Norwell Form Function Brings Award-Winning Design to Outdoor Fitness Equipments

Public Health has become one of the western countries’ most debated issues and the various solutions have sprung up in municipal level. The undeniable fact remains that we all need to raise our level of fitness and enjoy the feel good factor that fitness brings.

One way for the cities to tackle the quest for fitness is to provide public outdoor gym equipment, free for anyone and everyone to use. The key criteria when deciding on the outdoor gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) equipment are easy accessibility, ease of use and durability.

Norwell Form function is a new range of sculpted outdoor fitness equipment from Lappset. Designed so all people, despite their age, can enjoy it in the park, or at work, in the schoolyard for children with their teachers, or in the sports club.

The outdoor equipment consists of 12 individual outdoor fitness stations, shaped after a classic design feature of beautifully curved steel. Norwell Form Function equipment is based on a simple Scandinavian design, which gives the parks an architecturally designed equipment and visual beauty while it providing the basic functions it takes to train and maintain the body.

Designed by the acclaimed Danish design company, DOK 54, the Norwell Form Function's outdoor fitness line follows the Scandinavian design tradition. DOK54 was established by Jacob M. Lund and Thomas Brinch-Møller in 2001, after completing their studies at Design Seminariet in Højer, Denmark. Their work centers on product design, focusing on innovative products that are at once novel and functional. With their backgrounds as toolmaker and model maker respectively, they pursue a practical approach to design using their extensive knowledge of materials and production processes.

Their objective was to make the equipment appear as simple and functional as well as intuitive for the users. The main element - the curve - creates the wanted lightness and simple construction which makes the equipment unique in its design. The choice of material, the form and the overall simple appearance together promote the aesthetics, which is the characteristics of Scandinavian design.

To live a healthy and active lifestyle is more relevant in today's society than ever before. Norwell Form Function provides aesthetically pleasing yet durable and thus wise solution for many different environments and climates.

Lappset Designs World’s First Angry Birds themed Playgrounds

The leading manufacturer of playground equipment worldwide, Lappset has struck a co-operation deal with another innovative Finnish company, Rovio Entertainment, famous for their record-smashing mobile game Angry Birds.

According to the agreement, the Rovaniemi based Lappset, which designs and manufactures playgrounds, outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and outdoor gym, parkour and senior fitness equipment, will create and entire collection of the playground equipment themed after the world’s favorite avian heroes. Alongside equipment, Lappset will also deliver complete Angry Birds Activity Parks, called Angry Birds Magic Places.

The parks include swings, sandboxes, climbing towers, slides, swing animals featuring the Red Bird, Yellow Bird, Green Bird, Blue Bird, Black Bird and even some of those nasty egg-hogging antagonists, the Pigs. The company will also introduce a playground novelty, a specially designed Angry Birds outdoor pajazzo.

In addition to creating the necessary playing equipment for the parks, Lappset has designed park and street furniture and safety surfaces. The first Angry Birds Magic Places will be opened in the Finnish towns of Rovaniemi and Espoo, which has commissioned tentatively 5 activity parks from Lappset. According to an interview with the managing director Juha Laakkonen, they also have letters of intent to build similar Angry Birds playgrounds in various other countries in Europe and Asia.

Business-wise the agreement marks a huge jump for the family owned Lappset, which has been producing playground equipment and other outdoor products for over forty years. The company has grown from a one-man band to an international group with subsidiaries in five different countries. Their aim is to get people moving and spend time together, to bring the joy of play to people of all ages.

As Angry Birds continues to attract more and more fans across the globe (the mobile hit has now more than 600 millions fans and the developer Rovio is expecting to hit the magical and unprecedented 1 billion mark in the future), they are also seeking ways to expand their brand reach beyond mobiles and tablets. Taking the Angry Birds phenomenon to the playgrounds around the world with the help of Lappset is a win-win for both companies: they are growing a new generation of Angry Birds fans as well as keeping the current generation happy.

Parkour – A Brief History of the Urban Sport

What started out in France as an freedom of movement and expression, is now a widely spread form of sports. Parkour is a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. At the heart of parkour is an effortless way of moving that utilizes the entire body as a whole rather than consciously employing isolated muscle groups

The aim of the parkour practitioners (also called as traceurs) is to be able to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping in various ways. The trendy sport is accessible to anyone and it’s easy for beginners, as you only need a pair of basic running shoes, loose pants and a t-shirt to get started. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles offer many different training opportunities.

Parkour’s origins are in the French military training. The term "parkour" was coined by Hubert Koundé. It derives from "parcours du combattant", the classic obstacle course method of military training proposed by Georges Hébert.

Hébert was a French naval officers who, while traveling the world before World War I was impressed by physical development the African tribesmen and their natural gymnastic prowess. Once he returned to France, inspired by his experiences of natural movement and athletic skills, he set out to create his own system of physical education, called ”méthode naturelle”.

During World War I and II Hébert’s method gained popularity and expanded so that it become the standard for the French military education and training and obstacle courses, parcours become widely used in fitness training for firefighters and soldiers.

Later in 1990’s, a Frenchman called David Belle was seeking a way to express himself through athletic exercise, martial arts and gymnastics. His father, Raymond Belle was trained in Vietnam’s military and later served in Paris as a firefighter and was encouraging his son to train hard as well as develop his strength and dexterity in order to be useful in life. David left school at age 17 and in 1997 he an influential group Yamakasi, which is recognized as the first parkour group in the world.

The movement spread slowly in the underground from Paris to London other cities. Parkour was used in popular films, such as Taxi 2, District 13 and in a feature named Yamakasi. Finally the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale and its chase sequence in the beginning catapulted parkour in to the mainstream and began a new wave of parkour-inspired stunts in Western film and television.

