Cardiovascular Health, often referred to as Aerobic Exercise, improves the ability for blood and oxygen to flow smoothly within the muscles of the body.
Why it’s important:
Cardiovascular Health is the number one ally in the fight against childhood obesity. Moderate levels of prolonged activity, such as running, improve cardiovascular health. Doing regular aerobic exercise 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. Best of all, aerobic exercise and overall cardiovascular health compound. That means, the more a person exercises, the more the body adapts and improves.
Playground Components that help:
Bridges and the spacial relationships between components provide the greatest opportunities for aerobic exercise and cardiovascular health.
Bridges:
Bridges connect platforms and playground components. The goal of using bridges or ramps is to encourage children to go from one play area to another within the playground structure. Bridges that have an element of fun, such as the Clatter Bridge or Hip Swiveller, enhance the crossing experience and increase the likelihood that a child will go back and forth across the bridge. This repetitive motion is a key element of overall cardiovascular health.
Spacial Relationships
A brilliant composer once said that great music is as much about the notes as it is the space between them. The same thing can be said about developing cardiovascular health on a playground. When browsing the pre-designed playground designs, you’ll notice that most designs have an open space in the middle of the play structure. This is done to serve as an area for children to congregate, but it’s also done to increase the distance between play components. A distance between play components, even as little as 10 feet, is enough to have children run back and forth. That motion increases the heart rate, promoting cardiovascular health and overall endurance.
