sustain for years to come.

With confirmed cases of coronavirus cases being reported all over the world daily, and deaths attributed to the virus increasing, we find ourselves in uncharted water. The WHO has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. In the UK employers are asking non-key workers to work from home where possible and all but essential trips out of the home are now forbidden. Bars, restaurants, sports facilities and parks have closed, and at the end of last week, the government declared that schools would be closed to all children except those of keyworkers and vulnerable children including those with EHCPs. As we move into spring and the weather, hopefully, improves, this means that parents will be looking for something to do with their children in order to burn off all that excess energy from being cooped up away from their friends. Exercise is still so important, even more so in these strange times, and for those people who can exercise in the current circumstances, this is best achieved at home. So, if you are fortunate enough to have a garden here are some ways to utilise it.

How can you exercise in the garden?

The garden makes an excellent place to exercise. Not only is it free, but there is plenty of fresh air as well. While many people think of exercise as being something that you might need special equipment for, the good news is that there is actually plenty of things that you can do in your garden that don’t need any special equipment. General garden tasks are an excellent example of this. If you think about mowing a lawn, especially a large one, then you are walking backwards and forwards a lot, and then, of course, there is the lifting involved in emptying the grass out. Digging flowerbeds is also great exercise and when you combine it with picking up weeds means you are squatting and bending as well. Remember, exercise is about working different parts of the body, and getting your garden summer ready after a long winter could certainly count as a workout.

Cleaning the outside of your windows and your ledges, especially if it involves climbing a ladder is a great way to exercise outside as well. If you really just want to move your gym session outdoors then why not consider things like lunges, bicycles, jumping jacks, press-ups, burpees or even crunches. If you can do it in a gym without any special equipment, then you can probably do it in your garden as well. The same could be said for that weekly Pilates session. Move it outside and commune with nature at the same time. Being in the garden will really give you a chance to be at one with nature.

If you prefer something a little more strenuous or challenging, then why not contemplate moving your yoga session into the garden, the natural surroundings make it the perfect place for yoga. Any exercise routine with jumping jacks, press-ups and burpees, or other aerobic exercises can be done in your garden just as easily as it can indoors. Strength training can also be incorporated quite easily, walking lunges is one great exercise that you can incorporate, along with wall sits and press ups and your garden furniture can double up for exercises such as tricep dips too. In fact, once you move outside for your exercise, then you may be reluctant to move back indoors, and who could blame you? Of course, the British weather might have other ideas.

Equipment based exercise

Natural outdoor gym equipment offers a great way to get a workout in the garden without really noticing that you are doing exercise. Children love monkey bars, and don’t tell anyone, but plenty of adults do as well! They offer a really great way to improve coordination and upper body strength, and they are great fun too. If you don’t want to swing from one bar to another, which is harder then it looks, then they can work really well for pull-ups or chin-ups as well. Getting outside with the kids is something that many of us will be looking to do while we’re ‘on lockdown’ and many pieces of outdoor play equipment can double up as workout equipment for you too!

Wooden outdoor play equipment comes in a variety of different forms, so if you were thinking the choice is limited to swings and slides, then you would be wrong. A good quality garden trampoline is not only fun for the whole family but a great way to exercise outdoors. It is a workout for both the arms and legs, and once you get the hang of using it, it can also be useful for the core muscles too.

Monkey bars are, in fact, the perfect CrossFit solution that could fit perfectly into your garden and your exercise regime. If you don’t have children but would like to mimic the workout from a monkey bar workout, a pull-up bar, combined with a squat station could be the perfect solution. Exercising outdoors doesn’t mean you have to drag your weights bench outside, either. You could have a range of wooden outdoor gym equipment to suit your specific workout needs. From sit up benches to dip bars, natural gym equipment made from solid wood and stainless steel could be the durable (and beautiful) solution to getting just what you need for your workout in the great outdoors.

Conclusion

No one knows just how long this pandemic will last for, but one thing is very clear – as our movements become increasingly limited we need to find other ways in which we can exercise, especially if exercising is already an important part of our day to day routine. For many of us that might mean moving outdoors, especially as the weather improves, and using the space that we have. This might simply mean moving your current aerobic exercise routine outdoors, or it might mean creating a new routine that will incorporate the use of natural outdoor gym equipment. Whichever way you choose to move forward a good exercise routine will not only help to keep you healthy but can also assist in maintaining a sense of wellbeing; something that will be very important in the coming weeks and maybe months. Who knows – exercising in the garden could soon be a habit that we choose to keep up in the long run, making it an excellent hobby for years after this period of uncertainty. The NHS also have a helpful guide to home fitness that can pretty much be performed anywhere.

