05.11.2014 - Ausgabe: 5/2014

Cities and local authorities get their residents up and running – exercise trails in public areas

The Association of German Playground Equipment and Leisure Facility Manufacturers (BSFH - Bundesverband für Spielplatzgeräte- und Freizeitanlagen-Hersteller e.V.) is publishing a corresponding brochure in collaboration with the Association of German Cities and Local Authorities (Deutsche Städte- und Gemeindebund).

Regular exercise prevents illness, promotes individual well-being, helps reduce stress, increases vitality and contributes towards a better quality of life. "One of the main strategies we can use to provide local residents with access to free opportunities for taking more physical exercise whenever they want is to ensure the availability of sufficient open public spaces," declared Dr. Gerd Landsberg, CEO of the Board of the Association of German Cities and Local Authorities (DStGB) and Tilo Eichinger, Chairman of the Association of German Playground Equipment and Leisure Facility Manufacturers (BSFH) today, in reference to the publication of an information brochure on exercise trails in public areas.

In Germany, there is evidence that the incidence of problems associated with sedentary lifestyles is on the increase. Deficits with regard to coordination and physical skills are already being detected in primary school-age children. The reasons may be complex but the simple fact is that we now do not take enough exercise, spend too much time in front of the TV and PC and have become lazy thanks to the omnipresence of transport devices such as escalators and lifts. "People tend to adopt an 'I'll do it tomorrow' kind of attitude and prefer, when they can, to slump on the couch and watch athletes perform on the TV," pointed out Gerd Landsberg. But local authorities can motivate their residents to get up and be active by creating local exercise opportunities. In fact, cities as a whole can serve as sport and exercise spaces; not just the parks and green spaces may be used for this purpose; what are also needed are exercise trails designed to be used by young and old, the fit and the unfit, Landsberg continued.

Publicly accessible open spaces often come to represent, in the mind of many, somewhere where physical exercise can be undertaken completely free of charge. As it has become one of the pressing needs of our civilisation to improve the health profile of society, particularly in view of the ageing of the population, the creation of more open space that can be used for exercise has become imperative. One of the objectives of green space planning must thus be to encourage people to improve their physical fitness by taking more exercise, added Tilo Eichinger.

Awareness of the need for more exercise

By means of their publication 'Städte und Gemeinden bringen Bürger in Bewegung − Bewegungsparcours im öffentlichen Raum' (Cities and local authorities get their residents up and running − exercise trails in public areas), the DStGB and BSFH hope to increase the awareness of the need for more exercise and to inspire cities and local authorities to construct exercise trails. The brochure also outlines the various possible local sources of funding.

With regard to the financial aspects, Uwe Lübking of the DStGB said: "Cities and local authorities are well aware that they need to dig deep in their pockets to develop sports facilities. They cost money and there is no doubt that the precarious financial situation in which many such authorities find themselves puts the promotion of sport at risk. There thus first needs to be a local willingness to place an emphasis on sport. Because of the lack of ready cash, local authorities have no alternative but must set priorities with regard to giving sport a boost. Cities and authorities must recognise that it is their responsibility to actively support sports-related projects and the financial restraints mean that it is now necessary for local authorities to develop collaborative, shared sport promotion strategies to meet the needs of their residents. In view of the lack of financial leeway, this would be the only option that would allow such priorities to be realised and would avoid the misallocation of what is available. These measures must be coordinated locally with the various stakeholders. At the same time, it will be necessary to take into account the need to promote the level of health of the population as a whole, to integrate 'marginalised' groups, to offer more opportunities to the children of socially disadvantaged families and to coordinate all this with other areas of communal responsibility, such as family and child welfare, schools and social work. Authorities also need to realise that the promotion of sports should be integrated in their overall strategy. This would require the various local departments to work together to create a suitable plan for the promotion of sport that would be embedded in their general urban development concept.

Exercise parks and trails also do not exactly come cheap. Cities and authorities will need to spend at least a five figure sum in euros on them. Current examples, however, show that there are other sources of cash apart from the municipal coffers. While it is true that not everyone will be lucky enough to find a major donor, it should still be possible to win over local businesses and benefactors and encourage them to contribute. The important thing for cities and authorities is to ensure that they draw up a financing plan that takes into account the consequential costs of meeting health and safety requirements and maintaining equipment. The practical examples cited in the brochure demonstrate that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Theory AND practice

What needs to be taken into account when planning an exercise trail?
The brochure considers aspects such as 'Target group definition and choice of equipment', 'Location', 'Promotion through communication' and 'Maintenance and vandalism' from the theoretical perspective.

Practical examples are provided in the form of projects realised in Darmstadt, Geisenfeld, Cologne, Viernheim and Peiting.