Florida Playground Top News

Choosing Playground Equipment for Early Childhood Centers

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:43:40 GMT

Selecting outdoor play equipment for Florida's early childhood centers comes with unique challenges. You are constantly working to balance state licensing requirements, often limited outdoor space, tight budgets, and the critical developmental needs of infants and toddlers who are just beginning to explore their world.

The good news is that creating an engaging and nurturing outdoor environment for your youngest learners doesn't require massive acreage or an unlimited budget! For centers serving infants and toddlers (6–23 months) and preschoolers (ages 2–5), the key is choosing equipment that is age-appropriate for their specific developmental stage.

Why Early Childhood Equipment Is Different

Equipment designed for school-age children doesn't work for babies and young children. The developmental gap between a 10-month-old just learning to pull up and a 5-year-old who can navigate complex climbing structures is enormous.

Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers need equipment that:

Sits low to the ground (typically 12-24 inches for youngest children)
Offers support for cruising and early walking
Provides sensory experiences without overwhelming
Allows multiple children to play without requiring advanced turn-taking skills
Matches their physical capabilities and encourages age-appropriate risk-taking

Think about how children this age actually play. Infants pull up and cruise along surfaces. Toddlers practice balance and coordination. Preschoolers are developing strength and testing their limits. Your outdoor equipment should support these natural developmental activities.

Three Stand-Alone Solutions for Small Spaces

If you're working with limited outdoor space, stand-alone units designed specifically for early childhood can work better than traditional playground structures.

Sprout Spot^®
This compact play structure works for the youngest explorers. It's low to the ground with gentle slopes and steps, sensory panels at eye level for crawlers and cruisers, and spaces where staff can easily reach any child who needs help. Children can explore at their own pace without needing to climb or navigate equipment beyond their abilities.

Burke^® Express
A series of connected play elements shaped like a train. Young toddlers can crawl through cozy spaces, explore interactive panels, and navigate small horizontal climbing features that keep them close to the ground. It's designed for how children this age play: crawling, climbing horizontally rather than up, busy hands exploring panels, and lots of pretend play. The design gives them enclosed spaces that many toddlers love while still allowing staff visibility and access.

Sensory Station™
Pure sensory exploration without the climbing. The Sensory Station offers spinning elements, textured surfaces, musical components, and visual stimulation, all at ground level or on low panels. For centers with very young infants or mixed-age groups, sensory stations let children explore safely while older toddlers and preschoolers use other equipment.

Solving the Space Problem

You might be working with a small outdoor space. Stand-alone early childhood equipment works in tight spaces because:

Each unit is self-contained with its own fall zone
You can add pieces gradually as budget allows
Equipment can be positioned to maximize supervision sight lines
You're not locked into a single large structure that takes up your entire outdoor area

Budget Questions

Obviously, your budget needs to be considered. Here's what makes financial sense:

Starting with one well-made stand-alone unit beats installing cheaper equipment that you'll replace in two years. A single Sprout Spot that serves infants and young toddlers for decades costs less over time than multiple replacements of lower-quality equipment.

If budget is tight, consider:

Phased installation: Start with one piece this year, add another as enrollment or budget grows
Focusing on the age group you serve most
Checking for early childhood education grants specific to outdoor learning environments

What Parents Notice

Parents touring your center will observe the outdoor space. They typically evaluate whether their child will be safe and engaged, not whether you have the largest equipment.

They want to see:

Clean, well-maintained equipment suitable for their child's age
Adequate supervision areas
Shade and weather protection
Evidence that outdoor time is included in your daily routine

Making the Decision

Take these questions into consideration as you plan:

What age range do we serve most?
How much usable outdoor space do we actually have?
What does Florida licensing require for our facility type?
Can we provide adequate shade?
What's our realistic budget over 3-5 years?

The answers to these questions will point you toward the right equipment for your space.

Your Next Step

We can help you think through your outdoor space and what would work best. We'll look at where the shade falls during your outdoor play times, consider where staff need to stand for supervision, and discuss any drainage concerns. Then we can talk about which equipment fits your space, serves your age groups, and works within your budget.

Ready to improve your outdoor learning environment? Reach out for a free site assessment. We'll help you make the most of your outdoor space and budget.

The ROI of Playground Investment

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 19:50:01 GMT

I once sat across from a city manager who asked me a familiar question: "I’m all about helping the kids, but “’Show me the money.’ What's the real return on investment for a playground?"

I’m kidding; that is not the way he said it, but essentially, that’s what he was asking. Like, ‘help me justify this to the taxpayers who want to see their dollars working hard for the community.

So I said, “Let’s think in terms of property tax revenue, business growth, reduced insurance costs, and tourism dollars.”

Property Values: The Foundation of Financial Return

Let me start with the numbers that make city planners sit up and pay attention. Research consistently shows that homes located within half a mile of parks and playgrounds see property value increases of 8% to 20%.

A home adjacent to parks can see a 20% increase in value on average, while inner city homes within a quarter mile of a park will have an increased value of 10% on average.

What does that mean in real Florida terms? In a community where the median home value is $410,300, that 10% increase means an additional $41,030 in property value per home. Multiply that across a neighborhood, and you're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars in increased property tax revenue.

Economic Activity: Beyond the Playground Fence

Here's something most people don't consider: playgrounds are economic engines. The National Recreation Park Association found that local park and recreation agencies generated more than $201 billion in economic activity and supported more than 1.1 million jobs nationwide in 2021.

Think about it from a Florida perspective. Families don't just visit playgrounds and leave. They stop for lunch, grab ice cream, maybe shop at nearby stores. The local economy benefits from a new playspace in the area.

Safety and Liability: The Hidden Cost Savings

Now let's talk about something that keeps city managers awake at night: liability. Safer playgrounds can help reduce exposure to lawsuits. Modern playground equipment meeting CPSC safety standards, combined with proper surfacing and regular inspections, dramatically reduces injury risks.

Fewer accidents mean lower insurance costs and reduced legal exposure. The investment in quality equipment up front will pay dividends down the road.

The Florida Advantage: Tourism and Quality of Life

In Florida, we have a unique advantage. Our year-round weather means playgrounds get used nearly 361 days a year (I subtracted a few days for the occasional hurricane or cold snap). Florida's state parks alone contribute a $3.8 billion impact on local economies throughout the state and support more than 52,000 jobs.

Community playgrounds tap into this same tourism appeal. Families researching vacation rentals look for neighborhoods with amenities like playgrounds.

Quality playspaces become selling points for both residents and visitors.