Outdoors exercise enhances the development of children’s motor skills

Children’s gross and fine motor can be trained and give them opportunities to develop as good as possible through giving right incentives and tasks on the right time of the developmental phase. When around 12 months old child stands alone taking her first steps or learns how to climb up the stairs and later on discovers the joys of running, a journey of a discovery begins. Children around two year old already know how to jump and can keep their body stable on a balance beam. A three year old child can jump with one foot and stand on it for awhile.

Good places to develop both fine and gross motor skills are for example parks and playground areas (in Finnish: leikkialue), where there is a safe environment to search the boundaries of ones abilities and reach over them learning new skills. On playground areas there is possibility to practice for example jumping over object and rope climbing or glide on slides and have a safe landing, usually on the soft sandy ground. Even if the child seems to be confident and solid with his physical skills the safety rules are good to remember on the playground areas.

Playing games and taking part on child’s journey through new and greatly inspiring environments makes the learning a discovery not only for the child, but for the parent as well. Outdoor activities together build also the bond between the parent and the child. Exercising with the family helps to mediate healthy way of living for next generation. It also gives to a child a non-competitive environment to practice motor skill, without having the pressure to succeed and having a go to try again and again and learn through mistakes. The learning and discovering of the new abilities and motor skills also improves child’s self-esteem and gives positive experiences.

Parkour and freerun

Parkour is a method of movement originally developed by such French guys as David Belle and Sebastian Foucan. The sports concentrate on moving around obstacles as fast and efficiently as possible. The term parkour was coined by Hubert Kounde, a French actor and film director and it derives from the military training courses called parkours du combattant. It has no set movements and is said to be more of a state of mind than a specific way of moving. Parkour avoids rivalry and competition and drives towards the international unification, breaking through the economic and social boundaries which are separating people from one another.

The ideology of the breaking through and finding bondages across countries and nationalities eventually resulted in parkour to spread all over the world. English speaking world was introduced into to the sports through the movie Jump London, which was directed by Sebastian Foucan. The term free running was coined in the film as an translation of the word parkour in English, but it came to mean later on slightly different things than the original parkour was.

Foucan was dissatisfied by the limitations in parkour and stated that free running was a discipline of the self-development and emphasizes the freedom of movement and creativity. According to Foucan acrobatics, which were incorporated in free running, is not parkour, since parkour takes advantages of movement’s efficiency and ultimately was a way of the French soldiers to escape or reach in the emergency situation in Vietnam.

In free running the acrobatics in urban landscapes play a major role. The movements are performed through structure of the landscape and the sport emphasizes especially the creativity of the movement. Free running features athletic and aesthetically pleasing movement which takes advantage of the urban obstacles unlike parkour, which is more about crossing the obstacle efficiently and quickly.

Mostly parkour and free running diverge in their philosophy. In parkour, as already stated, practitioner finds his way through the landscape passing the obstacles and barriers with efficient and fast movements. Parkour is about getting into places which are inaccessible and escaping the chasers, while free running is about creativity of the movement and beauty of the motion.

Ageing of the population affects the design of urban areas

In Finland the ageing of population will be exceptionally fast comparing to the rest of the European Union countries due to big baby boom after the war period. According to statistic 17 percent of the people living in cities were pensioners in the year 2010.

The generations born in 40´s and 50´s will have special needs for their living environments when they get older. This will affect also design and planning of the living spaces and their surrounding outdoors. Especially challenging will be the planning of the living environments of the people with a decreased ability to function in their everyday life. Flexibility and ability to transform with the inhabitants age challenges the planning of the living spaces and the design of the interiors not to mention the opportunities for senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta).

The ability of the elderly people to handle the everyday tasks and function without outside help can be improved with a careful planning of the living environments. Accessible apartments and for example assisting technology can make the living of an old aged person easier. Environments can be also inspiring, attracting people into, for example senior sports by having an exercise ground on the apartment building yard or having a common gym. These can also serve as a social hot spots, meeting points for the elderly as well as other generations. Living environments can be an obstacle or a possibility. The ageing of the population affects as well the community structure and planning as the accessibility of the services grows more important. The local grocery stores and public transportation enable the flow of everyday life.

The World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day was passed on November 14th. The day is for to remind of the seriousness of the illness and to support proper research and treatment for patients. Diabetes is categorized as a national illness in Finland. According to estimations, half a million adults in Finland are suffering from type 2 diabetes, half of them without knowing it, and other half having a diagnose. The disease causes increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases, decline of the kidneys and higher risk for retinopathy.

Diabetes has spread vast and it´s commonness is increasing rapidly. According to specialists and researchers, this is connected with lifestyle, nutrition, increasing overweight and bad fitness. The key factors in growing diabetes risk are the same as in cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes can develop itself in quiet without any symptoms for many years. Tiredness, increased blood sugar levels and constant feel of thirst can be signs of diabetes in progress. The highest risk for type 2 diabetes is with people over 60 years and with overweight. The Finnish Diabetes Association recommends all those who belong to risk groups to make a diabetes risk test found in their homepage. The early discovery of the illness will prevent the more serious symptoms.

Diabetes can however be prevented and counter acted, by reviewing the risks of the lifestyle and nutrition, and increasing exercise and fitness. The necessary changes in lifestyle to prevent diabetes are not always inevitably massive. Avoiding excessive amounts of sugar and fat and eating at list half a kilogram of veggies per day is by nutrition enough to make a difference.

