Guidelines for planning, installing and activating outdoor fitness equipment

The popularity and demand for outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) will continue to grow as people place more emphasis on free-to-use, unstructured physical activity opportunities, and governments continue to invest in the promotion and implementation of policies supporting active lifestyles and community connection with a focus on health prevention. These guidelines are designed to inform the decision-making processes to plan, design, install, maintain and activate outdoor fitness equipment in our communities. The key objectives of the guidelines are to: provide a comprehensive resource for industry stakeholders; an evidence-based approach for industry professionals for the provision of outdoor fitness equipment; and provide information to promote innovation and accessibility to all future projects. It is important to note that these guidelines are not industry standards, but a collection of information and best practice case studies developed from extensive research and stakeholder consultation. The Guidelines for the planning, installation and maintenance of outdoor fitness equipment have been developed to provide information and recommendations to the broader industry. The guidelines focus on five key areas: planning and determining need; design considerations; activation and programming; maintenance; and evaluation. They also provide case studies and examples, and two checklists.