Beyond the Numbers: Community Health Returns

The financial ROI is compelling, but let's not forget the human element. Studies show children and families who engage in activity are happier and healthier. Healthier communities mean lower healthcare costs, higher productivity, and better quality of life.

When kids have safe places to play, parents feel more connected to their community. When families gather at playgrounds, social connections strengthen. These are measurable community benefits that reduce social service costs and increase civic participation.

The True ROI of Playgrounds

So, back to that city manager's question about ROI. The real ROI of playground investment shows up in property tax revenue, local business growth, reduced liability costs, and stronger communities. It shows up in families choosing to move to your area and visitors recommending your community to others.

Every community is different, but the pattern holds across Florida: strategic playground investment pays dividends that extend far beyond the initial budget. The key is thinking beyond the equipment to consider the total community impact.

Ready to explore how strategic playground investment can benefit your community? Contact Top Line Recreation to discuss your specific needs and budget. We'll help you understand the full ROI potential for your unique situation.

Gimme Shelter

Tue, 27 May 2025 12:09:41 GMT

Gimme Shelter

At the very beginning of each episode of ‘Naked and Afraid’, just after the contestants decide where they’re going to set up camp, they quickly get to work on building some kind of shelter. I would probably find something to wear, but I guess that’s not how the show works.

Alongside food and clothing, shelter is one of the three basic human needs, providing protection and privacy. It’s a physiological need that fuels a psychological attraction that is seated deep in our DNA.

We not only need shelter, we’re drawn to it.

From caves to skyscrapers, basic to elaborate, shelters transform a landscape. What was once just an open space, is now a place to meet, socialize, relax, eat, play, or work, as we subconsciously experience a sense of calm and comfort.

A well-designed and well-built structure will protect us from rain and sun as it withstands those elements and more over time. While that’s all well and good with our limbic system, the part of our brain that’s concerned with such things, what really engages us is its aesthetics. Our Neo Cortex wants to know what this thing looks like. Is it cool?

While this seems trivial, it’s very important.

An aesthetically appealing shelter can feel more welcoming and pleasant, boosting our mood, reducing stress, and even improving our cognitive abilities, while a visually unappealing space can have the opposite effect.

Aesthetics add emotional and psychological depth to experiences, making them more meaningful and pleasurable. Yeah, so it’s kind of a big deal that your bamboo lean-to, in the middle of nowhere, has well defined lines, even though there are no neighbors to gossip about its curb appeal.

An ICON shelter is the perfect blend of aesthetic form and durable function backed by high-quality materials, expert engineering, and artful craftsmanship.

If we’re talking shelters, pavilions, gazebos, amphitheaters, arbors, clock towers (you heard me), and even large-scale custom structural art, make it iconic and go with ICON.

I hear Sir Mick Jagger in the background, “… gimme, gimme shelter …” “it’s just an ICON away …”; I’m paraphrasing.

Stay cool and dry, my friends.

The Magic of Play: Types of Play That Support Early Childhood Development

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:17:22 GMT

The Magic of Play: Types of Play That Support Early Childhood Development

I think it was Aristotle who said, “Give me a playground until age five, and I will give you the adult.”

Or maybe that was just something my uncle made up after his third cup of coffee. Either way, there's a profound truth in it.

BCI Burke recently released an updated early childhood catalog with innovative designs and new products specifically created for our youngest explorers. Let's dive into why different types of play matter so much in those formative early years.

The Wonder of Early Childhood Play

Play is how children make sense of their world. The Harvard Center on the Developing Child notes that play in early childhood effectively supports brain development through complex interactions that help children build resilience. Those giggles and games are actually building neural pathways!

Three Essential Types of Early Childhood Play

1. Physical/Functional Play

This foundational type of play begins in infancy. The National Institute for Play explains that babies start playing very early, discovering how their body movements work and establishing the basis for all future playfulness.

Burke's graduated climbing elements provide the perfect opportunity for little ones to build coordination, strength, and body awareness at their own pace.

2. Symbolic/Pretend Play

Have you watched a child turn an ordinary object into something magical? That's cognitive development happening before your eyes. According to research on Jean Piaget's developmental stages, symbolic play begins around 18 months and is considered the most sophisticated play activity during preschool years, fostering social skills and academic development.

3. Constructive Play

When children manipulate objects to create something new, they're engaging in valuable constructive play. This play type promotes development across physical, cognitive, emotional, and social domains simultaneously.

Burke's NaturePlay collection offers nature-inspired elements that encourage hands-on learning and problem-solving while fostering a connection to the natural world.

Early Childhood Play Environments

Quality early play experiences help children refine motor skills, develop social interactions, and build language abilities—all crucial components of cognitive development.

Burke's early childhood playground equipment was specifically designed with these developmental milestones in mind. Each component works together to create a cohesive play journey where children can freely explore different developmental experiences.

Let's embrace the world of early childhood play. It's where the magic of childhood and the science of development come together beautifully.

Want to explore how Burke's new early childhood equipment can enhance your play space? Check out the Early Childhood Catalog here or contact us today to learn more.

The Science of Successful Playground Designs

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:41:35 GMT

The Science of Successful Playground Designs

Raising the Bar on Effective Playground Equipment Design

Raise the bar? Seriously, the only time I want the bar raised is if I'm in a limbo contest.

The origin of this phrase comes from literally raising the bar in the track and field high jump.
You've cleared the last height, so it makes sense to raise that bar to see if you can clear the next height and so on. Outside of track and field, we often see this concept get misused and mis-strategized throughout many industries.

"We're going to raise the bar, because you didn't clear the last one." That … seems counterproductive. "Try harder" isn't much of a strategy. "Jump higher" isn't a plan. Instead, let's find out why and work together on elevating the skills, techniques, mindset, focus, physical requirements, and whatever else is involved in a given sport, skill, course, or occupation.

Custom Playgrounds Designed for Development

Raising the bar also refers to raising standards or expectations. Expecting more of others or even ourselves isn't a strategy either. By itself, it's just an unrealistic expectation, backed by nothing. What are you going to do about it is really the question. When it comes to the science of playground design (yes, there's a science to it), the good ones are created with developmental continuum in mind. What?

Age-Appropriate Play Space Considerations

Most playground designs are broken into age groupings. The two most common are systems designed for 2-5 year olds and 5-12 year olds. Most of the biggest differences here are in the height of the playground components. Obviously, the 5-12 year olds can have much higher play activities than those of a 2-5 design.

Other playground design differences are in the individual play activity products where the developmental challenges are age-appropriately designed. To "raise the bar," a well-designed system will incorporate a continuum to challenge abilities as a child progresses through and with that playground.