In older age, senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta) and being active physically in general are the best ways to prevent and treat diabetes. According to specialists, the exercise should be at least thrice a week, get you sweaty and rise your pulse at least a little, but even a half an hour walk can help to keep the condition. For good senior fitness it is recommended for example Nordic walking, light jogging, golf and gymnastic exercises. According to researches regular exercise minimizes 60 percent of the risk of the diabetes even in older age.

Children’s computer gaming useful

It is more than often comprehended that spending too much time with computers and video games just isn´t good for children and teenagers, making them, in the worst case scenario, an unsociable nerd incubating evil thoughts in their dark rooms and gaining massive overweight while using their muscles mostly to only open cola cans.

This idea has been turned around in recent years by several new applications and solutions, which use new technologies of player movement and touch screens. New IT technologies make it possible for players to use their bodies and movements to advance in the game and the game itself can simulate the actual sports, such as tennis or yoga. Technology has been used also to create interactive spaces and sporting environments, where gaming and outdoor sports, using your brain and using your body movements are combined. The possibilities of these technologies are almost limitless and give chance to develop games we never could imagine before. They make people move, dance, play, and do sports.

Lappset offers the DigiPlay concept which introduces IT-based games to outdoors and public spaces. The series includes interactive learning environment, a game unit and Lappset Mobile Playground (in Finnish: leikkialue), which takes gaming outdoors. SmartUs application enables contacts to other children in other physical locations, and the newest solutions features mobile applications as well. 

Designing an enjoyable garden for your house

When building a house most people concentrate on the planning and design on the interiors and outlooks, but forget to give detailed attention to houses exteriors as well. This concerns most public spaces around apartment buildings as well. Gardens and yards can however be designed in a way that they give even more joy for their respective householders.

Plans where yard is segmented into spaces according to which purpose and who are using the area help to construct the outer spaces to benefit efficiently and pleasantly the use of all the inhabitants. Especially families with children can benefit more on their exterior spaces when the needs of the all the members of the family have been taken into account when designing the outer spaces of the house. The car park should be in a distance from the areas meant to be hang outs and playground (in Finnish: leikkialue) areas, and football and basketball is best to play away from windows and other fragile items.

For children all kinds of hides, slides and open spaces are inspiration for play, an exciting environment to explore. These can be nicely combined with gardening areas such as plantings and group of bushes or trees. Special playground areas invite children to use their creativity and imagination. For security and especially with small children, good items are a fence around the playground are and a gate, which prevent them to run from the yard into dangers of for example nearby road. Inspirational equipment and scaffoldings to climb on will give children more activity on the exterior spaces. Adventure and imagination lives in children’s play.

Lappset offers great variety of products to suit, beside the needs of the children of all ages, also adults and seniors as well. When a suitable combination of equipment is chosen carefully it can serve generations from grandmother to youngest one in the family. Lappset wooden Finno equipment are classics found in many Finnish children’s park areas, and the designs, materials and colors suits the Finnish habitation landscape well. The equipment include among others swings, sandboxes, slides and climbing frames. 

The founding figure of modern Parkour

Parkour, a French born method of movement focusing on moving in speed and finding efficient and loose ways around obstacles, has its roots in French army training and African indigenous tribes´ model of physical skills. The crucial figure for the sports is David Belle, who grew up in the Parisian suburbs and who was surrounded by a family of sporting heroes.

In early 19th century, a French naval officer Georges Herbert travelled in Africa and was fascinated by the physical skills of the indigenous tribes there. He developed a motto of “be strong to be useful” and inspired by the tribes he created apparatus of exercise called methode naturelle. This method has since become a standard system in French military education and training, which David Bell also took part decades later in French Marine corps at Vannes.

David’s father, Raymond Belle was a firefighter in Parisian brigade and served in French Army in Vietnam. He had vast influence on David’s seeking for physical and mental freedom through discipline, strength and skill. Raymond was trained in methode naturelle at the French army and introduced it to his son as well. In the army service David’s favourite courses were parcours du combattant aka military obstacle courses and he gained the title of Regimental rope-climbing records holder. David however left the military life as he felt the rules were too restricted and the environment too regulated. The quest for overcoming the physical obstacles and gaining such way the freedom of mind had begun.

He did some odd jobs and left for India to study kung-fu for three months. In 1980´s David Belle had founded, together with his childhood friend Yahn Hnautra, a collective of Parkour trainers called Yamakasi, which eventually came to known as the originator of modern day Parkour. The ingredients of the sports came from the things David’s father had taught him from the idea of moving without physical constraints and the feeling of freedom. The idea of Parkour lives in the Yamakasis original Congolese Lingala language term meaning strong man, strong spirit.

Outdoor fitness keeps the health up through old age

It is shown in research that exercise prevents the symptoms of the old age such as the weakening of the general ability to function in everyday life, the stiffening of joints and atrophy of the muscles. Doing outdoor exercise on a regular basis will keep also the mind active and prevents the weakening of cognitive abilities and depression. It is recommended to do exercise at least one hour per day, preferably outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta). One study tells that staying inside even for one week will affect the general state of mind and vitality. Also, outdoor fitness prevents respiratory disorders and gives your lungs a good lungful of fresh air.

Good sports for elderly people are, for example, cross country skiing, swimming and Nordic walking, but even walking to the food store and carrying the bags back home is a good way of having a day’s dose of exercise. As it is shown, for keeping up the good health any outdoor fitness is good. It is studied that even regular walking will do the thing. Most important is that you do exercise regularly.

In the mid-2000s Lappset carried out a study on everyday life of children and elderly people. The project resulted in the Senior Sport Concept, in which the mission is to get people outside to play and exercise. The Senior Sport Concept equipment is designed to Improve the capacity of elderly people to cope in everyday life. Recent studies tell that muscle brawn can be increased in old age in the same manner as when younger. Equipment feature, for example, Panna Knockout arenas, game walls and multi-activity and sports equipment.

Senior Sport Concept products can be used by people of any age, and this way they offer a meeting point for different generations. Cross generation sports, playing and exercising will also mediate the practice for children, who this way can grow into keeping up their health through regular outdoor fitness.

Does play make you relaxed

The Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset promotes playgrounds for adults in their website (btw, playground in Finnish is leikkialue and children “lapset”). According to their websites, “the world of adults is all about performance, scoring, setting targets. Play can offer an alternative where adults can express themselves and relax.”

I disagree here – adults do play. We play football, floorball, soccer, hockey, golf and so on. The play of adults is usually s called “hobby”, and the meaning of all these hobbies is tha same as mentioned above: to relax and do something else than what we do in everyday life, which usually means work.

The element of scoring is present in these adult plays called hobbies. We want to beat another team, our competitor in game, or our own ranking. We do want to score, even if we say that it is “just a play”. When looking at inter-company games where not-so-fitty adults are running after any ball, stress-free is not the word that comes first in mind. I do not even know how well the players are able to express themselves, if we do not take into account that they are not wearing their everyday suit but shorts and t-shirts instead.

Roger Caillois was a French intellectual, who in his work discussed widely about the meaning of the play. In his book “Man, Play and Games” he defines the play by six core characteristics: Play is not obligatory and it is separate from the routine of life; the results of play cannot be pre-determined and so that the player's initiative is involved; it is unproductive; it is governed by rules that suspend ordinary laws and must be followed by players; and that it involves make-believe that confirms in players the existence of imagined realities that may be set against 'real life'.

There have been critiques towards Caillois similar than mine above: in the western society, everything is more or less subordinated to the social pressure and we do think what the right ways to use your time are. But Caillois’ definition does provide an interesting connection between play and the relaxation. In Caillois’s definition the idea of escapism is obviously present – and escapism is strongly connected with relaxation.

So maybe scoring is related to relaxation, after all, but not so straightforwardly than presented above. And in any case, the play does not start from game or playground – it starts from the attitude. We adults adore children’s ability to surrender oneself to game; we admire the way children can make up stories and play almost out of nowhere. This attitude is something to look for, whatever its presentation might be.

Playground in shopping centre

In a good old times some more advantageous shopping malls had children’s play room in some dark corner, where adults were able to drop their children while they were shopping. In modern malls the playground (in Finnish, leikkialue) is located in the middle, and surrounded with benches for adults to watch and rest.

One of these indoor playgrounds can be found from Örebo, Sweden. There the playground is truly located in the middle of the shopping mall. The entrance is made easy as there are no walls or entrance fee – anyone can come and join fun. In this busy environment, the simple forms and striking colors of playground equipments attract passersby eyes, and encourage them to participate.

In this case the playground environment is by Smartus concept, which is totally new way to approach the playgrounds. Smartus is digiplay concept created by Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset, which uses digital environment for deepening the play experience. This playground for the 21st century combines modern technology with playground equipment and turns play environments into a network. As any other playground, Smartus encourages users to exercise, play together and succeed together, but with the aim of the technology the players do not even need to be in the same space.

But it does not have to be the latest technological invention of the playgrounds to attract visitors! To have public playground in indoor area is a great idea at least in northern countries, where the weather can be nasty sometimes. It will not replace the good effects of being outdoors, but definitely physical exercise and play are better than just sitting indoors and watch television.

Shopping malls are ideal places for indoor playgrounds as the mall provides the basic functions already. In malls, there are already good air conditioning systems and public toilets; there are services like restaurants around; and people come to malls to spend their free time, so there are no need to seduce them to come over.

Malls providing the possibility to physical exercise have understood that providing free services like this do serve the public and individual good. Obvious is that they want to attract families to spend more time in their mall – but this way to spend time is probably much healthier than traditional hanging around.

Get teenagers out and play!

The old stereotype is about a teenager who sits inside and plays video games or watches TV, with his parents complaining “go out and play”. There might be a true reason behind this action, as the studies have shown that obesity in teen ages brings the same risks as heavy smoking.

Some playground manufacturers like Lappset have realized this need and designed their own playground equipments for teenagers (playground in Finnish leikkialue). Their series of playground equipments for teenagers include rougher looking climbing nets and frames, that are made from hot-dip galvanised thin-walled tubes and steel, and no bright color are used like in kids’ park.

This is actually following the first rule of teenager playground design. As being the teenager is rebelling against being a child, this has to be taken into account when designing playground areas for teens. The playground must set them apart from the younger ones in order to please this target group.

The nature of play changes also when growing to teenager years. Playgrounds for teenagers should focus more on exercise. As for younger children playing is learning, for these more adult ones playing is more physical and competitive by its nature.

The ideal playground offers the possibilities for sport and socializing, and it should nurture the need of adventure and physical challenge. The area offering wide choice of play different kind of games and do various exercises would be ideal: from football to basketball, climbing areas to just places to hang around and socialize. And the more plentiful the assortment of the games is, more likely there are more teens to gather there!

Play for teenagers is not anymore their work, as it is for younger ones. Play in teenager years is closely linked with the areas of social growth. Playing might provide the way to handle issues that cannot necessarily be put into words, and understand changes in the body through the physical exercises.

Teenager playgrounds are great way to direct the unchangeable energy to in more practical framework. Facilities like this can reduce anti-social behavior and help to prevent teenager crimes.

The importance of play

I never really thought of the reason for all the different playground equipments until now, when I have been spending a lot of time hanging in playgrounds (that is BTW in Finnish leikkialue).

