Who Is Using Outdoor Fitness Equipment and How? The Case of Xihu Park.

Hsueh-Wen Chow,Guan-Lin Wu,Andrew J Mowen

doi:10.3390/ijerph14040448

Abstract

Outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) placed in public parks has the potential to encourage physical activity. However, little is known about OFE users and use patterns. This study employed onsite and video observations of OFE usage to describe user characteristics and patterns in Xihu Park. Results indicate that OFE in this park attracted considerable use, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. During these peak-hour observations, approximately 12 users per hour used the OFE, with the majority being females and seniors. The triple arm stretch and air walker were the most popular stations. However, most OFE users interacted with less than three of the available six OFE stations. Furthermore, users spent an average of less than nine minutes on all OFE stations combined. While OFE equipment was well-used in this urban park, it appears users did not interact with OFE at rates to produce a sufficient bout or level of physical activity during their park visit. Further investigations of OFE are encouraged to determine their health impact.

Highlights

A sedentary lifestyle has a significant negative impact on health due to its linkage with obesity and chronic disease, both of which are associated with high medical costs [1]
The health benefits of increased physical activity are well-documented in the literature [2], achieving sufficient levels of physical activity and realizing its benefits across a broad population remains a persistent public health challenge [3]
More Outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) users appeared on weekends weekdays, with14,children and youths being more prevalent than seniors

Summary

Introduction

A sedentary lifestyle has a significant negative impact on health due to its linkage with obesity and chronic disease, both of which are associated with high medical costs [1]. The health benefits of increased physical activity are well-documented in the literature [2], achieving sufficient levels of physical activity and realizing its benefits across a broad population remains a persistent public health challenge [3]. One feature of the built environment, public parks, are often situated close to population centers and provide opportunities for a range of activities, including those associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) [12,13]. Prior literature identified factors of parks that influence visitation and physical activity, including ease of access, distance, locations, sizes, amenities, social environment, trails, organized activities or events, and nature orientation [17,18,19,20,21]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion