To expect an outdoor gym to not be used as a playground by children?

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

Went for a run yesterday and afterwards went into an outdoor gym which is (unfortunately) next to a kids' play park. There are some weights attached to vertical beams, an exercise bike, ropes, cross trainer and markings on the ground for relay runs. Loads of signs saying age 13+ only and children weren't to use it as play equipment.

It was absolutely over run with small kids aged about 4-10 climbing all over it, using the equipment and just generally getting in the way while their parents sat in the play park in clear sight of them doing nothing. When I did manage to use some equipment kids were waiting as if we were taking turns. I'd been on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes with one little girl who was about 6 staring at me...she went to get her mum who actually came and asked if her DD could have a go as she'd been waiting for ages I said no this bike is for adults and they she got all huffy and was all "Never mind darling, the lady won't get off so we'll have to just wait won't we". I was then doing relays on the markings and they were running in front of me nearly knocking into me. I gave up in the end!

Is it really so much to ask that parents tell their children to keep out of adult only areas and stay in the massive park built for children? Want to go again today as it's a great little gym, council spent a small fortune but CBA with all the unsupervised kids.

That is really bad.

My local park doesn't have an adult fitness zone but has exercise machines dotted around the park. They don't say 'adult only', I've seen adults and children use them for a few minutes and then move on. I think the issue with your park is that this fitness zone is next to the children's park and obviously seen by many as an extension of the park. I can't see this changing tbh. These parents have set an example.

The only way you're going to get to use the fitness area is by going really early or really late. Not fair at all.

"Never mind darling, the lady won't get off so we'll have to just wait won't we".

:)

I think YABU, to an extent.

There's an outdoor gym colocated with a play park near my parents house. It's my DS' favourite part of the park. I let him use it with supervision, as I see it as encouraging a healthy lifestyle and he is a very active and physically capable child, he takes 'working out' seriously. Things like weights are a no go, but the chin up bar, gymnastic ring things and running track are fine. He uses them as intended despite his age. If an adult wanted to use the equipment he'd move if asked by them or me, but equally I wouldn't expect an adult to take over the running track and not let him run too, for example. It's public equipment to be used by all, if you want to use it just ask the kids if you can have a go, or their parents, most will likely move on.

I do recognise that not all kids or parents are as reasonable, but I think if you want an adult only gym, you'll have to join one

This has become a real bugbear of mine as my children have got older, as it also happens with inappropriately small kids playing in places designed for teenagers and their parents then expecting their little one to have priority! Whilst I think it's fine for them to play there if it's quiet, they should give way on the gym equipment to the people it is there for. Imagine the furore if you had gone over to the playpark and expected a five year old to move off the swings because you wanted a go 😂😂

I've never seen any adult using a playground for PT sessions but WTF, can't they just use barriers like the rest of us!

In theory YANBU but in reality, this stuff is barely used by adults. So it seems a bit churlish to keep children off it if they are being properly supervised.

@Novelusername

I imagine there's an element of sexism involved, that women's exercise isn't as important as men's exercise, and as a woman you didn't intimidate them enough to keep away. I bet if you were a big burly bloke grunting they would have seen the importance more of your workout and at least have told their kids to keep out of your way.

If I was a big burly grunting bloke then I bet some of the parents would've called 999

YANBU at all, how utterly obnoxious! Props to you for persevering with your exercise in the first place, I would have chickened out when I saw them all there

(great username btw)

@Throwntothewolves

I think YABU, to an extent.

There's an outdoor gym colocated with a play park near my parents house. It's my DS' favourite part of the park. I let him use it with supervision, as I see it as encouraging a healthy lifestyle and he is a very active and physically capable child, he takes 'working out' seriously. Things like weights are a no go, but the chin up bar, gymnastic ring things and running track are fine. He uses them as intended despite his age. If an adult wanted to use the equipment he'd move if asked by them or me, but equally I wouldn't expect an adult to take over the running track and not let him run too, for example. It's public equipment to be used by all, if you want to use it just ask the kids if you can have a go, or their parents, most will likely move on.

I do recognise that not all kids or parents are as reasonable, but I think if you want an adult only gym, you'll have to join one

She shouldn't need to join an adult only gym when she has a perfectly good free one in the park for over 14 year olds.

Also, I don't think it's a running track as such. They tend to be two very short distance markers that you run inbetween. Therefore it's dangerous when kids get in the way.

It's fine for parents to let their kids have a go on the gym equipment but not when adults are using it.

@Throwntothewolves

I think YABU, to an extent.

There's an outdoor gym colocated with a play park near my parents house. It's my DS' favourite part of the park. I let him use it with supervision, as I see it as encouraging a healthy lifestyle and he is a very active and physically capable child, he takes 'working out' seriously. Things like weights are a no go, but the chin up bar, gymnastic ring things and running track are fine. He uses them as intended despite his age. If an adult wanted to use the equipment he'd move if asked by them or me, but equally I wouldn't expect an adult to take over the running track and not let him run too, for example. It's public equipment to be used by all, if you want to use it just ask the kids if you can have a go, or their parents, most will likely move on.

