INDUSTRY FOCUS uplifting your community one pull-up at a
INDUSTRY FOCUS uplifting your community one pull-up at a
time
Many of us earn our living with our bottoms firmly stuck to a chair, not to mention the hours we spend in a car seat getting to that chair.
An economy under pressure, increasing working hours and a never-ending to-do list have led to a steady rise in stress-related illnesses. At the same time society is moving closer to a more aware way of living, in which good nutrition, the outdoors and daily exercise are becoming priorities for big corporations – the Google way of office-life being a shining example. It is in this milieu that exercise facilities have become an integral part of the offerings in mixed-use and residential development environments.
It doesn’ t seem to make much sense to exercise in a crowded, noisy, sweaty room when the glory of the South African landscape and weather await outside. With the upsurge in mixed-use development environments, where accessibility is the key financial factor, consumers are demanding that we take exercise outdoors so that we can enjoy these rewards of our working lives. And developers are answering their call.
Fitness features are no longer only a value-add amenity. Probably the most notable benefit of an outdoor gym system is the way it uses open space, doing away with the logistics of parking, rental, staff, management and overheads, Generally the space an outdoor gym occupies is underutilised in relation to the cost of its upkeep. All these factors impact directly on the property price – and, naturally, levies. Outdoor gyms not only add appeal by offering a more holistic lifestyle, but also enhance property prices thus, making the development more attractive to investors.
In 2008 Tim Hogins, founding CEO of Green Outdoor Gyms, noticed teenagers in his community doing pull-ups from trees and push-ups on the rocky ground. From humble township beginnings himself, he believed in the importance of fitness to the community and the need for wholesome communal areas. Tim worked on the simple theory that gyms don’ t have to be indoors, and needn’ t be governed by contracts and membership fees. Two years later he opened the first of his Green Outdoor Gyms( GOG) with the express purpose of taking fitness to the masses, including those who couldn’ t afford conventional gym membership.