Most of the equipments are still same as in my childhood: swings, carousels, springs, slides, and climbing frames. According to the manufacturers, they are made to develop children’s balance, muscles, spatial awareness and sense of rhythm.

According to the studies it is indeed so. Physical playing develops skills needed for surviving in modern world. These exercises develop the ability to reach and grasp, estimate measures and the power needed to crawl, run or climb. These skills even help them to develop the ability to write.

In his book “The importance of play: Moving and Learning for the Young Child” (1990) C. S. Rogers says that play supports the entire development of a child in all levels: physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally. So not only the physical part is present on play, but also other qualities what are needed for growing up.

As the saying goes, play is a child’s work. Through play, children learn how society works, about their environment and of their own skills. Along with physical exercise, playing gives children the lessons of teamwork skills and other social interaction - like co-operation, taking turns, play by the rules and lead the team - and provides sources for intellectual development. Play develops the creativity and language skills when interacting with others.

And to go even further: positive experiences while play creates positive emotions. That is good for child’s well-being. Play, which is closely connected with imagination, can help child to master their feeling and experiences, even the negative ones. I read somewhere that when children feel secure and safe while play, they acquire important components of positive emotional health.

Playing is not just for the human child while growing up. Other animals play too. So it is not something we, or our age, invented. Play is something built inside us, and it truly has an important meaning for our development.

My playground places

Lately I have been introduced to a place I haven’t visited for a long time: the playground (in Finnish, leikkialue). The reason is the most common one any adult visits in this place, but this is not about cute and clever child. This is about my relationship with the playground.

As hard as I try I cannot remember, when I was taken to play in the playground for the first time. I was probably quite young, as we lived in a suburb where there were lots of playgrounds placed around the area. The kindergarten I went to had one as well: there were swings, carousels, springs shaped as horses, slides, sandboxes, and climbing frames, many of each as the suburb was new and kindergarten full of children. I can remember my favorite equipment, which was some kind of mix between swing and spring, and would probably be banned today as being too dangerous. Then again I cannot remember the games we played; I just remember that we played.

When reaching the teenager years, we local teenage rebels had a habit of gathering at the local playground after dusk. At those days we didn’t play with the equipments anymore, if you do not count the coincident swinging while sitting on the swing and chatting to each others. We were there to spend some quality time with our fellow rebel teenagers.

I find it very symbolic that after our childhood we teenager gathered in the playground. The location was familiar to all of us, as we had played there when we all were kids. Maybe the location represented us the safe place to be. It at least gave us the frames to try the games of adults: social intercourse and shy steps of getting to know the other sex. After a while, we were ready for discos and bars and the days spent in playgrounds were history.

And here I am again. Something like ten years later, standing next to a sandbox and watching the child play. As history has a habit of repeating itself, the playground I spend time is located in a brand new suburb with lots of kids around. The role of us adults is the same as when we were teenagers: sit and speak, this time usually about the children playing around. And after couple of years from now, my relationship with the playground will break off again, this time maybe forever.

Adults wants to play too!

We tend to think that play is the work of children. The Finnish playground (in Finnish, leikkialue) manufacturer Lappset has taken another approach to the subject matter. They want to encourage adults to play as well – and are even making playgrounds for that!

The idea of Lappset starts from the fact that we adults live busy life, full of performance and scoring. Play could be the alternative to that, action which gives adults the possibility relax and express themselves.

This way of thinking has a lot of potentially in itself. Adult life in first world countries is a continuous search of finding the balance between work and time without work. It is more than common to hear how stressed we are, and about the various ways to unstress ourselves. Why not think of play as the one?

I suppose here the world “play” do not mean playing squash, football, badminton or tennis with crazy look in eyes and eager to win the game in the soul. If I understand right, Lappset means play as playful, kind of a mental stage.

Wiktionary defines play as “liking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive”. The alternatives are “funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome”, ”fun, recreational, not serious” and “experimental”, which all kind of sum up what kind of action is this relaxing and stress-free play.

But what good could come up from play, or being playful? Obviously lowering one’s stress level should work positively for everyone’s body. Also, playing is often exercise, and the best way to do that: because of fun, not because we have to. Playing can be the way to spend quality time with children and get some fresh air, if done outside. And last but not least: it is believed that being playful can be the reason your partner is choosing you, as the creative and fun person do not possess the threat to the children or family. And they can be more fun to live with, too!

Aging and play - More excitement, less isolation, courage

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw

Thirty-seven percent of people aged over 75 live alone. Their independence suffers from deteriorating coordination and balance, and moving becomes a slower and slower process. As much as 41 percent of elderly people deliberately avoid moving for fear of taking a fall. The resulting isolation and loneliness can lead to severe depression and even suicide. A number of studies have shown that daily stimulating “play”, such as filling in crossword puzzles or playing chess, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lappset has enrolled the help of several academic institutions to study the possibilities of playgrounds designed for elderly people. The findings are encouraging: the elderly people who sampled the playground (In Finnish leikkialue) reported improvement in their balance – which is a key element of the physical fitness of elderly people – agility, mood and courage to leave the house on their own. Being able to spend time with their grandchildren at the same time is an added bonus. Regular physical activity promotes health amongst the elderly, which in turn benefits the national economy and public health.

Did you know that...

Richard Faull, professor at Auckland University, studies Huntington’s disease. He believes that playing encourages the brain to produce new cells and to repair itself.

In industrial countries, playing is seen as the work of children.

