Their happiness is contagious.
And just like laughter, the fun of riding your favourite bike, scooter or skateboard on a pump track can be infectious.
Once you and your friends start riding, it’s hard to stop.
We’re seeing more and more community groups, local councils and park owners around the world investing in neighbourhood pump tracks.
As increasing numbers of kids and adults of all ages have the opportunity to jump onto their local track, their popularity as a safe and fun playspace facility grows and grows.
So why are pump tracks gaining in popularity?
1. Riding on a pump track is a healthy way to have fun
Being active, having fun and feeling good are directly linked with better health, longer life, and greater wellbeing.
We know this instinctively. But serious medical researchers, such as the boffins at the Harvard Medical School, have proven it.
Joy is good for our health. Especially when we’re with family and friends.
Feeling the wind in your hair and the exhilaration of racing around a pump track is enough to have you bursting with joy.
2. Active kids are more confident and have better concentration
Active kids are fitter and have stronger muscles and bones. They also concentrate better in class and are more confident. These are just some of the many benefits physical activity provides.
In their 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity of Children and Young People, Active Healthy Kids Australia (AHKA) outlines why it’s so important to provide kids of all ages and all abilities an opportunity to ‘move more’.
Not only does active play have immediate benefits for kids’ physical,
social, emotional and cognitive health, it’s an important indicator of future health. Active, healthy kids generally become healthier, longer-living adults.
Unfortunately, according to the AHKA’s report card, Australian kids get a not-so-good rating of D- on overall physical activity levels. That’s why it’s so important for communities to build great facilities to encourage active sport (like pump tracks!).
3. Connection is king – having friends is great for your health
Did you know that having good social connections has been associated with living longer?
On the flip side, a lack of social connection can be as bad for your health as smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.
According to Dr Emma Seppälä, people who feel connected to others “have higher self-esteem, are more empathic to others, more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them.
We know that pump track riders enjoy being part of a community. Whether it’s being a member of a strong online community or joining in with others from their local town or neighbourhood, pump track riders are a connected bunch.
They share photos and stories. They’re also really great at helping new riders – the young and the not so young.
In our experience, pump track riders are a respectful and connected breed of people. I guess that’s why we love the business we’re in.
4. Taking the burden off our health care system
It’s true. We’re a nation of couch potatoes. As we spend more time on our computers and smartphones, life has become increasingly sedentary. And this is not good news for our health.
To help reduce the burden on Australia’s health care system, we all need to be more active.
The Australian Department of Health gives clear guidelines on how much and the type of physical activity we need.
These guidelines recommend that children aged 5-12 years and young people aged 13-17 years, should:
- accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity every day
- reduce health risks by minimising the time they spend being sedentary every day
Active Healthy Kids Australia (AHKA) also confirms that:
“We need immediate action in order to get our kids moving more everyday — they need to engage in activities that will get them ‘huffing and puffing’ as well as strengthening and developing their muscles and bones to ensure they are healthy heading into adulthood.”
For healthy communities, it makes sense to provide more free local opportunities for people to enjoy good old-fashioned fun activities like riding bikes and scooters safely.
And having a modular pumptrack installed in your local park or community hub is one way of engaging with people of all ages.
5. The benefits of multi-generational play
75% of children prefer outdoor play with parents or grandparents over video games
We especially love this one at Parkitect Australia HQ.
As Kent Callison wrote so perfectly in his article Multigenerational Play, multigenerational play provides significant physical, emotional and social benefits.
From toddlers to teenagers, to young people in their twenties, and all the way up to grandparents, play is transformative. It’s so important that communities provide a place for children and adult caregivers to play together.
And because they’re fun for kids and adults of all ages and abilities, a Modular Pumptrack is the perfect focal point for people to get together and have fun. We’ve seen this so in so many communities across the globe.
And that’s why we know pump tracks are good for you and for everyone in the community.
Here are a couple of cool clips to show you just what we mean:
