Imagination Play is proud to be launching ACTIV8 this week! Our new, state-of-the-art range of outdoor fitness equipment has just launched on the market, and is available to customers Australia wide. With over 30 years in the outdoor recreation industry, we were pretty confident our new range would hit the spot. Extremely durable, beautifully designed, and perfect for a range of fitness levels.
But don’t take our word for it! We got Sophie Hennessy from the Victorian Netball league to test it out. Sophie has been an elite athlete for 8 years now, she certainly knows her way around the gym! A netball powerhouse, she plays centre and wings for Peninsula Waves in the VNL. Sophie trialed all 17 new items while filming detailed instructional videos on how to operate the equipment. We asked her some questions on what she thought about the new range.
Q: Now that you have trialed all the equipment, do you think it delivers a quality workout?
A: Yes! I was surprised at how comfortable and fluid the equipment feels. The space and shape are just right, I felt very confident and safe and was able to scale up the workout nicely. It definitely feels heavy duty and solid, but the motions felt very smooth.
Q. As a professional athlete, did the equipment meet your fitness expectations? How would the average person go using ACTIV8?
A: All the items we very easy to use and would suit any fitness level. I found it quite easy to scale up the workouts to suit a higher intensity, so people with a high level of fitness would also feel like they could get the most out of the equipment. The movements are so fluid, so anyone needing a gentle workout would also benefit from ACTIV8.
Q. How does ACTIV8 cover all the fitness bases?
A: The range covers all the important fitness areas. There are plenty of options for a great cardio workout, like the elliptical trainer, air walker, or stepper. The equipment also covers strength conditioning for the upper and lower body, with items like the shoulder press, step-up station, and push ups station. You can even focus on your core, with the sit-up bench or torso twister.
Q: Which was your favourite ACTIV8 equipment item?
A: Hands down it was the Magneto Cycle. It blew my mind that I could work out and charge my phone at the same time! I have never seen that feature in any outdoor fitness equipment before. It also gave me great incentive to pedal faster so I could watch the phone charge improve. The Magneto Cycle also uses self-generated energy to power an LCD display with time and distance, just like regular gym equipment. The resistance is also easy to adjust, making it great for all fitness levels.
Q: What did you like about working out in the great outdoors, compared to the traditional gym?
A: It was so lovely; I can picture myself out for a run and then stopping in to an ACTIV8 outdoor gym to top off my work out. The best thing about it, is the access. Gyms can be very intimidating to people just starting out building their fitness, an outdoor gym seems to have no pressures. I love the idea that I could work out in the park with my friends, or even my mum! The equipment would be a wonderful gathering place for different age groups and fitness levels to come together.
Q: How do you see ACTIV8 improving health and well being in communities.
A: Ever since the pandemic started, more and more people have taken to the park to exercise. While the traditional gyms will always have a place, I think people really discovered the added benefits to working out, outdoors. The Vitamin D, the mental health boost, the little bit of community that you can experience while outdoors!
Q: What kind of spaces do you think ACTIV8 outdoor fitness would be best suited to?
A: Definitely public parks. Putting together a ‘fitness hub’ near playground spaces, or around walking tracks would be a great way to engage the community. Also, I think high schools could use the equipment in their P.E. programs, or as part of their sports development. It could easily be incorporated into the side of a school oval, or in an unused space in the school. The other major benefit to the ACTIV8 range is that it can be wall mounted. Can you imagine how cool outdoor fitness equipment would look in city scapes or courtyards? It would be a great way to make dead spaces really functional.
Q: Lastly, thanks so much for your time! As a final question, what was the stand out feature for you with the ACTIV8 range?
A: Thanks for having me, it has been a pleasure. What I liked most about the range is that it felt and acted just like a real gym. So many outdoor fitness hubs offer basic chin up bars, step-ups, or other non moving items. If you don’t know much about working out, those items are not going to be much use to you! The ACTIV8 range takes traditional gym machines and modifies them for outdoor use. They are so durable! But also, really smooth and easy to use. It’s easy to scale up a work out, it you are super fit, but the equipment is also going to suit a lower fitness level perfectly as well.
To discover more about the ACTIV8 range click here.
ACTIV8 is now available for order and installation, Australia wide. If you are interested in talking to one of our team about creating a hub of fitness activity for your community, talk to us today.