In industrial countries, children are allowed and encouraged to play. Play is seen as a vital part of their lives for their development and for becoming responsible adults. But as they reach the age of being an adult, they and we might laugh aloud when seeing playgrounds (in Finnish, leikkialue)

“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.” – Brian Sutton-Smith

The question “what are the benefits of play?” is actually a very typical example of how adults think. The world of adults is all about performance, scoring, and setting targets. Play can offer an alternative where adults can express themselves and relax.

The Terman studies, which have been in progress in the United States since the 1920s, aim at finding gifted children. The studies have shown a link between long life and habitual participation in playing and games throughout the individual’s life. Playful properties are also believed to have significance for choosing a partner. Both women and men unconsciously reason that a playful spouse will not present a threat to them or their children.

For adults, play represents:

Enjoyable quality time with their children

A chance to give their brains a breather and to prevent them from becoming set in their ways

Exercise

Creativity

Did you know that...

Our ancestors dedicated a lot more energy to play. According to anthropologist Marshall Sahlins, communities of hunter-gatherers spent around four hours a day on work. The remainder was dedicated to playing and games.

Playgrounds for seniors

I recently became aware of an innovation from the Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset: the playgrounds (in Finnish, leikkialue) for senior citizens. First I was not sure should I was going to laugh or what, but then I decided to take it as a reflection of today’s culture.

Lets face the facts: the population of industrialized countries is getting older. The big generations born after the World Wars are just about at the age of retirement, and, due to different lifestyles, contraceptives and the independence of women, younger generations are not so large in numbers anymore. This makes the balance between old and young population totally different relation to what it has traditionally been: traditionally, children were the majority generation of the population, and elders the dying one, not figuratively speaking.

The way of life has changed drastically over the last few decades. Whereas more or less hundred years ago it was typical that three generations, from grandparents to toddlers, live under the same roof, nowadays the idea of nuclear family, parent or parents and children, is the main solution for living style. Grandparents are living in their own apartments, or when enough old, in retirement homes.

But is Lappset innovative in their thinking, or are they just reflecting the changing world? A hundred years ago, it might have been fun idea to have special playgrounds with special playground equipments for children even in industrialized countries. Children were, at least in some parts of the nation, considered as the source of labor. It was a challenge even getting them to school, and still special holidays had to be given for school children when they were needed for helping their parents with harvest duties. No playgrounds for them at those times.

Nowadays senior citizens are living older, and many of them are living alone. Is it really a stupid idea to provide them places to have some outdoor activities and meet others? Any outdoor activity is more stimulating than bingo; and this kind of specific area, maybe even with playground attendant, make safe place to do exercise. The senior citizen playground in the park of retirement home makes a great hang-around place for seniors living there, and with good city planning, this kind of playground could be the meeting place for children and elders alike.

The interactive playground

Although children tend to play the same games throughout the ages with minor updates, technology has allowed the playground (in Finnish: leikkialue) to take a quantum leap into the modern era much to the delight of the creative and active. An innovation just like this is SmartUs from Lappset, the Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) equipment.

SmartUs is an internationally recognized playful learning and activity concept for today's children and families. Combining modern technology with play equipment, SmartUs offers a wide range of possibilities for playful activities and learning. The concept was developed by Lappset with the help of experts from the fitness, education, design and technology sectors.

The product line offers a wide range of opportunities for playful activities and learning by combining traditional playground equipment and modern technology, and by joining individual playgrounds to form networks. The network of SmartUs environments forms a foundation for new kinds of sporty games and tournaments, a range of different learning experiences and possibilities for online gaming.

New SmartUs outdoor gyms (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) have been emerging all over Europe since 2006. SmartUs environments can already be found in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Finland, for example. And the community is growing all the time.

Joy of play for senior citizens

While surfing meaninglessly on theInternet, I encountered a video demonstrating the senior citizens playground (in Finnish, leikkialue). This video is a demo video from the Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset, demonstrating their new series of playground equipments of older persons.

In the video an elderly lady (but by no means old, actually a very fit looking one) is moving a ring from one end to another in the equipment called a snake bar. According to the video texts, this movement helps getting dressed, combing hair, washing oneself, and hanging up clothes. For me, this looks like a pretty dull activity, but then again I am not the professional in physiotherapy or geriatrics.

The second part of the video is about grey haired gentleman (he doesn’t look as fit as the first lady) crossing a net that is stretched near the ground. He steps slowly in the holes of the net or on the net; this exercise should help avoid and cross obstacles. Even with a provided hand-rail, this looks like a much more dangerous activity to me, and I’m not sure I would like to see my grandma using this equipment without someone watching over her.

The rest of the exercises on the video are more or less similar to the first two: either looking too complicated or way too simple. There are two of them that catch my attention: the Finger Steps, where you ascend or descend the steps with your fingers (for helping unbuttoning and using a mobile phone), and Spring Stool, where one can do hip rotation when seated (helps finding and maintaining a good sitting position). The Spring Stool I would like to get in my work place – that would be ideal way to relax in the middle of the boring day. Finger Steps could probably serve as the stress tool for most stressed sales managers.

While watching the video I tried to picture an elderly person in very weak physical condition, or on contrary and one of these power seniors running marathons, using these equipments. Some of the exercises might be too challenging for the first person, and for the second, definitely not challenging at all. But what bothers me most is the simplicity of many of these exercises: according the manufacturer, these equipments should inspire the playful mind, and facilitate and enrich the everyday lives of senior citizens. It might be just me, but I feel that at some level, elderly are highly underestimated here.

Playground for senior citizens

I recently came across an article about the Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset, which has developed a series of sport equipments for elderly people. The senior citizens playground (in Finnish, leikkialue) sounded so ridiculous idea that I decided to study the subject more.

Apparently the idea came from a multi-discipline study project Lappset conducted in the start of the 21^st century. The study was about the everyday lives of senior citizens and children in daycare - unfortunately this was all the information I was able to find about the study. However, as an offspring of this study was the idea of a senior playground.

