Outdoor Gyms in Santiago (Chile): Urban Distribution and Effects on Physical Activity and Mobility Patterns of Inhabitants

Abstract

Background The National Health Surveys of 2 2009-10 showed that nine out of ten Chileans do not engage in physical activity regularly. The bad news prompted the authorities to adopt a more energetic strategy regarding the promotion of healthier lifestyles. In this context, many outdoor gyms (OGs) were installed in the mid-nineties in Chile’s capital, Santiago (6.5 m). Methods All OGs in Santiago located in public spaces were identified and geo-referenced, and an accessibility analysis of them was carried out. A total of 1023 users of OGs were surveyed (71% men, average age 31.5 years old, SD =16.6), about the frequency of use of OGs, amount of time spent using them, transportation habits, motivation for usage, and their perceptions regarding their own health, among other questions. In addition, each person’s neck circumference was measured. Results There are a total of 1981 OGs in the city squares, sidewalks and parks, mostly located in poorest areas of the city. Indeed, 64% of the households of the city have an OG within 500m. The great majority of those surveyed consider themselves to be users of OGs (89%) Most OG users live less than one kilometer away from an OG. Users have active lifestyles: about 82% say that they normally ride a bicycle or walk for periods of at least ten minutes, and 80% say they do this five days a week. More so, about 91% say they combine the use of OGs with other physical activities, such as riding a bicycle or jogging. 26% of those surveyed say that they did not carry out any physical activity on a regular basis prior to the installation of outdoor gyms, which in the case of the women reached 39%, which suggests that OG might be acting as catalysts for the adoption of active lifestyles for those physically inactive, as demonstrated by the fact that 64% of those surveyed said that they had ‘much better’ general health than one year ago. Conclusions The proliferation of outdoor gyms should be regarded as an opportunity for public health policies aimed at tackling the obesity problem and increasing the physical activity of people.