Sagittal spine disposition and pelvic tilt during outdoor fitness equipment use and their associations with kinanthropometry proportions in middle-aged and older adults

Optimizing outdoor fitness equipment training for older adults: Benefits and future directions for healthy aging

Regular physical activity is vital for the health and disease prevention of older adults. Outdoor fitness equipment has gained popularity for natural exercise spaces among middle-aged and older individuals. This narrative review demonstrates that these programs have the potential to improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and reduce falls, while also enhancing quality of life, alleviating depression and anxiety, and boosting self-esteem. However, our understanding is hindered by limited rigorous experimental studies. Future directions include implementing standardized measurements, conducting long-term studies, and addressing equipment limitations to enable better adjustment of training intensity and promote correct postures on machines. New, more rigorous research is needed to comprehensively understand the psychophysiological and social effects on health. Additionally, suggested modifications could render the machines more effective and safer. The primary objective is to enhance this type of machinery to encourage its use in outdoor spaces, thus aiding adults and older individuals in achieving overall health and enjoying a healthy aging process.

Effect of Teaching Method on Exercise Execution in Adolescents' Use of Outdoor Fitness Equipment

The use of outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) is an effective strategy to promote physical activity. The equipment normally includes information panels with phrases and images describing appropriate exercises. However, as using this equipment inappropriately is a potential problem, it is important to find an optimal unsupervised instruction method for correct exercise execution. Our objective in this study was to determine which of several exercise prescription methods, without direct professional supervision, might best instruct adolescents to correctly engage in upper limb motor execution on outdoor flexion-extension equipment. A total of 54 adolescents from a middle socioeconomic level in northwest Spain participated in this descriptive and quasi-experimental study. We randomly assigned members of this convenience sample into three groups who received either video instruction, instruction via images or written panel instructions. We used observational methodology in videographic analysis to evaluate the mistakes participants made in motor execution with each instructional method. We utilized different analytic techniques from observational methodology: statistical analyses (means, standard deviation, confidence intervals, ANOVA, etc.) and detecting T-Patterns with Theme and polar coordinate analysis using HOISAN. Participants who relied on video instructions committed fewer errors than those who relied on panel instructions. The video method prevented loss of information that occurred when instructional images were used. We suggest including a QR code on outdoor fitness equipment in open-air parks to permit users to download an explanatory video to their mobile phones.