Kids, wherever they are, love to play and are naturally attracted to playground swings and equipment. You may be surprised to learn though that there are many differences around the world in what constitutes a suitable and safe play area.

Here in the UK we are very aware of the need to keep our children as safe as they can be whilst playing outside and at the same time we prefer natural environmentally friendly products. This is why natural wooden playground equipment is becoming more popular. We like our children’s outdoor playground equipment to be as safe and as sustainable as possible, but how do the rest of the world do it?

Japan

In contrast to the ‘safety first’ attitude we have here, the Japanese are perhaps not so hot on this. In fact the Japanese tend not to use safety surfaces as they don’t think it teaches a good example to children! A school in Tokyo has built a playground/sports area on the roof of the building. It could be described as semi-outdoors as it has a retractable roof which closes in bad weather. There is no outdoor play equipment though and definitely no safety flooring! There unique approach doesn’t just stop there. Many of their design can’t be seen anywhere else in the world and are truly inspiring. Check out this great article to see what we mean

Bethlehem

Sadly, children here learn to play behind the thickest walls they can find to protect themselves against gunfire at their school on the West Bank. Even though there’s no sign of any play equipment at all the children still somehow learn to play. An example of how play is innate in children and always finds a way no matter where children are. Activities such as parkour have become popular too as children find any means to challenge and entertain themselves using the environment around them.

Bhutan Monastery

Even though the children live under strict rules they are still allowed outside for play and socialisation and although there is no obvious sign of any play equipment, they have the spectacular scenery around to inspire them.

The USA

In America, the emphasis is very much on athleticism rather than academia in many high schools, and to this end schools pride themselves on the provision of gym space for cheerleaders to practice in and outdoor sports fields and running tracks. The benefit of outdoor wooden and natural play equipment has yet to take root in many US schools. Perhaps this as deemed too risky in a society where litigation and compensation is more common.

Averoy, Norway

There is a small island school which is connected to the mainland by a recently built tunnel and which has pupils from the ages of 5-13. These children are lucky enough to be able to play outside in the brisk fresh air among the trees but with rudimentary play equipment provided. Scandinavians are famed for their natural playgrounds which have been proven to create healthy minds and bodies

Russia

Despite Russia’s reputation for stern austerity they do set great store by encouraging their children to play, and playgrounds are provided all across the country in parks and public areas as well as in schools. Their playgrounds are very creative and often build very creative and natural playgrounds. Some of their playgrounds contain some quite wacky ideas! One playground is contained within a scaled down copy of Moscow City Kremlin while others have statues of bears, mermaids and even dragons beside the swings. By and large though Russian playgrounds are definitely not designed with ‘safety first’ and believe in the benefits of ‘risky play’.

The best eco-friendly playgrounds

Many countries are becoming keen to ditch plastics and unsustainable metals in favour of re-using and repurposing what they already have to make play equipment. The Wikado Playground in The Netherlands uses old windmills and modern wind turbines to construct a maze-like play area while in Thailand the Rubber Tree Playground features play equipment made from discarded tyres and bamboo.

The Lion’s Playground in Alabama, USA makes interesting use of 2000 recycled steel drums while in Brazil one children’s play area features a labyrinth made entirely from recycled cardboard.

We think way playgrounds are designed and built in each country is a true reflection of their society. When it comes to sustainable and natural outdoor playground equipment it’s good to know that some parts of the world at least are coming around to our way of thinking!

When it comes to making New Year promises to ourselves most of us will resolve to put exercise at the top of the list. The urge to improve general fitness always follows on from the festive season splurge and for good reason but before you rush to sign up for that expensive gym membership why not look at a healthy alternative.

People are increasingly looking for a more sustainable way to get fitter and one which doesn’t involve queuing behind a bunch of sweaty people in various stages of undress to use an equally sweaty piece of gym equipment. There is an alternative and the new kid on the block is natural outdoor gym equipment.

What Is It?

Outdoor gym equipment is increasingly seen in parks, schools and other recreation areas and even in some work areas as the huge benefits of exercising outdoors becomes ever more apparent. The best wooden outdoor gym equipment is constructed from sustainable, durable and hygienic untreated hardwood timber and stainless steel and can be made up to your personal specifications. When placed in an outdoor setting it is readily available for use at all times. Many councils and schools across the UK are beginning to see the benefits that installing wooden playground equipment can bring to the health and wellbeing of our children – and these benefits exist for adults too.

What are the benefits of outdoor fitness?

When the weather outside is less than delightful you may question the wisdom of leaving the comfort of the fireside to do some exercise however studies show that outdoor fitness in the winter has multiple beneficial effects.