How Children Balance Play and Growth

Children are very fast at leveling up, but there are still individual paces in which this happens. A challenge today is nothing tomorrow, but for some, it may still be a challenge. However, they're navigating it with much more dexterity, confidence, and skill.

They will raise the bar on themselves. All we have to do is let them. "Hey, Jimmy, come on, use the monkey bars. Let me help you up. Grab the bar."

Jimmy pushes back, "No, no, no!"

It seems high and he wasn't ready. Now maybe because of that, he steers clear of the monkey bars for a long time, when, if left alone, he may have done it tomorrow. If he asks to be lifted up, that's a different story. He's ready to go! When we raise the bar on others forcefully, it can have the opposite effect we were looking to achieve.

While a child is playing, a lot is going on inside and it's very personal. Going up to that higher deck is an uncomfortable decision, but they're doing it. Make sure they're safe and be observant, but let them do their thing. By balancing their play with incremental challenges, they get to move at their own pace.

Nature of Child-Led Development in Playgrounds

Kids often self-graduate from a lower-level play panel to the monkey bars. Today they test it, tomorrow they traverse it (which is a huge victory), and one day it just isn't that challenging anymore and they raise the bar on themselves, moving onto the 5-12 playground and the continuum begins again.

While this all sounds physical, it's much more than that: through all this, it develops critical thinking skills, spatial awareness, and resiliency. It stimulates tactical perceptions, visual perception of distance, and gross and fine motor skills. More? How about kinesthetic awareness, cognitive development, proprioception, and vestibular development, not to mention the development of social skills and navigating risk-taking.

Burke playgrounds are scientifically engineered through research, designed to encourage children to raise the bar on themselves.

To learn more of have one of our design professionals help you with your next project, call 800-921-4509 or email us at info@toplinerec.com

Now, where's that limbo stick?

Is Playground Safety Bad for Our Health?

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:32:49 GMT

Is Safety Bad for Our Health?

My dad was old-school and something he said from time to time was, “safety third, if you want to get anything done.” If you think about it, it’s true. If it really was about “Safety First”, there wouldn’t be a welding bay to hang that sign in.

There would be no crab fishing, skyscrapers, bridges, or rocket launches. We wouldn’t have sailed across the Atlantic to build a new country. We wouldn’t have sailed at all. How crazy is it to build a structure out of wood, jump in, and leave the safety of land?

If it was all about safety, we humans wouldn’t exist today.

Yes, be safety conscious in the endeavor, but it’s the endeavor first. Probably second is finances, because money moves everything. But in reality, safety is at least third.

Unfortunately, in our efforts to make everything safer, we’re becoming weaker and that’s a problem, which brings me to brachiation and sarcopenia.

Wait … what?

Sarcopenia is a musculoskeletal disease in which muscle mass, strength, and performance are significantly compromised. Age is a factor, but most likely because we become less physically active as we age. It’s not so much age as strength and movement.

Sarcopenia is directly correlated with a decrease in longevity. According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, “weak grip strength is a key component of sarcopenia and is associated with subsequent disability and mortality.”

It can lead to other adverse health conditions, such as falls, fractures, functional decline, sarcopenic obesity, poor quality of life and cognitive impairment which all contribute to mortality.

A dynamometer is a tool to measure grip strength. The subject would grip the tool in one hand and squeeze as hard as they could. A dial would measure the amount of force in pounds. Grip strength is a highly reliable indicator of sarcopenia. The lower the grip strength, the more susceptible to the effects of sarcopenia.

Brachiating is the act of swinging from one object to another using our arms, like a monkey swings from branch to branch.

Many playground equipment manufacturers still produce overhead climbing elements, such as monkey bars, overhead ladders, and so on. However, when it comes to commercial playground design, there seems to be an overcompensation towards safety. We’ve greatly reduced the implementation of these brachiating elements and it’s having adverse effects.

Safety is actually hurting our health and longevity.

Humans and monkeys (apes) share a common anatomical ball-in-socket shoulder design and brachiating helps develop and maintain shoulder joint mobility, improves the balance of muscle tension around the shoulder girdle, and increases the strength and coordination of the shoulder muscles. As you can correlate, it increases overall grip strength.

Brachiating has so many other important benefits, such as it increases endurance, flexibility, and hand-eye coordination.

It develops kinesthetic awareness (moving our bodies through space without bumping into things or other people). Many structures in the body have nerve receptors that act as conduits for information that are sent to the brain. For instance, the ear sends explicit information to the brain regarding the head's orientation to gravity, acceleration, deceleration, and direction of movement. The brain also receives information from the eyes, muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. – which are required to allow your body to move smoothly, stay balanced, maintain posture, and react to the immediate environment.

Brachiating develops motor skills, such as depth perception and visual comprehension of distance as well as fine motor skills, important for writing, painting, and driving.

It relieves tension in the back and shoulders, improves depth perception and stimulates both sides of the brain for greater integration and learning, as well as problem-solving.

The list of brachiating benefits goes on, but the macro takeaway seems to be that if we want to enhance our overall health and longevity, we need to design playgrounds with these overhead elements.

Safety third means being safety conscious within the endeavor: focus, awareness, observation, engagement, and strategic risk-taking.

Let’s get out and play. It’s really good for us.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Outrageous Recreation

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 16:27:41 GMT

Outrageous Recreation

When we think of recreation, certain things come to mind: Bocce ball, cornhole, playgrounds, pool volleyball, camping, pickleball and so on.

But, what about being angry? Well … not actually being angry, but being “angry” for the sake of recreation. There’s a term for this and it’s called Recreational Outrage.

It’s an indulgence of self-induced anger and public venting over such topics as politics, religion, the fact that all the doors in that new neighborhood are yellow, and so on. Whatever. Recreational outrage is now a hobby.

Hey, some people play shuffleboard.

It reminds me of the Monty Python skit with the Argument Clinic:

“Is this the right room for an argument?”

“I’ve told you once.”

“No, you haven’t.”

“Yes, I have.”

And it goes hilariously on from there.

Like the Argument Clinic, will we see themed outrage areas in our local parks & recreation facilities or on a playground? A place to picket, yell, scream, wear incendiary t-shirts, glue our hands to art, and so on?

Speaking of France …

“You weren’t speaking of France.”

“I was.”

“No, you weren’t.”

Anyways, in France complaining is quite normal. In fact, it’s an appropriate conversation starter. Complaining is everywhere and you begin to wonder if anyone is actually happy there. I mean, it can’t be good for your health, could it?

Well, a 2011 study from the University of Texas found that bottling up negative emotions can make people more aggressive and cause health issues, so complaining can have an alleviating effect.

