A blog written by Broxap

With such a varied range of children’s equipment available, it can be difficult to decide which pieces to include in your school’s outdoor gym.

The team at Sunshine Gym have their favourites.

But based on their extensive experience with schools up and down the UK, they have put together a short guide on the top five pieces they think every primary should feature.

Whether your school is building an outside gym for the first time, or looking for additional key equipment for an existing fitness area, this guide aims to inform and inspire your designs.

Children benefit from exercising with a friend

Working out in group settings is not only fun, it can motivate and encourage children.

Under the National Curriculum in England, the Physical Education (PE) Programmes of Study for Key Stages 1 and 2, suggest youngsters aged five to seven should be mastering basic movements and using them in a range of activities. By ages seven to 11, pupils should be taught to take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and in a team.

1.Double Health Walker
With the Double Health Walker, two children can exercise at the same time although they set and remain in control of their individual pace. Easily one of the most popular pieces of equipment, it provides fantastic value for money because of its multi-user capability and ease of use. A real crowd-pleaser among all age ranges.

2.Double Slalom Skier
The range of movements encouraged by the Double Slalom Skier helps to improve balance, coordination and flexibility by exercising the lower body. Mirroring a skiing action, the dual-user equipment again makes the most of its footprint by enabling children to have fun together while ensuring they work out safely.

Whole body workouts to strengthen muscles and bones

Children need to take part in a variety of physical activity to develop their movement skills.

The NHS says youngsters aged five to 18 should undertake moderate exercise that increases the heart rate, gets them breathing faster and feeling warmer. And if the activities are fun or can inspire physical play, then they become something to look forward to.

3.Arm & Pedal Bicycle
Great for helping younger children build confidence and ability, the Arm & Pedal Bicycle allows users to separately or simultaneously exercise their upper and lower body. The whole body workout is challenging enough to keep the activity interesting and with wheelchair accessible arm & pedal bicycles also available, children of all abilities can take part in PE sessions together.

4.Children’s Horse Rider
By incorporating arm and leg movements, the Children’s Horse Rider is a great all-rounder. It provides a cardio workout, enabling children to use their own body weight to control the intensity of the exercise. An exercise with a real emphasis on fun. The Children’s Horse Rider is manufactured specifically for users under 140cm or 4’7” in height.

Keep it interesting to inspire life-long healthy habits

When exercising doesn’t come naturally, it can take a bit of imagination to get children moving.

As well as the physical benefits of taking part in activity, there are lots of other ways a workout can boost wellbeing. Improved mood and behaviour and better attention levels are just a few of the reasons why exercise is good for children.

5.Waist Twister
With space for three children to work out at the same time, the Waist Twister is another good value space-saving piece of equipment. And for those who need a bit of encouragement to get outside, the Waist Twister really shakes up the routine. Whether it is combining movement with music or using physical exercise to encourage expression, the Waist Twister is a good way to capture attention.

The experienced teams of advisors at Sunshine Gym are happy to talk through your outdoor gym proposal.

From the initial idea through to the design and installation, the team at Sunshine Gym share their breadth of knowledge to ensure the final project meets all needs and safety requirements.

Get in touch today to arrange a free consultation.