Together with professionals of geriatric physiotherapy, Lappset started to develop the range of playground equipment suitable for older persons. The exercises designed are to improve the capacity of elder persons to cope with everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt, getting dressed, avoiding obstacles, using mobile phones and so on. This, I think, is an important aspect of meaningful senior life, although I do not see any help for these kind of exercises for my senior aged mum doing yoga and going to the gym.

However, there are ideas behind the Lappset Senior Series that I find intriguing. In the end of their web page, Lappset mentions that the equipment range is equally suited for children to play on, and senior playground can thus become a meeting place for different generation. Although this will require much more than just setting up the series of senior playground equipments to some corner of the park (i.e. careful planning in municipal level in which corner of which park), I find this idea of playground for all age groups many ways ideal. It does remind me of the good old ages, when grandmas and grandpas were looking after the kids and teaching them their wisdom at the same time. This playground area suitable for both could be the modern version of that.

The idea of Senior Sport equipments (as they are called) are inspire senior citizens to be playful, exercise and to challenge their bodies and senses. What I’m looking for next is some real life user stories of the subject, written by the target group.

Forget the rocking chair, here comes the senior playground

The population of industrialized countries is aging quickly. The big generation that was born after the World Wars is reaching the age of retirement now. Compared to their ancestors, this generation is more active than ever, but they still cannot beat the effects of aging.

In the start of the 21^st century, Finnish playground manufacturer Lappset conducted a study of the everyday lives of senior citizens. The research generated ideas that lead to the concept of Senior Sport, a series of fitness equipment specifically for the elderly.

The senior playground (playground in Finnish leikkialue), as it is playfully called, is to facilitate and enrich the everyday lives of senior citizens through physical outdoor exercise and the good feeling it produces. This is actually the mission of Lappset: to get people to go outside to play and exercise – regardless of age.

The Lappset Senior Sport equipments have been designed with physiotherapy professionals. Motor skills and muscle tone get weaker with the age, starting from the age 40. These abilities affect to the sense of balance, and it is commonly known that senior citizens are vulnerable to falls. For older persons, broken bones may take a long time to heal and cause long periods of immobility. This is the reason why staying physically active is important for older persons.

The exercises with Senior Sport equipment are to improve balance and coordination of elder persons, and maintain their mobility. These kinds of physical exercise support the capacity to cope with everyday tasks, from buttoning one’s shirt to traveling by the bus.

Senior playgrounds may improve the quality of life in mental way as well. According to the studies, 37 percent of persons aged 75 or over live alone, but the need for social interaction does not disappear as we get older. Senior playground may offer the place to meet other people, and outdoor pursuits done together with others definitely support both mental and physical wellbeing. Even though the Senior Sport equipment range is designed for the elderly, it is equally suited for children to play on. A senior playground can become a meeting place for different generation, offering outdoor fitness (In Finnish ulkoliikunta) activities for all age group.

The secret of long good life is to keep one’s body and mind active. No matter what age, the most enjoyable of exercises is play. The Lappset Senior Sport inspires people to be playful, exercise and to challenge their bodies and senses – no matter what age group they are.

Fitness at senior ages

Sustaining a good level of daily physical activity is important at any age, but it becomes increasingly important the older you get. Over the years, you body loses its dexterity and agility, bones become brittle and you find that your mind just isn’t what it used to be. It’s all part of the natural development of the human body. But with a little effort, you can slow down the process and feel better for longer.

There are, however, several important things to consider in senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta). First of all, it might be worth talking to a doctor first. If you’ve been active your entire life, keeping up daily exercise comes naturally.However, if you’re just starting out, it’s worth talking to a professional to know what level to set out on. Either way, you need to remember to stop at the first sign of pain.

Other things to keep in mind are similar to fitness at any age: don’t exercise if you’re sick, don’t over-strain yourself, warm up when starting, cool down afterwards and drink plenty of water throughout. It’s also important to use the correct equipment. In today’s world of fitness, there is specific equipment for all levels of fitness and ages. In the mid-2000s, Lappset, the Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) equipment, studied the everyday lives of senior citizens and children in daycare. The project eventually generated ideas that grew into the Senior Sport concept. Inspired by the research and assisted by experts in the field, Lappset designed a series of fitness equipment specifically for the elderly.

Exercise is good for you!

One of the best remedies for boredom is exercise. Not only does it strengthen the body but it strengthens the mind also. Different types of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) activities can bring diversity to your everyday life and bring also a change of scenery. Physical activities can help you balance your life, and you can always find the fight activity for your specific needs or mood.

Experts have for the longest time proclaimed the benefits of exercise which makes you feel better and betters your overall disposition with a mood boost that comes from being outside in the sunshine or even the rain. Many outdoor activities involve certain levels of weight lifting, which improves bone density by stimulating greater bone development. And many outdoor activities are also good ways to improve your sense of balance and spatial awareness.

Staying fit is a corner stone of a healthy life and can be a source of enjoyment also for adults. The exercise products developed by Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) environments, are designed with versatility in mind and can be used easily by both children and adults. By ensuring the possibility to use the equipment by all age groups, the products are used actively throughout the day.

Welcome to the world of play!

An increasingly popular form of activity is parkour, which is a method of moving over, round and under obstacles varying in the level of difficulty. It originates from France and the idea behind the development was for traceurs, practitioners of parkour, to learn to use their bodies gymnastically and as efficiently as possible with the environment, always looking for, finding and conquering more and more difficult paths.

