If fitness is a main concern when searching for the perfect playground, playground equipment manufacturer School Daz, Inc. is the match for you. They have identified five fitness elements that are key to an elementary-aged child’s development. These elements have been identified as balance, cardiovascular health, dexterity, hand-eye coordination and large muscle group development.
Balance is important in maintaining a center of gravity. It requires the brain to process a vast amount of information from multiple resources, and to minimize corrective action requires training. This can be improved through the use of landing decks, slides, climbers and walkers.
Cardiovascular health is the number one ally in the fight against childhood obesity. It strengthens the muscles involved in respiration, strengthens and enlarges the heart muscle, improves circulation and changes the body’s chemistry to be more efficient in how it processes carbohydrates and fats. The more a person exercises, the more the body adapts and improves. This can be improved using bridges and the spacial relationships between components.
Dexterity combines fine and gross motor skills. The gross motor skills portion is often overlooked. As children develop, they build upon the gross motor skills learned at a young age – making it essential that these are addressed to provide a solid foundation for overall growth and well being. These skills can be enhanced using overheads, climbers and wall climbers on the playground.
Hand-eye coordination provides total body awareness, an important part of childhood development. This becomes a building block that prepares children for every new physical skill they learn. Total body awareness can be raised by using wall climbers, overheads, climbers and panels.
Finally, large muscle group development is one of the most important fitness developmental goals of a playground. It is a way to promote life-long health. These muscles can be developed through the use of climbers, overheads and bridges.