After hours of reading and nursing coconut juice, I laced up my sneakers and played basketball with fellow beach goers. The plan was to leave after the game, but the outdoor gym, set up in the sports area, tempted me to stay longer and burn more calories.
This was my first-ever outdoor gyming experience. I have been a gym rat my whole life. However, I had never been to an open-air gym before visiting Petit Brussel Beach in Lomé. The outdoor gym concept is not new though. Its genesis can be traced to the 1960s and 70s fitness trails in Europe and North America. Later on, designers of recreational facilities saw the need to bring the gym to the park.
Types of outdoor installations vary according to the nature of the parks, fitness trends and target groups. Basic outdoor gym equipment, such as cross trainers, stationary bicycles, pull-up bars, balancing beams and parallel dip bars are commonly used around the world.
The pursuit of fitness should be fun. However, millions of people out there are struggling to make exercising fun again. There are days when a workout feels like a punishment. Sometimes, it is hard to find motivation. In most cases, the flame of inspiration dies, leaving behind unfulfilled fitness goals.
Exciting sporting activities form a magical pill for those who battle boredom in their fitness journeys. Speaking of fitness journeys, it is important to bear in mind that improving and maintaining your level of fitness is a continuous process. There is no destination. With age comes adjustments.
Basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, tennis and a myriad of other disciplines create jobs for professionals while enabling the rest of us to lead a healthy lifestyle and make the most out of our leisure time. Sporting activities reward everyone handsomely.
Recreational parks and beaches provide refuge for the benefit of those who need to escape from their stressful lives. At Petit Brussel, I learned that the beach atmosphere has the power to instill fun into any activity.
