Fit After Fifty
Playgrounds for older people? Wouldn't that be awesome? If only..well, in many places, it is actually a reality!
I miss swinging on a swing set, laughing as you went down the curly chute slide, the bouncy horse, merry-go-round, a simple place to just have fun!
We need a simple place, just to have fun! "Fitness Centers" are fun..to a point. Most feel too structured.
You need to be able to feel like you're going to have fun, and know it when you do!
goric.com:
"We are all lucky to live in an age of expansive play. Adult playgrounds and similar facilities are available throughout the U.S. for most anyone’s enjoyment and benefit. Each one serves as evidence that playgrounds, parks, and even businesses are increasingly paying attention to the kid inside us all.
Most of these spaces go well beyond promoting child’s play for adults. The adult playgrounds highlighted below facilitate both creative and challenging activities that can help us stay in shape mentally and physically."
medicarefaq.com
Benefits of Senior Playgrounds
The health and life benefits that seniors can reap from playgrounds designed for their needs of course includes all the cardiovascular and wellness benefits associated with any type of exercise. But there are specific advantages associated with the machines and equipment commonly found in these parks, such as:
Improved balance that prevents falls. Falls are one of the main contributing factors for seniors entering assisted living and care facilities.
Increased flexibility and range of motion to make it easier for seniors to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as independent bathing and dressing. Inability to perform ADLs is a major reason that seniors stop living independently.
Encourages seniors to exercise outdoors which has been found to be more beneficial than solely indoor activity.
Has been found to increase socialization. Many of the playgrounds are designed with social interaction in mind. Increased socialization and physical activity have been shown to improve mood, decrease depression and slow cognitive decline.
Turns exercise into play rather than work. This is not a benefit to be overlooked. Many of us associate exercise with boredom, drudgery and possibly pain. Changing that association to having fun playing with friends and peers is powerful and can encourage more consistent activity.
Why Specifically “Senior” Playgrounds
Some may question the need for senior focused outdoor activity areas when weight rooms and gyms abound, but senior playgrounds have some advantages as well over traditional exercise spaces such as gyms.
Seniors may be less likely to join gyms out of fear of feeling out of place or self-conscious. “Gym intimidation” is a real phenomenon and can be intensified in some gyms that are geared to younger clientele.
Also, gyms and other indoor fitness centers such as the YMCA have costly monthly membership fees and many require annual contracts. These expenses can be an insurmountable barrier to exercise for many seniors on fixed incomes, as is the case for a large percentage of senior women. Senior playgrounds located in municipal parks can provide a free, welcoming space that could encourage more seniors to remain active.
For seniors to gain maximum benefit from activity while remaining safe, the activity and equipment must be focused on their health and safety needs. Upper body exercises become more important as we age to maintain back and arm strength.
Gaps on such equipment as rope bridges must be designed with a senior’s stride (larger than a child’s but smaller than a young adult’s) in mind. All equipment must be sturdily built and include steady handrails to assuage seniors’ fully justified fear of falls.
Senior focused playgrounds don’t necessarily have to be seniors only. While some countries like Spain and Germany build exclusive senior parks due to their aging populations, others are building multi generational parks where seniors and kids can play simultaneously.
KaBOOM! a nonprofit organization that builds playgrounds in under served and low-income areas has begun to focus on building multi generational playgrounds. These playgrounds can be ideal in urban locations where space is at a premium and where many seniors may be the primary caregivers of their grandchildren.
Where are Senior Playgrounds in the United States
Until recently in the United States, most senior playgrounds have been built within gated senior communities or associated with senior centers. In addition to nonprofits like KaBOOM!, for profit companies such as Must Have Play and Play by Design are moving to expand senior playgrounds into community parks.
Florida has several senior or multi generational playgrounds in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, but they are also starting to pop up in Georgia and Texas. As more seniors hear about and try senior playgrounds, hopefully more organizations and Parks departments will take notice and the playgrounds will become more widespread.
Today’s seniors are looking to stay active and independent as long as possible. Senior playgrounds can be another way to make exercise more fun, more accessible and more effective for more seniors."
If you’re a senior that’s currently enrolled in Medicare and need additional healthcare coverage for you medical bills we can help! Some plans include a membership to the popular fitness program SilverSneakers!
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