A recent research project has attempted to measure the usage and impact of the outdoor gym in Hailes Quarry Park. Here is a quick summary of what they found.
The project observed the gym for three weeks and found 59 people used it, the majority of which were 25-34 years old and that it was mainly used by local people who walked there.
The most popular reasons for using it were that it is free and that it is close to their homes and that most people used it late in the morning and early afternoon. However, when asked the main reasons people weren’t using the gym were safety concerns and a lack of guidance and information on how to best use the equipment and keep motivated.
The report recommended that the best way to solve these problems would be having a qualified fitness instructor there on certain days to lead classes, telling people how to use the equipment and making it busy enough so people feel safe and are less likely to lose motivation.
What do you think? Do you agree with the findings? Do you think having an instructor would be a good idea? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