A natural antidepressant. If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) then the best thing you can do is get outside into the winter sunshine. Sunshine increases the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin.
When you get together with friends or a group to exercise outdoors you learn from each other the best way to use the equipment and you can gain encouragement from them to stick to your new exercise routine. Best of all, it’s like being a kid again; the fun aspect of exercising on outdoor gym equipment boosts mental health and wellbeing.
The benefits of fresh air cannot be underestimated; improvement to blood pressure and heart rate, increased lung capacity and increased energy all contribute towards better overall health.

Exercising outdoors in the winter sunshine and fresh air then afterwards back indoors for a well-earned rest and warm drink – what could be nicer? And if the exercise experience is nice, it’s far more likely you’ll repeat it, so you could actually be right on track for a new, improved and fitter you!

Industrial estates have always been fairly soulless places where people go to work and then go home at the end of the day having seen nothing but concrete and car parks.

But now things are changing fast as businesses increasingly see valuing the health of their employees as one of the ways in which they can retain a happy, healthy and productive workforce. And one of the ways in which this can be achieved is by subscribing to the benefits of incorporating outdoor fitness equipment into industrial parks.

Outdoor Gyms Increasing in Popularity

The Americans have long bought into the idea of the concept of outdoor gyms and particularly natural outdoor fitness equipment and green spaces in the work environment. And now UK employers are catching up too. Many new industrial parks are built according to strict regulations which not only emphasise safety but also with a nod to improving physical and mental health. Outdoor fitness equipment is now seen as something which can bring enormous benefits in terms of employee health and can also help to attract new businesses to industrial areas.

What are the Health Benefits?

Outdoor fitness equipment is designed to be used by everyone regardless of their fitness levels and it can be arranged so that it can be used by groups or individual persons. Aside from the obvious increase in physical fitness which comes from using the equipment regularly there are added benefits as well. People exercising together during breaks or after work tend to form greater bonds than if they see each other purely as work colleagues. Friendships and alliances are formed which can spill over into the work environment and this can lead to an increase in workplace morale and productivity.

Take a look at this great article about the benefits of outdoor fitness

What Equipment Would You Need?

A specialist manufacturer of natural outdoor fitness equipment will be only too happy to offer advice on which key pieces of equipment you will need. But generally speaking you would probably benefit from several pieces which incorporate workouts for upper and lower body as well as cardio machines for overall fitness.

In recent years public parks and children’s playgrounds have embraced the fitness ethos in a bid to tackle the growing obesity crisis and the need for healthy environmentally beneficial outdoor spaces. Thankfully the developers of new industrial parks and enlightened employers are also seeing how green spaces, and outdoor wooden gym equipment can enhance the working environment and the lives of their workers. A great investment that provides a great return. A thoughtful design draws in passing trade. A great reflection of the working communities forward thinking and commitment to the health of their valued staff.

Natural play equipment offers more than you might think. Traditionally, new housing estates have been built to a certain formula where the available space is filled solely with buildings and with little thought of incorporating more than the minimum green space, usually in the form of a lifeless patch of grass.

Thankfully this is now changing with more enlightened local authorities setting out recommendations relating to the importance of developing public open spaces and play environments. The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) requires developers to provide the ‘appropriate amount of and mix of public open space provision.’ And we think natural play equipment fits with this perfectly.

Enhancement to Quality of Life

Developers and local authorities are at last waking up to the advantages of green spaces and play areas and the benefits to public health, particularly the health of our children. With the loss of so many school sports fields over recent decades opportunities for children to enjoy healthy outdoor play has diminished. Not least is the benefit to wildlife when areas of green space are created with the health of our ecological system in mind.

Natural Outdoor Play Equipment for Health Benefits

We have always known that outdoor play is the best route to good health for children. Every child should have the chance to play outdoors in the fresh air and in a safe environment and thankfully future developments will incorporate open, healthy green spaces where children can play on natural outdoor play equipment and explore the surroundings.

Abolish the Plastic

Now that developers are legally obliged to incorporate designated play areas into new estates, with clear guidance set out for how this should be done, there is a wonderful opportunity to embrace the benefits of natural playground equipment. Where outdoor play equipment has been provided in the past this has usually taken the form of cheap, mass-produced plastic items designed with a limited shelf-life. Modern outdoor play equipment made from durable, sustainable and safe hardwood timber and long-lasting stainless steel is not only good to look at it is environmentally friendly and eco-conscious too. Today’s families are all too aware of the damage plastics are doing to the planet and want local authorities and developers to plan new estates with sustainability in mind.

Safety First and Foremost

Children will always find ways to injure themselves and past playground developments have undoubtedly been far from the safest places for children to play. With this in mind safety surfacing is incorporated into wooden outdoor playgrounds which is not only less likely to cause serious injury but also fulfils the obligation to enhance and protect the natural environment. These safety surfacing options include grass mats and rubber mulch. Both of which are made from recycled rubber tyres.

