Industry Information on park users perceptions and attitudes towards Research Paper

Industry Information on park users perceptions and attitudes towards public exercise settings - Research Paper Example According to Mowen, Kaczynski and Cohen (2008), parks preserve the physical environment to be utilized for the enjoyment of people. The contribution of parks in the promotion of physical activity has been acknowledged for many decades; Fredrick Law Olmsted, the ‘father’ of parks in North America, noted in the mid-1800s that parks promote healthy and active lifestyles. Since the mid-1800s to date, parks have been perceived as environments that preserve and promote appreciation of nature and as settings that provide opportunities for people to engage in positive recreational activities or leisure time physical exercises. Parks are a common feature in most communities all over the world but park access, condition as well as utilization of these physical environments vary significantly across communities or population segments. Parks are also perceived as places where individuals can simply visit to relax both their minds and their bodies, and to escape the nuances of their busy daily routines at the workplaces. Contemporary insightsAccording to Bedimo-Rung, Mowen, and Cohen (2005), park activity has the capacity to meet physical activity requirements but certain environmental and policy features to enhance the level of physical activity. Physical activity has been taunted as an effective remedy to curbing morbidity and mortality rates since it decreases the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among other lifestyle ailments while enhancing healthy bones, muscles, and joints.