While considering additions to campus recreation opportunities for students, why not include an outdoor gym? A fitness zone on university grounds is an easy and convenient way for students to get active and enjoy the benefits of working out outdoors.
1. Students Can Reap the Mental Health Benefits of Green Exercise
College is stressful because students are balancing classes, work, social life and sleep. As a result, that leaves little time for self-care. An option to increase student wellness is to create a fitness destination for students to escape on campus. According to Extreme Physiology & Medicine, the first five minutes of green exercise in nature has the greatest impact on mood and self-esteem. It also relieves tension. Exercising at an outdoor gym can have an immediate effect on the mental health of college students.
Mississippi State University has a great example of a campus fitness destination. They placed a 13-Person Cross Fitness Rig and Legacy Series units next to their lake on a trail, so students and faculty can exercise with a view. What better way to entice students with taking a self-care break.
2. Study Breaks Between Class
One of the major learning curves in college or university can be time management. While college can be a balancing act, it only takes 30 minutes of exercise each weekday to meet the CDC’s recommendation for staying healthy. Having a fitness zone in a centralized location on campus makes working out between classes that much easier. If 30 minutes is too long, then students can break up their workouts throughout the day.
3. Include the Whole Campus Community with Signature Accessible Units
Signature Accessible equipment is a great way to make fitness more accessible to students and faculty in wheelchairs on campus. The patented (U.S. Patents 9,079,069 and 11,130,039) Signature Accessible units are designed to both strengthen the upper body muscles used to propel manual wheelchairs, and also exercise the reverse muscles to help prevent injuries. If the goal is to create a more inclusive university fitness experience, this equipment can certainly help with that goal. Moreover, students and faculty in wheelchairs can exercise alongside their able-bodied friends.
4. Create a Multigenerational Fitness Zone Where Students and Faculty Can Exercise for Free
Exercising at an outdoor gym is every college student’s favorite word: free! There’s no gym membership required, just the motivation to get outside and get the heart pumping! To make fitness more approachable, it is a great idea to mix product lines to ensure all ages of students and faculty will be included. The Legacy Series is great for beginners and older users because it uses a proportion of the user’s body weight. The Professional Series offers adjustable resistance for those used to indoor machines. Functional Fitness rigs appeal to advanced users because of Cross Fitness-like approach of the work outs.
Outdoor gyms are an inclusive and social way for students to reap the benefits of exercising outdoors. Greenfields’ many options allow you to customize gyms and packages to fit any size and shape of area. What space will you build for your campus?