Moving Bodies: Open Gyms and Physical Activity in Santiago

Abstract

This paper analyzes the functioning of four recently installed open gyms—gyms installed on squares and green spaces that can be used free of charge by anyone—located in Providencia, a residential and commercial district of Santiago, Chile. Specifically, this research seeks to understand, among other questions, who uses these facilities, how often and for how long, as well as whether users were habitual exercisers prior to the installation of the gyms. The methodology used was twofold. The first study technique was to systematically observe the exercise areas between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm on four days (Wednesday and Saturday) in the months of December and August, corresponding respectively to summer and wintertime in the southern hemisphere. In addition, a survey was distributed to the 166 gym users asking, among other questions, how often they visited the gyms, for how long, if they did any other type of physical activity, and whether they were regular exercisers before the installation of these premises. The results showed that the gyms were very successful in prompting people to embrace physical activity, even those who were not regular exercisers. Moreover, the exercise facilities are contributing to the revitalization of the public spaces in which they are located.

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the DGIP at the Technical University Federico Santa Maria.

Notes

1. An example of these initiatives is the National Strategy against Obesity (EGO in Spanish), launched in 2004.

2. The World Health Assembly in 2004 adopted the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, describing the actions needed to support the adoption of healthy diets and regular physical activity.

3. As an example, the person in charge of urban policies in the district, German Bannen, was awarded the National Prize for Urbanism in 2003.

4. This information was passed into the researcher by municipal authorities in two meetings during the realization of this research.

5. An accompanying person was defined as someone who was not using any of the apparatuses at the gym but who was nonetheless conversing or interacting with someone who did.

6. This was a rather problematic question. Seven people declared they lived more than 50 blocks away from the gym they attended, which is unlikely and might be interpreted as an elusive answer given due to some fear of delinquency.

7. It should be noted that this was an estimate based on the researcher's impression of users' age. It may contain mistakes, but since each of the observations was done by the same observer, these differences might be, to some extent, lessened.