It is important for all people of all ages to get some exercise. After all, the human body is geared for a lifetime of exercise, and the health benefits are nearly comprehensive. Getting enough exercise can help burn fat and calories, develop muscles and coordination, improve mood and sleep, reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke, and even more. Children, too, need to get some good exercise each day, from playing sports on a field to visiting commercial indoor playgrounds or other kids indoor play structures. For children, exercise is not only fun and a good way to pass time, but it helps them develop muscles and improve their mental capacity later in life. But if a park is too far away or if the weather is poor, for example, then an indoor playground for kids may be a fine alternative. These commercial indoor playgrounds can be found in many different places, often convenient for the entire family. What is there to know about commercial indoor playgrounds and the typical child’s need for exertion?
Getting Good Exercise
The good news is that a person can always launch a new exercise program and get fit, and the bad news is that not everyone chooses to do so. Many health associations, such as the American Heart Association, have set some general guidelines about how much exercise that adults and children should get. These basic requirements are not always met, however. For example, the American Heart Association recommends that any child over age two engage in at least one hour’s worth of moderate physical activity each day, though many do not. Today, many children and adolescents are spending hours each day using electronic screens or mobile devices, which are nearly always sedentary activities, and this can add up. Two in three surveyed parents are concerned that their children are spending too much time on those devices.
An inactive childhood may prompt an inactive adulthood, but fortunately, it is clear that children who are active may stay active when they are older, such as kids who play soccer or enroll in martial arts classes. What is more, if parents start getting more physically active, it is likely that their children will follow their example. Many physical activities may include karate or judo classes, joining a soccer team or basketball team or class, going swimming, riding bicycles, and using outdoor playgrounds on parks with adult supervision. If that is not an option, then parents can find an commercial indoor playground for their child instead.
Indoor Play Gear
Many different establishments may have an commercial indoor playground, or at least child-friendly exercise gear of some sort, to offer. Often, the owners of these buildings may hire contractors to set up the equipment in a certain room or in a general area, and common equipment may include short rock walls to climb, monkey bars, jungle gyms, slides, and anything else, made of wood, metal, plastic timbers, and the like. The floor around these items may be soft and padded so that children are not hurt if they fall or get knocked down. Indoor play areas often have benches, like outdoor parks do, so that parents and guardians can supervise the children at play.
Where to find them? Some popular fast food restaurants are known for having play areas complete with tube-like slides, ball pits, and more, though they are very germ-ridden and kids are encouraged to wash their hands after use. Not only that, but a house of worship may double as a child care center, and have an commercial indoor playground in a room, and/or an outdoor one in a fenced-off area. Shopping malls are also known to have kids’ play areas, which may have a low wall around them to separate the kids from general foot traffic. Finally, a fitness center or gym may have an commercial indoor playground of some sort, since the main area is meant for adult patrons rather than youngsters. This is a convenient setup where parents can visit and perform their own workouts, while the children are accounted for in the play area and are occupied the entire time.