It isn’t a secret that regular exercise is an excellent way to improve vitality, as well as promote both physical and mental health, but did you know that exercising outside can actually increase these benefits? According to many fitness experts, it can. In fact, many people are now referring to exercising in the garden as “green exercise” and it is believed to have numerous health enhancing effects on the body. But those aren’t the only benefits to exercising in the to keep physically fit. Exercising in the garden can also be a convenient, and cost effective, alternative to exercising at the gym, as well as a great way to encourage the entire family to participate in physical fitness. And getting a garden gym made from natural materials can certainly make a stylish addition to your garden.

Privacy

While going to the gym can be great in terms of the selection of outdoor fitness equipment to choose from, the total lack of privacy can often be uncomfortable. Exercising in the privacy of your own garden on the other hand allows for a private and more importantly, stress-free atmosphere that will encourage the whole family to commit to a regular fitness routine. Depending on the outdoor gym equipment you’d like installed, you could even make circuit training a family activity where you all keep each other motivated.

A More Cost-effective Way To Stay Fit

Gym memberships can cost hundreds of pounds a year to maintain. And while you can’t put a price on good health, having a gym membership isn’t your only option for staying physically fit – and it isn’t the most cost-effective option either. Especially when you compare the cost of a gym membership per annum to the cost of purchasing your own outdoor gym equipment that will last you for years to come. Creating your own outdoor gym in the privacy of your garden can not only offer a convenient and private workout setting, it can save you tons of money in the long run. And, if you choose custom built outdoor gym equipment tailored to your fitness plan, you’re not wasting money on equipment that you’ll never use – let’s face it, no matter how well stocked a gym is with all kinds of different equipment, we only really use a few pieces.

A Faster and More Convenient Way To Keep in Shape

One of the most common reasons that people give for not being able to keep to a consistent exercise routine is lack of time. Going to the gym to exercise often means having to navigate traffic, then search for a parking spot, followed by manoeuvring through a crowded locker room – all this before your workout has even begun! And unless you have joined a gym that is open 24 hours a day, your exercise is limited to the times that the gym is open. When you have outdoor fitness equipment in your garden, you can enjoy the convenience of working out in the comfort of your own property whenever you choose. This will also allow your entire family to exercise together, or around their own individual schedules, making it easier than ever to commit to a healthy, and physically active, lifestyle.

Remember, our outdoor fitness equipment can also be used for play. Mixed use equipment really makes a the most of the space and budget and can easily by tailored to your needs. Take a look at a previous blog post about how garden playground equipment such as monkey bars and swings can be used as part of you fitness routine.

Here’s a great video showing various fitness techniques that can be performed on garden fitness equipment.

When it comes to keeping fit there really is no better place to be than the great outdoors, breathing in all that healthy natural fresh air whilst getting some exercise.

Unfortunately, so much of the outdoor fitness equipment you will come across has been designed purely with functionality in mind, and it can be something of an eyesore set against the natural backdrop of a stunning park or garden. In a society that is looking to reduce its use of plastic it is fortunate therefore that there are other alternatives to equipment that is made from less environmentally friendly materials and from bold colours, that whilst appealing to younger people, really do not fit into their surroundings.

Return to nature with outdoor fitness equipment

Wood is a fantastic, and of course natural, material that is perfectly suited to the building of equipment for both indoor and outdoor use. It makes a perfect base for any natural outdoor fitness equipment that can be incorporated into any natural environment where it will enhance rather than detract from the natural beauty. It is also a much more environmentally friendly material that does not harm the environment around it.

There are more and more innovations in outdoor fitness equipment that has been designed specifically with the goal of fitting into the natural environment. This equipment stands out for all the right reasons rather than the wrong ones. In addition to a variety of different types of timber, this type of outdoor fitness equipment is often made using rope and steel components to provide equipment that is very aesthetically pleasing in any environment. In addition to naturally durable timbers which can be used to form the main parts of the equipment you might also expect to see tree trunk “barrels” or thick slices being used as steps or even seats.

Think around the problem

Sometimes there is no getting away from the need to use certain materials for outdoor fitness equipment that is of a less environmentally friendly nature. However it is still possible to create something that blends with the environment in a more natural way. Outdoor trampolines have become increasingly popular in recent years, but they are large and really not that pretty to look at. Sinking a trampoline into the ground, however, is a great way to hide the necessary, framework from sight. The trampoline skin will lie level with the ground making is less obvious and much more environmentally and user friendly.

By using a little clever thinking there are plenty of ways in which you can create an outdoor fitness environment that blends into its surroundings.