INDUSTRY EXPERT
GYM AFRICA
Back in the day the easiest solution to the stress of office politics, work
deadlines and related issues was to pop into your GP’s surgery and get a
script for ‘a little something to get you through the day’. Thankfully we now
have a more holistic approach to dealing with health issues – diet and exercise.
D
iet options range from the extreme Banting route to the
more tried-and-tested, eat-less ‘balanced diet’. Exercise
used to rely on our pounding the streets in our running
shoes or slogging it out at the nearest gym. But things
have changed, and thanks to companies like Gym Africa,
outdoor gyms are now the rage, and exercising in the fresh air has
become the activity of choice. And where better to have access to an
outdoor gym than at your own residential estate!
increases endorphin production, improves our
immune system and helps us to sleep better.
One of the greatest benefits, however, is the
opportunity to connect with nature. Exercising
outdoors helps us to connect with our environment,
to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings, to ‘stop
and smell the roses’ as it were. This connection with
nature can in fact be beneficial in healing a number
of maladies. The concept of natura medica, which
means ‘the healing power of nature’ and ‘nature is
the physician of disease’, dates back to Hippocrates
– although he originally said it in the much-more-
difficult-to-write Ancient Greek.
Benefits of outdoor gyms
Estates generally have outdoor space allocated to recreation and fitness,
ranging from playgrounds and tennis courts to paved pathways or
trails for walking and running. Residents often vary in age and fitness
requirements, so it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all’ when satisfying
exercise and fitness needs. To help meet these varied requirements, the
team at Gym Africa supplies a range of quality outdoor gym, fitness and
recreational equipment suitable and effective for general mobility and
fitness for all ages, including children. Besides the obvious benefit of
increased fitness, exercising outdoors has been shown to reduce anger
and depression and improve your mood – the fresh air and increased
oxygen consumption cause the body to produce more serotonin, the
‘feel-good’ chemical, meaning stress levels come down and happiness
goes up. In addition to this, sunshine is the primary source of vitamin
D. When our skin is exposed to sunlight we produce vitamin D3, which
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