I do recognise that not all kids or parents are as reasonable, but I think if you want an adult only gym, you'll have to join one

But as mentioned in the OP, it's not public equipment to be used by all as it has signs on stating a minimum age.

@Throwntothewolves

I think YABU, to an extent.

There's an outdoor gym colocated with a play park near my parents house. It's my DS' favourite part of the park. I let him use it with supervision, as I see it as encouraging a healthy lifestyle and he is a very active and physically capable child, he takes 'working out' seriously. Things like weights are a no go, but the chin up bar, gymnastic ring things and running track are fine. He uses them as intended despite his age. If an adult wanted to use the equipment he'd move if asked by them or me, but equally I wouldn't expect an adult to take over the running track and not let him run too, for example. It's public equipment to be used by all, if you want to use it just ask the kids if you can have a go, or their parents, most will likely move on.

I do recognise that not all kids or parents are as reasonable, but I think if you want an adult only gym, you'll have to join one

It's not public equipment to be used by all. It's equipment to be used by 13 years plus, as the sign says. I'm quite sure you wouldn't be happy for adults to use the play equipment designed to be used by children?

Are you not able to encourage a healthy lifestyle without allowing him to use equipment that is not designed for his age?

The age limit is 14 and I would think the council insurance wouldn't cover anyone under this age if they got hurt or injured while using the equipment.

We have an adult outdoor gym next to our play park. Complete waste of money because I have never in 5 years seen and adult use it, only kids

That's exactly why I think it's fine for kids to use the equipment; better than it going to waste. I have one DS who quite likes those outdoor gyms. Maybe the habit will persist into adulthood.

But maybe they're not being used by adults because they're full of kids. If I was out a run and passed by one of the outdoor gyms and it was full of kids, I definitely wouldn't then want to be going in and using them, I'd feel really daft and awkward trying to work out surrounded by loads of kids.

But maybe they're not being used by adults because they're full of kids.

I don’t think so, the ones near me are all totally deserted. A real shame.

YANBU We have the same problem with the skate park in our local park. It's the one thing in the park marked age 13+ (there is tons of stuff for smaller children). Infested by toddlers whilst their parents look on admiringly and shout at the teens to be careful whilst little Jamie wobbles around on his scooter.

nor can I seriously imagine anyone telling me to take my daughter away because they wanted to use the kit.

You'd hate me then because that's exactly what I'd do if I wanted to use outdoor gym equipment and your child was on it

The whole "I let my child if there's no adults on it" - that's not ok!! Perhaps the reason there are no adults is because they always see kids in it. Would it really be so very hard to keep your child in the child's playground - you know, the place that was built for them to enjoy?

nor can I seriously imagine anyone telling me to take my daughter away because they wanted to use the kit.

Jesus H Christ, seriously?

Why on earth can you not imagine that?

@Wandamakestoast

I think it’s hilarious the mum asked you if her kid could ‘have her turn’ like you are at playgroup

I do let my kids use the outdoor gym, they aren’t toddlers they are older though, so the playground gets a bit boring for them.
However if an adult was using the equipment I would tell them to go on something else and there’s no way in hell I would ask an adult to get off so they could have a turn!

I think Covid has meant parks are being used by a lot more people so sometimes there is conflict. Adults can be just as bad. Ours has a cordoned off cricket pitch but you still get idiots in there playing football.
Or other idiots driving their huge car through the park (when it is clearly no access to vehicles except for park keeper), because they are too lazy to carry their picnic stuff.

Or when DS took his table tennis kit to the park and someone was using the ping pong table for a birthday party with food laid out (despite the fact the council have installed new picnic tables which weren’t even being used).

How annoying! Something else I've noticed when I've taken my kids - adults sitting in the swings because the benches are full

@lljkk

We have an adult outdoor gym next to our play park. Complete waste of money because I have never in 5 years seen and adult use it, only kids

That's exactly why I think it's fine for kids to use the equipment; better than it going to waste. I have one DS who quite likes those outdoor gyms. Maybe the habit will persist into adulthood.

I was astonished to see our adult outdoor gym finally unbarriered so people could use it again. And happy that most of those people were kids.

15 minutes on the exercise bike is greedy. YABU.

I've never used our local outdoor gym because it's always overrun by kids. Perhaps if parents parented their children and kept it child-free, there would be more adults using it.

A standard workout on an exercise bike is about 30 mins - nothing greedy about it at all for goodness sake. There was a playground available for the child.

YANBU op. My son got a fag burn to the face once running past a mum smoking inside the park. Was his bday aswell poor thing.

Kids have given up an awful lot this year. There have been no classes, no soft play, school closures, no swimming, no travelling, no grandparents, no days out for such a long time...

Adults haven't had these things either for the past year.

Kids have given up a lot this past year

Not like adults then.

I would use our local outside gym if it wasn't over run by kids.

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

nor can I seriously imagine anyone telling me to take my daughter away because they wanted to use the kit.

You'd hate me then because that's exactly what I'd do if I wanted to use outdoor gym equipment and your child was on it

Well, yes. I suspect we probably wouldn't get on if we met in real life. And since I'm over 14 and supervising my daughter, you'd be politely told to wait until we had finished, just as I would wait until you were finished rather than asking you to vacate a piece of equipment.