Summary:

My idea helps the older adults in our community remember how much fun exercise can be. Everyone remembers how much fun it was to head out to recess as a little kid. Whether it was kickball on an open field, spinning on a tire swing, or racing up and down slides, everyone was active. To kids, this is just having fun, but as adults, we recognize that this is also exercise – the best kind, since you don’t even realize you’re breaking a sweat.

The good times of recess unfortunately come to an end, we grow up, and for many Americans physical activity takes a back seat to everything else we fill our lives with. This decreased activity often leads to problems with Obesity, and all the health issues that go along with it – diabetes, heart trouble, joint paint, etc. Many options exist to combat obesity; however older adults face unique challenges to regain a healthy lifestyle. Many are intimidated by the younger crowds at fitness clubs, lack the finances to buy memberships or exercise equipment, or are simply lonely / isolated and have no supportive network to help get an active lifestyle started.

My idea to fight obesity is to bring older adults back to the playground. I propose we create a “Senior Playground” area in Oberlin Park, near my community in Minnetonka, Minnesota. There are several companies that make “playground” equipment specifically for adults, and these could be installed in an area adjacent to a “children’s” area to create Minnesota’s first Intergenerational Playground. Besides providing a free resource to help adults get active, the playground would also facilitate the creation of Community. Community is a key component in any successful exercise program, as well as being a great way to combat the depression and isolation that affect so many older Americans. Overall then, the creation of a Senior Playground would be a great way to both build Community and fight Obesity in Minnesota.