But … there’s a nuance to it all. The French will complain about many things, such as the weather, bad wine, the government, and of course, tourists. What they don’t do is complain about their own lives. According to Emily Monaco of the BBC, they don’t catastrophise and for the most part, don’t really have a goal or resolution in mind. It’s just complaining. It’s not a means to an end.

“Bonjour Charles, have you ever seen such dreary weather as this?”

“Not in my four years on this terrible planet.” They start early, I’m assuming.

Another study at the University of Oklahoma showed that complaining may have a positive impact on connectivity and human engagement and found it a useful tool for bonding, because it feels authentic.

Let’s go over the rules once more: 1) The sky isn’t falling, so no catastrophic craziness. 2) Steer clear of your own personal lives and maybe others’ as well. 3) Complaining is not a means to an end, so don’t attach it to one. It’s just complaining for recreational purposes.

Recreational Outrage, on the other hand, sounds like outrage for the sake of outrage, but there’s a dangerous attachment to a belief that expressing outrage is actual action, as if it will change something. It won’t. When nothing changes from their efforts (or lack thereof), the outrage gets worse.

Not good for your health, not good for connecting with other happy humans, and it’s no way to live life.

I’d rather complain with friends that I missed those last three cornhole shots and seriously, “did they make this wine from raisins!? It’s so dry!”.

Now that’s recreation!

Photo by Andre Huner on Unsplash

5 Reasons that Outdoor and Indoor Fitness Equipment Are Not the Same and 4 Tips to Design the Best Outdoor Fitness Area

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:39:46 GMT

Five Reasons that Outdoor and Indoor Fitness Equipment Are Not the Same and Four Tips to Design the Best Outdoor Fitness Area

Back when I was in the commercial fitness equipment industry, we did a lot of R&D, prototype design, testing, and product development. And that’s just for one machine; say an arm-curl/biceps machine.

These are called single-station strength machines, which means that one entire machine is specifically designed for one muscle or muscle group, like the upper arm/biceps. Then there are like twenty other machines to hit the rest of the body.

But one entire machine, just for one specific exercise. Then we would take the “finished” product to the next trade show to see how an actual human related to it. These people ranged from gym owners, to fitness enthusiasts, to professional bodybuilders. And they were quite critical.

“The resistance falls off at the end”, “I don’t like the weight ratio”, “the range of motion isn’t fluid all the way through”, and so on. At a fitness equipment trade show, before the actual hall opens officially, there’s a time period in the early morning hours, referred to as “early morning workouts”, where you could come in and get a workout on the new machines. As representatives of the manufacturer, our job was to get feedback from the users.

One year, we introduced a new leg press machine. A gentleman who owned a Gold’s Gym came into the booth to try it out. He got on it, adjusted the weight and the distance to accommodate his height. He pressed it once and stopped, projecting a thoughtful, discerning face. I walked over. He pressed it again and back. I asked, “What do you think?” He said, “It puts a lot of pressure on my calves.” And I said, “Good, because it’s a leg press machine.” Not the best salesy response, but we ended up having a good conversation.

The thing is, these manufacturers are in very serious competition. Everyone makes their own version of an Arm Curl Machine, and so on down the line. I visited one R&D department and there was a professional runner dressed in a full body motion-capture suit (mocap), while a kinesiologist studied and mapped his motion on a computer. That’s how high-tech it is.

So, if you’ve ever been to a gym and worked out on any of the equipment there, the quality of the joint angles, range of motion, anthropometrics (how it fits the human form), smoothness, ease of use, comfortability, adjustability, and biomechanics are what you experience.

Then, one day you notice that your local park has put in some outdoor exercise equipment. You get on the elliptical and quickly realize it’s nothing like the one at the gym. You get on the chest press machine and realize it’s nothing like the one at the gym. The quality of the exercise is terrible.

That’s because it’s nothing like the equipment at the gym, nor for the most part can it be. If outdoor fitness equipment was on par with what goes into a health club, you might find it in a health club, but you won’t. You won’t because it’s not even close to the same quality, design, feel, adjustability, and so on. Not even the same resistance mechanism.

Here are a few reasons why:

In an indoor environment, the equipment can have many adjustments to accommodate most heights and builds. An outdoor environment is subjected to harsh elements, misuse, and vandalism. Adjustment mechanisms, just won’t hold up.
Indoor strength machines use cables, pulleys, cams, and weight stacks. Again, it just wouldn’t hold up in an outdoor setting.
Plush padding in seats and backs are traded out for hard plastic. Not very comfortable.
Highly technical and electronic cardio machines wouldn’t last a day outdoors. To duplicate a treadmill for outdoor use is nearly impossible and to make an elliptical trainer feel like an indoor elliptical trainer, it must first have an ellipse (an elliptical motion mechanism usually at the pedals or in the front). Then there are flywheels, motors, computers, and so on that all come together to make the machine feel and operate the way it does. Can’t do that with an outdoor product.
Most outdoor fitness equipment is designed and developed by a playground manufacturer or with that approach. The science in R&D isn’t there. Does it look like an arm curl? Yes. Can you do arm curls on it? Yes. Same quality exercise? Not even close.

So, what to do?

You’re outdoors, so change your mindset. This is not a plush air-conditioned gym. However, being outdoors has way more psychological, emotional, and physical benefits than being indoors.
If you’re designing an outdoor fitness space, stick to equipment where our bodies move, not the machines. Pull-up bars (a variety of grips and heights), parallel bars, push-up stations with various levels, an overhead traverse ladder (a requisite skill in most obstacle course races), plyometric steps, and elements to connect exercise bands, straps, and use medicine balls. As you can see, these are solid fixed elements with no adjustments or built in resistance mechanisms. This is real whole-body functional exercise.
As far as cardio goes, most people either walked, jogged, or biked to where this station is. We don’t need machines outdoors to get cardio. The more the machine has moving components, the more things go wrong and it’s just not a good quality design anyway.
As a park planner, the last thing you want is your visitors to be disappointed and talk badly about your exercise equipment. You can avoid that by sticking with number 2 above. If you have an “elliptical” cardio machine in your park, it will be very disappointing for the user. They’re used to the highly sophisticated machine at the health club.

There are a couple of outdoor fitness manufacturers now making resistance-based machines that are biomechanically functional and user-satisfying and we represent those lines.

For more information, questions, or advice on outdoor fitness, please email rob@toplinerec.com

Thanks and have a great workout!

Architecturally Harmonious Furnishings and the Beastie Boys

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:10:26 GMT

Architecturally Harmonious Furnishings and the Beastie Boys

I worked at McDonald’s, back when we could get a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke for $1.45. It was when cordless landline phones were new and Hot Pockets, Fruit Rollups, Nintendo, and the Beastie Boys didn’t quite hit the shelves yet. Yeah, times were tough.

I worked the graveyard shift; 10:00pm – 6:00am. One night, I was sitting with the manager in the “dining room”, as they called it. I said, “Man, these seats are NOT comfortable”. In fact, they were quite ugly; harsh colors and cold-war styling, illuminated with diffused fluorescent lighting.

My manager replied, “Yeah, that’s on purpose.”

“Why?”

He said, “Because we want people to eat and leave. We don’t want lingering or loitering.” I was just a young teenager, but even then I thought, “well, that’s not very welcoming.”

That kind of, “we don’t want you staying here” philosophy is still in play at many places and I don’t get it. Starbucks got it right with “the third place”. Howard Shultz’s ideas was that there’s home, work, and Starbucks. Please come in, gather, share great coffee, and deepen human connection.

Customers would gather, linger, relax, talk and spend $5 on a white-mocha misto. Crazy, right? How did they encourage this kind of behavior in a world of “get out”?

Atmosphere. Warm lighting, a friendly and welcoming staff, and stylish and comfortable furniture. Imagine a chair or a bench that was comfortable and a table where you didn’t smash your knees when taking a seat. I still feel it on rainy days. A place where the furnishings weren’t donated by the local high-security prison.

I see this in many outdoor site furnishings. A steel bench that if you think about it, could double as a pit barbeque. Even benches with backrests look like they came from a dystopian world where everyone wears the same utilitarian boots and the skies are always gray. You’re wearing a jacket, but it’s not even cold and for some reason, there’s an air-raid siren in the background. Who wrote this script? Yikes!

What if the outdoors; a city-scape or a park was a “fourth place” (I didn’t want to steal Starbucks’ spot), or another place where we would feel comfortable gathering and relaxing? The lighting is already pretty awesome, so really it’s about the furnishings.

A bench, chair, or table that brings us together, makes us feel welcomed, lowers our collective blood pressure, and uplifts our spirit. Did I overshoot that?

Equiparc site furnishings creates an outdoor environment that is more enjoyable, welcomes us, celebrates the human form, and encourages us to stay a while. Combining design with quality and durability for over 40 years, Equiparc elevates the outdoor experience.

The sun is breaking through the clouds, the kids are playing frisbee with the dog, and I’m pretty sure I hear ‘Three MCs and One DJ’ playing in the background. Not sure why that guy is wearing a jacket though.

Life is good.

International Darwin Day and the Evolution of Playgrounds

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:24:15 GMT

International Darwin Day and the Evolution of Playgrounds

International Darwin day is February 12^th, so in honor of that, let’s take a look at the evolution of playgrounds.

In the grand scheme of things, the late 1800’s wasn’t that long ago. We had cars, cameras, telephones, record players, electric lighting, and typewriters, but pretty much no playgrounds. They weren’t a thing.

Very uncommon and if you did find one, it was what the name says; a place (ground) where children played. The idea was to give kids a place to play that wasn’t in the street.

Cars evolved from the three-wheeled Benz, of Mercedes fame, that didn’t even have a proper steering wheel, to the luxurious, practically self-driving, AI machines of today.

Cameras are phones. Wait … phones are cameras? Actually, phones are also “record players”, but vinyl is making a huge comeback. Lighting went from that single brownish incandescent bulb that didn’t really illuminate the far corners of the house to the multi-hued, multi-colored, variable brightness, illumination experience we fully control with our … phones. Typewriters are now a software program or app that’s downloaded onto powerful computers we take for granted. Remember typing class in school? Now it’s just inherent.

And “playgrounds” evolved from sand gardens that were basically an open lot between buildings, to the elaborately designed and constructed destination play-plexes we see today. I should copywrite that: “Playplex”.

Back in 1905, the director of the Washington DC playground system and the director of physical education of the New York City school system, got together and formed the Playground Association of America.

The PAA’s basic belief was “that inasmuch, play under proper conditions is essential to the health and the physical, social, and moral wellbeing of a child, playgrounds are a necessity for all children as much as schools.”

Hmm. Sounds well and good, but their literature dictated that an ideal, proper (see, there’s that word again) playground, would have separate play sections, and not only would it be supervised, but there were instructors (on a playground?) to teach children necessary (necessary?) lessons and organize their play.

They pretty much ruined the very definition of play. Play is imaginative, full of discovery, not structured, actually fun, mentally and physically engaging, while decompressing from the regiments of life. They made it regimented. They took play out of play.

Early playground apparatuses weren’t very safe. In fact, they could be quite dangerous, so maybe the supervision part was needed. Everything has a starting point, so in the case of playgrounds, evolution is a good thing. Through the years, playground manufacturers used better materials and safety in components and overall design became a thing.

In the 1970’s we had the brilliant idea to stop using asphalt, you know … what we make roads out of, as playground surfacing. We started coming up with more resilient, softer, and less bodily-damaging surfaces.

Today, we have committees, standards, compliance in design, and so many other safeguards that would make you think the next evolution in playgrounds is a padded room.

Instead, playgrounds are more elaborate with more play value, inclusivity, challenging, engaging, inviting, and lots more fun than their ancient ancestors.

The evolution of playgrounds has come a very long way in a short period of time.

Happy Darwin Day!

About the Whole Flower, Bee, Playground, Child, Community Analogy

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:52:30 GMT

About the Whole Flower, Bee, Playground, Child, Community Analogy

“A flower is simply a weed with a good marketing budget.” – Rory Sutherland

A weed gets no love, but a colorful flower gets bees. More bees, more pollination, more flowers. The landscape is enriched with beautiful weeds; eh … flowers.

But it’s not just flowers. These bees will pollinate and fertilize other plants that produce seeds, and the entire habitat continues to grow and thrive, supporting other animals. Life proliferates harmoniously.

Without these flowers, there would be no bee activity, and no pollination or fertilization of more than 70 crop species out of 100 that feed around 90% of the world’s population. No honey either. Our world and lives would become much harsher, bland, and devoid of many things.

Because of these well-marketed weeds, the bees get excited and that communicates joy and excitement to other bees that also visit the flowers and that’s how all of this works. Everything is positively affected exponentially.

To paraphrase Mr. Sutherland, a playground is a park with a good marketing budget. It makes the landscape more attractive, just like a flower to the weed. It’s not that much of a stretch, but the point is that a playground brings more kids, which excites other kids to visit and play.

