Archive for the ‘News’ category

In just over two years, The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGO) working with Park Leisure Ltd have designed, supplied, installed and maintained over 100 outdoor gyms and fitness areas across the UK. Now TGO and Park Leisure have teamed up again to design innovative Family Fitness Zones.

Family Fitness Zones are spaces designed for the whole family to enjoy exercise for free, in the great outdoors. The zones incorporate mini and senior gym equipment, trim trail, circuits, and floor space for aerobics and dance. The equipment is fully compliant to European playground safety standards and the zones have been carefully planned with fitness professionals, offering gym equipment and exercise options to improve cardiovascular performance, muscle tone, core strength and balance.

Family Fitness Zones have been created in response to survey data which showed a significant trend of family members using TGO outdoor gyms. A 2009 survey at a facility in Greenwich revealed that 67% of users came with at least one family member – including Dads encouraging their children, competitive siblings and grandparents with energetic grandchildren.

Another survey, carried out in 2009 by Nielsen at the Tower Hamlets adiZone facility, categorised users into 6 key groups: ‘parents with babies and toddlers’; ‘families and tweenies’; ‘teens’; ‘gym intents’; ‘cardio actives’; and ‘curious trialists’. Survey findings showed that Mums came with their prams because the free open-access facility allowed them to exercise without the need for a babysitter. Adults used the gym equipment whilst they kept an eye on their toddlers or played football with them. And families were recorded interacting with each other throughout the facility with peak usage in weekday early evenings and at weekends.

Family Fitness Zones have been designed with the casual visitor to the exercise regular in mind. They provide a free outdoor area for sports development coaches or trainers to run sessions or motivate others to keep fit. Fun, instructional signage helps users to create their own workout routine, and a lively range of bolt-ons further serve the user – including bike racks, dance mirrors and dog stands.

It’s 2 years since the first outdoor gym was installed by The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGO) in Sandaig Park, Glasgow. Just 2 years on, with over 100 gyms across the UK, The Great Outdoor Gym Company teamed up with Gateshead Council at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, as part of their Active & Healthy campaign.

The Healthy and Active project will support Gateshead as the European City of Sport 2010, it is also part of Gateshead Council’s Vision 20:30 to increase the life span of residents across the Borough by promoting good health and making activities more accessible.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s Treadmill and Handbike were on show from 25th – 29th May 2010 on Gateshead’s exhibition stand which pays homage to the Great North Run in keeping with the theme of Active and Healthy with its replica of the Tyne Bridge and runners. TGO were approached by Gateshead Council as it is believed the gym products best suited the values of being active and healthy.

Managing director, Matt Delaney said: ‘We were very happy to supply Gateshead with the two pieces of gym equipment to support their Active and Healthy Campaign and were honoured to be part of the Chelsea Flower Show in conjunction with them’.

The Treadmill and Handbike are 2 of a range of 17 pieces of outdoor gym equipment that can be used by all ages to stay active and healthy. All of The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s equipment is installed in open spaced areas for the general public to use for free and is compliant with the European safety standards EN1176 and EN957. Making it safe for everyone!

TGO handbike is a great example of outdoor gym equipment that can be used by wheelchair users, making the gym equipment accessible for everyone. The Great Outdoor Gym Company works towards the Inclusive Fitness Initiative standards and have incorporated key elements of this into their existing ranges.

TGO aims to make all its equipment accessible for everyone to use and hopes to help towards getting people active and healthy, and making a difference.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company is offering free fitness activities in Peckham Rye Park in conjunction with Southwark Council to raise money for Sport Relief.

On Friday 19th and Saturday 20th March, The Great Outdoor Gym Company is offering outdoor fitness classes, healthy eating advice and fitness MOTs at the Green Legacy Gym installed in Peckham Rye Park. There will be personal trainers who will be offering, fitness activities on the Great Outdoor Gym equipment.

There will be a variety of different motivational fitness classes taught in a fun way. The activities will be held between 10.30 am and 3.30pm.

The activities will be held by fitness parents Lee Spencer of Positive Balance personal training and Vicky Brown from Fitness for Mummies. Lee and Vicky have collectively 28 years of experience in the fitness industry.

The outdoor gym in Peckham Rye was installed in April 2009 by Southwark Council and has been very well received by residents. The gym was the brainwave of the Young Friends of Peckham Rye Park, who applied for funding as part of Southwark Council’s Cleaner Greener Safer programme. Residents of all ages use it. Family fitness has been a growing trend since The Great Outdoor Gym Company has been installing its outdoor gyms all over the country. There are now nearly 100 Great Outdoor gyms for people to access in nearly every region – to find your gym go to www.tgogc.com.

Georgie Tarrant, co-founder of The Great Outdoor Gym Company said: ‘Surveys have shown that The Great Outdoor Gym Company gyms attract families to work out together. With all our equipment complying to the playground standard, our gyms are a safe, free and accessible place for families to be in the great outdoors together.’

