Project Description
Free State University is leading the way.
The university of the Free State is the first in South Africa to install an outdoor gym.
Bloemfontein, South Africa – students and staff alike can now enjoy a new outdoor gym on campus. The gym is free for all, easy to use and encourage people to use outdoor spaces. The vacant piece of land close to the indoor campus gym has been identified as a suitable location for the open-air gym.
The gym is also aimed at improving students and staff’s health and well-being, increasing physical activity, and help address a range of lifestyle conditions such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
The robust, colourful equipment includes traditional apparatus like “leg press”, “double ski”plus more unusual ones including “pendulum” and “air walkers”.
These 10 pieces of quality gym equipment were made by World Outdoor Fitness – SA, a company
which specializes in the design, production and installation of outdoor fitness equipment and
the equipment is designed to withstand all forms of weather. The durable equipment will be able to resist not only the wear and tear caused by weather, but also vandalism to some degree. The equipment is made of galvanized steel to prevent it from eroding. The pipe-into-pipe technology used to assemble the exercise equipment also means it is more difficult to dismantle. The patented technology of cast steel rollers means that there is no need for lubrication. It is green and Eco-friendly as it is made of recycled material and does not use electricity.
FS university’s Chief Officer of Property Management, Physical Planning Mrs. Albie Louw, said: “The outdoor gyms give students and staff a chance to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, while socializing at the same time and enjoying the university’s excellent outdoor spaces.”
“The great benefit of these gym is that they can be used by people of almost any fitness level and are located in the heart of the University.”
There is growing research which shows that outdoor physical activity improves our mental health and well being. You don’t need any experience to use the gyms which are also environmentally friendly. The gyms are linked to improving a person’s mood and self-esteem in all ages and reduce the prevalence of physical inactivity that leads to higher rates of illnesses such as heart disease, obesity and heart related illnesses.