This spreads joy, health, social skills, happiness, positivity, fitness, friendships, learned cooperation, risk taking, resiliency, and stress relief. Yes, children experience and hold more stress than we’d like to admit.

They get better sleep, it strengthens their immune system, and their brains are more prepared for learning. Beyond the children, there’s the community. A park with a playground increases property values, which means more property tax and therefore more funding for better maintenance, beautification, and growth and the ecosystem proliferates positively.

And it’s not just playgrounds in this respect: Shade structures, shelters, site furnishings, outdoor fitness equipment and so on, are like planting flowers, whereas they add something beautiful and useful to the landscape that attracts more “bees”. More “bees”, more “honey”, more growth and so on.

Let’s plant some flowers.

Even Monkeys Fall From Trees

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:02:01 GMT

Even Monkeys Fall From Trees

Climbing, swinging, sitting, eating, socializing, playing, and living in trees isn’t just second nature to monkeys. It’s their way of being.

But … “Even monkeys fall from trees”. – Japanese Proverb

Humans fall from “trees” too. We slip, stumble, and fall literally and metaphorically. Many times we’re embarrassed and our confidence takes a hit. We hope no one noticed, we assess the damage, take emotional and physical inventory, and mentally process the moment. Sometimes we’ll dwell on what just happened; “should I ever go back up in the tree?”

Well … do you know what the monkey would tell us? Not much, I’m afraid. It’s a monkey and they tend not to speak.

But, they would be back up in that tree, looking down at us, not understanding why we’re still sitting there. Because when monkeys fall from trees, they shake their head, regroup, and get back up there, because it happens.

Even experts make mistakes. It happens.

Kids are experts at playing. And they’re experts at making mistakes. It’s their nature. It’s how they learn, develop resiliency, make adjustments, build confidence, and realize that falling or making a mistake or misstep is not the end of the world. Sure, we might get a little embarrassed, but we shake that off too and the other monkeys quickly forget.

As we get older, we tend to hold on to those mistakes and lose some of that resiliency. The best thing we can do is keep playing. Just because we become adults, as if it’s some kind of cosmic transition, doesn’t mean we stop playing. The activities and approach might be different, but we need to maintain our ability to fall and get back up in the trees.

Keep playing. Keep climbing. Stay resilient.

Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

The Positive Health Benefits of Our Uncommon Thanksgiving Traditions

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 20:07:12 GMT

The Positive Health Benefits of Our Uncommon Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you know what that means. Yep, you guessed it: John Madden tournaments with the cousins!

Wait … what? Bear with me; I’ll bring it back around. Did you know that there’s more to thanksgiving traditions than turkey, the Macy’s parade, and Black Friday?

With just a little research we found close to a hundred not-so-uncommon Thanksgiving traditions, such as: Playing a board game with family, hanging by the fire pit, cornhole, running a turkey trot, bocce ball, or other outdoor leisure games, and taking the kiddos to the playground just to name a few.

In our family, the John Madden trash talk starts right around this time. Then on Thanksgiving day, first thing in the morning, you can hear John’s voice, “Boom”! And the gaming has started, followed by lots of yelling. At some point during the day, John’s video game character will say something like, “Here’s a guy who’s 6’,4”; which means at his height, he’s taller than the other players who are shorter than he is.”

Great stuff. We’ll play Madden all day, only taking a break to eat with the whole family.

The common theme here is quality leisure time with family and friends. Whatever the activity, the benefits come from social interaction while letting go of the pressures of everyday life. Laughing, playing, interacting, and just enjoying each other’s company is so good for us.

Leisure, recreation, and play with others reduces stress, decompresses our mental pressures, alleviates anxiety, enhances positivity, and heightens happiness. Overall, our mental, emotional, psychological, and even physical health is restored and upgraded. Literally, our joints, muscles, blood pressure, heart, brain, immune system, lymphatic system, organs, digestion, and so much more are all positively affected through play and leisure with others.

Maybe not a cure for eating turducken, but it helps.

Thanksgiving gives us a reason to do all this, but once a year isn’t nearly enough. We can’t go to the gym for nine hours once a year and expect to be healthy and fit. But going for 30 minutes every day will. Same with play and leisure time. All those benefits come from relaxing and decompressing on a regular basis. Still do the full-day on Thanksgiving of course, but throughout the year, we really need to play.

Taking our kids to the playground for 30 minutes on a regular basis increases their learning capacity, alleviates stress, enhances focus and attention, and it positively affects their overall productivity. But more importantly, all those health benefits.

Regular bouts of play and leisure with others isn’t just for kids and it’s not just for Thanksgiving. Neither is turkey, by the way. And neither is Madden NFL Football.

Let’s play. Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo by MART PRODUCTION: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-brown-sweater-sitting-on-brown-leather-couch-7330165/

Burke, NRPA, and the Importance of a Big Purple Party

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:25:00 GMT

Burke, NRPA, and the Importance of a Big Purple Party

Fun is only done right for the sake of fun with no peripheral agendas, hints of business, or underlying purposes. Otherwise, it’s “fake fun”. When fun isn’t real, we don’t get the full benefits.

“We need more moments where we’re simultaneously in the zone and feeling ourselves, but not for work.” – Catherine Price; Author of The Power of Fun

Real fun; unadulterated fun, brings us happiness and joy. We’re enjoying ourselves in the moment, being fully present, without our brains being attached or distracted otherwise. Experiencing happiness and joy on a regular basis is more powerful than genes, nutrition, and exercise for overall health and longevity.

Add friends or a group of friendly, fun people and the effects are multiplied. I used the word “unadulterated” because as adults, we tend to do fun things from time to time, but not fully. We convolute it with thoughts of things we have to get done, “important” stuff (whatever that is), and other obligations. Children get fun right. It’s very important that we do as well.

After 15 years in the parks, recreation, and playground industry, I had the pleasure of attending my first Big Purple Party by Burke. Business and marketing sure, but when it was purple party time, that’s what it was. It was just fun for the sake of fun. It was observable and apparent in the 1,800 people in attendance.

Great band, great music, and dancing. I caught myself a couple of times thinking the music is just a little too loud to have a conversation with someone. Crazy, right? It’s like playing pool volleyball, wondering if the water could be less wet.

This is the playground industry. We promote play and fun. Everyone at the party was a professional working in the parks and recreation industry. It sounds like working in a field with the words “parks”, “recreation”, and “playgrounds” would be all fun and games. While it’s fulfilling and can be fun, it’s a lot of work, stress, moving parts, red tape, politics, management, organization, delegation, responsibilities, and a hundred other things.