Parkour is essentially made up of acrobatic movements such as vaults, rolling, climbing and jumping, and concentrates on two specific areas: efficiency and speed. Many benefits are claimed to result from doing parkour, such as enhance spatial awareness, self-confidence and bettered critical-thinking. It has a growing number of enthusiasts that appreciate a creatively challenging environment.

Lappset Group Oy, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and play environments (in Finnish: leikkialue), has developed in co-operation with the Finnish Parkour Academy a wide variety of parkour equipment. As a result of this co-operation, high quality products have been designed specifically with the true requirements of the activity in mind.

The driving force behind the company is the desire to constantly develop more versatile opportunities for outdoor fitness for everyone to get the most out of the experience. The new parkour product line that was designed with diversity in mind and was awarded in Finland as the Best Domestic Fitness Product of 2010.

Sporty products for all ages

Ready, steady, go! Swing around a pole, run over a swinging bridge, balance your way across a beam, move a hoop all the way to the other end of a pole, a speedy crunch towards the finishing line and goal! New records and new obstacle courses are born everyday while fitness levels develop along with agile competitions. A few adults show up at the outdoor gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) at the end of the day to stretch some muscles and do a few pull-ups during their evening walks.

Staying fit is a corner stone of a healthy life and can be a source of enjoyment also for adults. The exercise products developed by Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) environments, are designed with versatility in mind and can be used easily by both children and adults. By ensuring the possibility to use the equipment by all age groups, the products are used actively throughout the day. Additionally, by building an environment with products meant for different user groups, new acquaintances can be made with a common interest.

In the mid-2000s, Lappset studied the everyday lives of senior citizens and children in daycare. The project eventually generated ideas that grew into the Senior Sport concept. Inspired by the research and assisted by experts in the field, Lappset designed a series of fitness equipment specifically for the elderly.

The purpose of the Senior Sport outdoor fitness equipment is to enhance the daily lives of senior citizens through outdoor exercise. The playful exercises designed for the elderly improve their capacity to cope with everyday tasks. Senior fitness (in Finnish: senioriliikunta) is essential for good mobility ensuring that senior citizens hurt themselves less often, saving on medical costs.

The modern playground

Modern technology enables all kinds of combinations of exercise and play while also learning and developing through games. Digiplay connects children around the world – with the SmartUs application, youngsters can compete with each other in sporty puzzles and mind games even if the competitors aren’t physically in the same location.

The thinking behind Lappset Play Evolution is enhancing the growth and development of children through play. More and more children spend their time indoors playing computer games, and Lappset wants to encourage them to also play outdoors. The latest innovation from the company is extending the game world to playgrounds (in Finnish: leikkialue) and parks with the use of mobile technology.

The Digiplay product lines, Lappset Puzzle, SmartUs and MobilePlay, are suitable for children of 4 years old and up, and include different game fields and games designed specifically for them. The SmartUs fields suit for both the outdoors and indoors, only the Smartus InGrid hopscotch and Lappset Puzzle are meant especially for indoor play. An iCard is needed for playing the SmartUs fields in order to register results and sharing them on the Internet. The LinkIt and PlayCreator software allow players to create their own SmartUs games beyond the standard set of games.

MobilePlay broadens the basic playground into a game world with the use of mobile phone Internet connections and scanned codes. The idea is to perform tasks in the playground sent to the player’s mobile phone. More tasks can be unlocked when completing previous tasks. With MobilePlay, the familiar old playground is charged with a new energy.

Environmentally friendly outdoor fitness

Finland is known for its forests and woods, and commercial woods are carefully taken care of responsibly and with longevity in mind. Lappset, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and gym (in Finnish: ulkoliikuntapaikka) environments, also does its part in the welfare of the Finnish woods. The wood used in the Lappset products originates from forests that are maintained according to the sustainable environment principles of PECF, which is the world’s most comprehensive forest certification system administered and developed by the Finnish Forest Certification Council.

Already in 1998, Lappset took into use the international environmental standard, ISO 14001. According to the system, environmental issues are considered in all the different areas throughout the organization from the procuring of raw materials to the treatment of by-products and waste. For example, the paint used on the wooden parts of the products is water soluble fulfilling environmentally friendly requirements. Also, Lappset has dozens of subcontractors and it audits the main ones annually to ensure that environmental ethics are adhered to. During these audits, special attention is paid to the quality of used materials and deliveries, to the environmental friendliness of the production processes and to other critical business areas with the perspective of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

We invite everyone to join in!

Playing moves the body and brightens the spirit. Exercising helps you feel good, betters your quality of life and slows down the deterioration that inevitably comes with aging. Additionally, when you meet friends while out on a walk or participate in fun and games with your family, you keep your mind sharp.

Lappset Group Oy, a Finnish developer of outdoor fitness (in Finnish: ulkoliikunta) and play environments, would like to invite everyone to join in the fun of playing and enjoying the outdoors with like-minded people. The driving force behind the company is the desire to constantly develop more versatile opportunities for outdoor fitness for everyone to get the most out of the experience. A good example is the new parkour product line that was designed with diversity in mind and was awarded in Finland as the Best Domestic Fitness Product of 2010.

Parkour is an urban activity where the aim is as fluid method of movement as possible with different types of jumps, crossing obstacles and climbing spiced with acrobatic elements such as volts and twists. It also imbues a sense of challenging and outdoing oneself while being strongly community driven which attracts also children and youngsters that are not otherwise attracted to competition driven sports.

The Lappset Parkour Solutions products have been developed in co-operation with the Finnish Parkour Academy. With the valuable advice of professionals in this area, the true requirements of the activity have been considered when designing the equipment. And the integrity and uncompromising of the product development as a result of this co-operation has helped the products achieve instant accreditation.