We all know that kids need playgrounds to interact in but did you know seniors need playgrounds also as a means of physical fitness and social interaction. In what looks like a bunch of bars and pulleys in an open space, are graffiti-resistant stainless steel machines that are spread out over a layer of what looks like a soft pliable natural looking surface.
As the population ages and our birth rates continues to decline, the elderly population is a growing demographic. Have you noticed how people in China use simple pieces of equipment to exercise in parks and on streets? In America we need to adapt the Chinese idea with machines suited to overall American heights and sizes the cost for building senior playgrounds is inexpensive compared to equipping a playground with children’s play structures.
Machines, like the flexibility machine, a metal pole with two big red pulleys and handlebars attached. “It’s really good for you,” demonstration panels show you the use of each activity like the leg trainer, which looks like a swing for legs for example.
Attempted the back-massage machine in which one has to bend at the knees to rub their back against a knobby texture can be very pleasant and beneficial.
Opening a fitness course or playground for seniors you need to keep in mind that when most the adults have gone home, children run for the machines.
Outdoor fitness equipment that consists of wellness activities designed specifically for active older adults, will also needs to have safety surfacing. What looks like a natural product in a natural setting is actuality a synthetic rubber safety surfacing from ProDek Inc. This resilient surface allows for floor exercises which make for a well rounded fitness routine for seniors.
This is such a great idea. I’ve always thought there should be adult playgrounds where adults can meet and play on equipment just like they did when they were kids. Basketball and tennis courts are fine for the athletic types, but the rest of who may not be into sports need some way to strestch our muscles, pump our hearts and get our blood flowing. The physical benefits are enormous, but so are the social implications.