It was so good to see all these professionals letting go and just having a good time. We can get caught up in day to day responsibilities and making fun available for others, while we lose track of our own fun. We all need to recharge, reinvigorate, and decompress. This is what I saw at Burke’s Big Purple Party.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at next year’s party.

Play hard!

The Art, Science, and Consequences of Playground Color Schemes

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:05:00 GMT

The Art, Science, and Consequences of Playground Color Schemes

If we need a hammer drill, would we go to a furniture store? How about a suit or a dress? Would we go to Best Buy? We wouldn’t go to GameStop for a ping pong table no more than we’d go to an appliance store to buy a watch or a purse or makeup or shoes or … okay, you get the picture.

What if there was a store like that? Well … there was and it was called Sears. One of the biggest reasons Sears ceased to exist is that they became everything and nothing at the same time. Sears lost it’s identity because, according to George Troy, author of the Five Laws of Retail, upper management focused on financial shell games to enrich themselves personally and to appear successful in the short term. They profited, but at the cost of killing Sears.

Back in the 1980’s Pepsi’s marketing department launched the Pepsi Challenge. Pepsi vs Coca Cola in a blind taste test and guess what; most people picked Pepsi. Great for marketing, but here’s the problem; it was a one-sip test. Pepsi was much sweeter than Coke and in the short term, our senses loved it. In the long-term though, too sweet is just too sweet and people went back to Coca Cola. Even today, Coca Cola is worth $65-Billion more than Pepsi, even though Pepsi is a much larger company with many more different brands. Hmm.

When we mix all the paint colors together on a palette, we don’t get an explosion of color. Instead, we get a drab, gray sludge. Some colors and various shades of those colors are more colorful than other colors. Individual colors can compliment other colors, making each even more vivid. Doing this strategically makes the whole more colorful.

At the back of a Playground catalog, there’s a color palette with examples of playground designs in different mixes of colors and they’re brilliant. There’s an art and science to it, but many years ago, I got the idea that I was smarter than that and created a playground with various colors that I picked. Looking back on it, it was like pushing Bob Ross aside, while slapping various paints onto the canvas. I had no idea what I was doing and when I saw the finished product, I realized I created a gray sludge with no artistic theme or identity. All of the individual colors lost their value.

Sears tried to be everything to everybody and became nothing to nobody. Pepsi won the battle but lost the war. Well they’re not exactly losing by any stretch, but you get the analogy.

Instead, consider the audience. What does this playground design mean in this space, in this community, in this park? What are we trying to accomplish? Narrow that down and get real focused on the “why”. Is it about nature and outdoors, is it about a colorful wow factor, is there a theme to this area that relates to certain colors?

Maybe there isn’t any of that, but in any case, going to a color palette that was designed by a trained and experienced expert is probably the best way to go. They know color schemes and how certain colors affect other colors, creating an identity for each design so that it will engage with the human spirit.

Otherwise, we might get an unappealing gray sludge with no identity and no staying power.

Photo by Chaewon Lee on Unsplash

Rust. It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:17:00 GMT

Rust. It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way

Fe₂O₃_•H₂O. Hydrated Ferric Oxide. Rust!

Why do things rust so easily?

Steel is made of iron and carbon and iron can’t help but rust, because all it wants to do is go back to its thermodynamically-favored state of being, which is iron ore. When we mine iron, it looks like rust, because it is rust. When we make steel, we’re forcing it to be something it doesn’t want to be and rust is iron’s way of defying our efforts. Here in Florida, that fight is even tougher.

So to counteract that, we clean, treat, coat, paint and so on. But, that only slows down the process. On most outdoor fitness equipment or playground products, we first see rust occurring at the welds.

Why there?

The process. One of the best ways to fight rust is galvanization, but it’s rust-resistance qualities are compromised during the welding process.

When galvanized steel is welded, it is exposed to extremely high temperatures, typically exceeding the melting point of zinc (419°C or 787°F). During welding, several key factors can impact the integrity of the zinc coating and the overall corrosion protection: Zinc vaporization, oxidation and depletion, spatter and contamination, heat affected zones are compromised.

BeStrong Outdoor Fitness Equipment uses a different approach.

Post-Weld Galvanization: Galvanizing after welding, ensures that all component parts, including the welded areas, receive the necessary surface treatment for corrosion protection.

Thickness: BeStrong’s galvanization is 2.5 times thicker than competing products.

Grinding: After welding and before galvanizing, our craftsmen employ precision grinding techniques to refine the appearance and aesthetics. While it provides and exceptional visually appealing product, it removes even the smallest burrs and pits, further protecting any chance of rust sneaking in.

Sandblasting: BeStrong adheres to the stringent standard SA3, where cinder, rust, and other surface impurities are completely removed, setting the stage for a flawless finish.

Primer: Before final surface coating, Epoxy Resin Powder is applied at 2.36-3.14 mil. thickness. E-coating is commonly used in industries such as automotive, appliances, and furniture for corrosion protection and as a primer coat for additional coatings.

Top Coat: Lacquer with Weatherproof PES Powder, provides the ultimate protection against environmental factors.

Beyond the process: High quality standards in material selection, advanced material cutting techniques to ensure seamless assembly, and highly skilled welders using state-of-the-art equipment to join each piece to create a solid and dependable framework.

BeStrong – Outdoor fitness equipment of the highest quality.

Photo by Rémi Jacquaint on Unsplash

When a Playground is the Content and the Context, We All Win

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:01:00 GMT

When a Playground is the Content and the Context, We All Win

“Picture a flower. Then … picture a flower in a field or completely by itself. Or a flower on a gravestone, and then picture that same flower in the barrel of a gun. The context changes the content and the background of a picture changes the subject.” – Rick Rubin

To continue with Rick Ruben’s thought, when we see a picture of a flower sticking out of the barrel of a gun, some of us will see a message of peace, while others will see the destruction of peace. In either case, the gun is not the main subject. It’s about the flower. But if we see peace, we see that the flower is affecting the gun. If we see the destruction of peace, we see the gun affecting the flower and what it represents.

As Henry David Thoreau said, “It’s not so much what we look at that matters. It’s what we see.”

While context and background can affect the perception of the content, how we see it and interpret it, depends on us. What kind of mood are we in? Our outlook, philosophy, beliefs, positivity or negativity, optimism or pessimism, political leaning, personal experiences, religion, education, and a thousand other things in real time, considering the infinite number of variables, circumstances, and dynamics of reality.

As adults, we’re experts at convoluting what is. Children are better at just being. A playground changes the landscape. It can be the content as well as the context, but it remains the subject. When we look at it, children and adults both tend to see the same thing; play.