The Great Outdoor Gym Company exhibited at the Youth Sport Trust Sports College Conference this month, taking a new concept for outdoor sport and fitness to schools and colleges across the UK.

2000 buzzing delegates set the tone for the two-day event in the West Midlands, which attracted representatives from specialists sports colleges across the country.

Hundreds visited the adiZone stand, taking the opportunity to design their own mini-adiZone at the stand on a 3 metre magnetic wall. PE teachers, directors of specialism, headteachers and young ambassadors all took part and gave feedback about the type of multi-purpose outdoor sports facilities that would be relevant for their school and curriculum.

Speaking at the event’s closing address, Alistair Campbell said: ‘Sport is a good thing in its own right. But it also happens to help shape better and more active people who shape better societies.’

Campbell added: ‘Sports Colleges are a real success story, part of an important movement of change.’

The Great Outdoor Gym Company looks forward to more partnerships with schools and colleges in 2010, building on the success of the adiZone programme running since 2008.

Following a successful pilot in 2008, adiZones are now being rolled out across England. At least 40 adiZones will be available across England by the end of 2010.

Across England, adiZones have been launched by world class sportsmen and women, including Olympic medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith, World champion triple jumper Phillips Idowu, Olympic gold medallist sprinter Marlon Devonish, Beijing Olympic gold winner Christine Ohuruogu, The All Blacks rugby team and Great Britain Basketball’s Flinder Boyd.

Since 2008, The Great Outdoor Gym Company has worked with adidas to deliver adiZones – youth focused multi-purpose outdoor fitness facilities, with a large outdoor gym, basketball and football area, climbing wall, tennis wall and a freestyle area for aerobics, dance, yoga and martial arts.

The public can turn up and take part – there is no joining fee or membership fee. No inductions are required as all equipment is highly intuitive and has usage instructions and diagrams on the signage.

In 2008, four adiZones were piloted in the host Olympic boroughs in London with great success – surveys showed participation rates were high (one survey in May 2009 recorded 66 users in a one hour period, from age 4 to 60+, indicating participation rates of many hundreds of people each day).

The adiZone programme was awarded central government funding from the Department of Children, Schools and Families in June 2009, so that all 9 Government Office regions in England could benefit from adiZones. The key objective of the adiZone programme is for adiZones to act as a hub to encourage partnership working amongst co-located services such as schools, clubs, activity providers, community facilities, health centres and residential groups.

Youth Sport Trust are coordinating a nationwide ‘activation programme’ to offer opportunities for children, young people and adults to participate in structured activity sessions at the adiZones. These free sessions are part of The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s vision to provide free fitness for people of all ages.

Search for your nearest adiZone or outdoor gym using the ‘Find a Gym’ search facility on our website.  Send your feedback to  info@tgogc.com

Free outdoor gyms are designed for all weather conditions – you can even use them in the snow. There’s nothing better than filling your lungs with fresh air whilst you exercise. Wear several thin layers and waterproof gloves to keep the cold out on the way to and from the outdoor gym – as soon as you’re warmed up, you can then remove your outer layers. Send us your pictures to info@tgogoc.com of you and your friends working out in all weathers at our outdoor gyms.

To find your nearest gym, visit our home page – http://www.tgogc.com/ - and search in the Find a Gym drop down menu.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s mission is to provide free fitness for all the community. Now YMCAfit are engaged to develop and deliver Activator Training at 8 free outdoor gyms in Camden. Learning Revolution funding will be used to train 20 community members to encourage a further 400 people to adopt a more active lifestyle using the outdoor gyms.

Robin Gargrave Executive Director of YMCAfit said: “This training programme will bring people together to improve community health. There is so much leadership potential in the community. Trainees will learn about the safe and effective use of outdoor gyms, benefits and barriers of physical activity, communication and signposting skills and session structure.”

For information about activating your outdoor gym, call Charlotte on 0207 450 4854.

The Great Outdoor Gym Company team were put through their paces by GMTV’s superfit Deanne Berry. Filmed for GMTV Breakfast and Lorraine Kelly’s show, the team leg-pressed and stomach-crunched at the Tower Hamlets adiZone.

Deanne smiled her way throughout the outdoor gym and floor workout – giving tips on getting the perfect bikini body using the free outdoor equipment.

GMTV’s Ben Shephard said: ‘How great is that. I love all the free gym equipment.’

To see the video, visit http://www.gm.tv/videos/bikini-diet-exercises/35964-bikini-diet-gym-outdoor.html

Thanks very much to the Sun for giving their feedback on the outdoor gyms, as part of their mission to find the latest health and fitness trends.

Charlotte Martin at The Sun has tried everything from Power Plates to spas to flexi bars in a bid to find the best ways to burn calories and tone muscles, so we were delighted she wanted to feature our free outdoor gyms.

To read the full article in The Sun, click on the link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/fit_squad/2363280/Free-outdoor-gyms-spark-fitness-revolutionOutdoor-gyms.html