Overweight and obesity is increasingly becoming a universal disaster and all efforts are directed towards addressing these problems. On the frontline are physical fitness and healthy lifestyles. There are so many ways to achieve physical fitness including cardio exercises, strength exercises as well as outdoor games.
In Australia, fierce discussion has erupted as to whether or not certain public areas should be redesigned to cater for exercise. Fitness specialists have advised that certain public areas in Sydney should be made conducive for those who wish to become fit through outdoor training exercises. This has spread to all the cities including Perth and Brisbane.
What Is Public Area Exercising?
Exercise as we know it always requires that you go to a place whether private or public, where conditions and facilities are available to help with the specific exercising requirements.
A good example is an exercise center such as a gymnasium. Public area exercising is a training in which the trainees and their instructors perform in the open public areas such as beaches and open grounds.
Public outdoor is usually a personal initiative but has to be approved and cleared by authorities responsible. There are rules and regulations governing the use of such public areas for exercising. In the past and probably still happening is that such areas have no facilities or have not been designed to the benefit of those who are training in it.
Why Is It Important?
According to the chief executive of the fitness industry Association, Stace Lauretta; public exercising provides individuals and small groups with an opportunity to get themselves involved with personally tailored exercising programs and services that suit their special needs.
This was in response an assertion made by fitness expert, Dr. Garry Edger in which he said that outdoor public exercising was an indulgence of the "middle class" and that it was an embarrassment and determent to onlookers.
Personal training, just like other exercising programs, is important in maintaining health and fitness. Going to the gym and following fitness programs can be a very daunting task because it requires high levels of dedication and determination which may be difficult for some people. Public exercising offers an opportunity for people who want something different to break their boring gym schedules.
Being out there is interesting, lively and enjoyable because you breath fresh air and interact with peers in the group; a very good source of inspiration.
What Are The Rules Governing Public Exercising Areas?
Anything, if done without regulation can go wrong. This is one the reason why authorities are skeptical in carrying out a redesign of these public areas to favor outdoor training. One of the greatest concerns of the authorities is the disturbance of the environment.
As intimated by councilor Paula Masselos, a fitness group that regularly operated on Bronte Beach without permission sectioned areas of sand and throwing sand bags some as heavy as 10 kilograms. This, he said, was inappropriate, dangerous and caused a lot of interference with the general public including other operators as well as residents who used such areas.
For this reason, several councils in Sydney have come up with policies that serve to limit the sizes of the training groups, the types of activities the groups can undertake and imposition of zones of exclusion. These rules are supposed to provide clear guidelines for certified exercise professionals so that they can act in an ethical, professional and responsible manner.
What Is The Way Forward?
Given the health benefits that can be accrued from public exercising areas; it is important that they are made conducive for individual persons or groups of persons to use. Provided that those using such facilities follow the rules, regulations and guidelines there is nothing wrong with redesigning them to cater for exercises.
It is without a doubt that most people would find it helpful and more interesting to train outdoor as opposed to indoor training as in gymnasiums and fitness centers. For these and many other reasons, it is vital that these public areas be redesigned to cater for exercises. The trainers on the other hand must respect the authorities and abide by the rules that govern such areas. This form of exercise is good for all; it should not be limited to the "middle class.