Play is liberating and invigorating. It un-convolutes our brain chatter and let’s us relax and be in the moment. It’s healthy and rejuvenating. It allows us to decompress, relax our shoulders, and let joy and positivity in.

Children are under so much pressure to achieve, level-up, and be better. All well and good when managed correctly, but if not, that pressure can build and cause distress. When a playground or just play in general is the background, the subject is elevated. Let’s help our children elevate themselves. And we adults should remember to play as well.

We’re part of the context.

Photo by Andrew Small on Unsplash

Albert Einstein's Formula for Success

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:33:00 GMT

Albert Einstein's Formula for Success

“We don’t stop playing, because we grow old. We grow old, because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw.

In a 1929 interview with the New York Times, Albert Einstein presented his simple formula for success. It goes like this: A = X + Y + Z

“While A represents Success, X is Work, Y is Play, and Z is Keeping Your Mouth Shut.”

Hmm … “Keeping your mouth shut” provides some insight as to where his head was at. We can read into that some other time, but in this important formula, there’s Y. Play.

Play relieves stress and makes us more resilient. Resiliency is a huge deal. Play improves brain function, stimulates our mind and boosts creativity and overall competency. It improves our relationships and interactions with other humans. It greatly improves and fosters emotional and psychological stability and overall health. Maybe more importantly, it keeps us young and energetic.

Play is so vitally important to human nature, overall health, and longevity, but in terms of success, it’s a must. Play makes our work better. Without our “down-time”, leisure, and active play, any time we spend “working” will suffer in quality. It’s not so much about time spent working; it’s about how much we’re actually accomplishing.

This is why recess is so important. Well, adults need recess too. Maybe more so.

Play! It might just be the fountain of youth as well as the key to success.

We’ll see you on the “playground”.

The Human Benefits of Mindless Play

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 16:11:09 GMT

The Human Benefits of Mindless Play

Mindfulness is a popular go-to term these days: “We need to be more mindful”. Maybe, but it’s grossly misunderstood.

Mindfulness is not a mind full of chatter, thoughts, worries, expectations, multi-tasking, distractions, perceptions, ego, and a thousand other things. That is overwhelming and most of us kind of live that way. We don’t “notice” it, because we think it’s normal, but it does take a detrimental toll.

So what then? Mindlessness?

That’s actually hilarious, but no. Mushin. In the movie, “The Last Samurai”, Tom Cruise’s character while being trained in the way of the sword, is getting thrown all over the place, no matter how hard he tries. After one of the hard falls, he’s approached by a fellow student, who tells him “Too many mind.”

“Too many mind?”

“Hai; you mind the sword, mind the people watching, mind your enemy. Too many mind. No mind.”

“… no mind.”

This is Mushin. Mushin is the Japanese concept of mind of no mind. When a person’s mind is free of thoughts, judgement, fears, ego, anger, and so on during combat, as well as everyday life. This is acting accordingly to the situation at hand, without the burden of conscious thought.

How do we do that? Mindfulness. Wait … what?

Mindfulness and Mushin are like yin and yang. YinYang is not about balance between opposing forces. It’s about interrelated harmony of those forces. This is the same with mindfulness and mind of no mind. We cannot be mindful, if our head is full of “too many mind”. Mindfulness is being in the moment, within reality in real time, as in unfolds dynamically. Mindful of being there in the now. Do this so well, we achieve Mushin.

We may not see it, but this is what happens in children as they play. Climbing a net, traversing a horizontal ladder, swinging, spinning, balancing, sliding, and running while interacting with others. No adulterated egos, worries, or outside distractions. They are there. Completely.

It calms the nervous system, we uptake and utilize oxygen better, our brains are more powerful (because they’re not clogged up), pain is reduced, sleep is better, concentration, balance, and emotional and psychological health is better. It keeps us more youthful.

This kind of play is harder for adults, because we have adult responsibilities, problems, and so on. True, but sometimes we can allow too much or blow things out of proportion. So we practice Yoga or Martial Arts, which both require Mushin/Mindfulness to do effectively. But even in pickleball, if our head isn’t in the game, we’re not going to do very well. Same with everyday life.

Mindfulness, yes. Mushin, yes.

Be there or be square.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Get Out

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 14:22:00 GMT

Get Out

We humans spend most of our time indoors, under artificial lighting and most of that lighting is highly efficient fluorescent tubes and LED bulbs. But, efficient hardly ever means better.

We can’t sense it, but the flicker from CFL and LED lights can lead to eye strain, headaches, stress, poor concentration, and fatigue. In fact, according to an article from the National Library of Medicine, a 2010 study found that exposure to fluorescent lighting causes a heightened central nervous system arousal. Not good.

LED bulbs may be even more irritating to the eyes and brain, whereas although not detectable, LEDs dim by 100% with each flicker, while fluorescents dim about 35%.

Beyond that, there’s artificially conditioned air, electronic white noise, wifi signals, computer screens, and lots of sitting. First-graders, high school students, college students, and most adults all the way through retirement age.

So, what do we do when we’ve spent most of our day in this environment? We go to the gym where there’s artificial fluorescent lighting, reconditioned air, electronic white noise, wifi signals, and even more screens to stare at. And, unless we’re on a treadmill, we’re probably sitting on some machine.

Hmm … we need a better place to decompress and recharge, and it’s outside. In Florida? Yes, even in Florida where we love our air-conditioning.

Just being in a natural environment has been shown to decrease tension, blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. Natural sunlight elevates mood, happiness, positivity, and mental health. Fresh air raises serotonin levels, which helps regulate natural sleep cycles, and it’s an anti-depressant.

And that’s just being outdoors but, add exercise and movement and we’re positively stimulating the cerebellum. This part of the brain that processes movement is also the exact same part of the brain responsible for learning. Movement makes us smarter.

So many studies have shown aerobic exercise improves many aspects of cognitive function, such as memory, decision-making, problem solving and attention.

Resistance training has been shown to improve “executive function,” such as the ability to selectively pay attention to your professor instead of our iPhone and the ability to think before we act – inhibitory control – cognitive flexibility, and the capacity to hold information in our mind and manipulate it.

You see where this is going: Outdoor fitness helps us to decompress, relax, improve sleep, fight depression and anxiety, while elevating mood, positivity, and overall mental health. It improves brain function, neuroplasticity, memory, problem solving, attention and cognitive flexibility.

Rick Ruben said, “a painting is just a painting until we put a frame around it and hang it on the wall”. Then, it becomes art. It attracts our attention, draws us in, and becomes more valuable.

When we create an outdoor fitness space with the right equipment, that space becomes more valuable in ways that are immeasurable to all the human benefits it provides.

Let’s get outside.