SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - December 2, 2010) - Playworld Systems, a leading manufacturer of imaginative playground and fitness equipment, today announced that its ENERGI™ Total Body Fitness System, NEOS® and LifeTrail® Advanced Wellness System will be on display in the company's booth (#1320) at the Athletic Business Conference and Expo in San Diego, December 1-4, 2010. The company is also sponsoring the 13th annual Military Fitness Summit, a special series of educational and social activities designed for military attendees.
According to a report titled "Too Fat to Fight" by Mission: Readiness, a group of retired admirals, generals and other senior military leaders, about 27 percent of young adults are medically ineligible for the military due to their weight.
"The strength of our national defense logically depends on the physical fitness of our troops," said Ian Proud, research manager for Playworld Systems. "Poor lifestyle habits, including a lack of exercise, means many of today's youth will simply not be fit to serve at the time of enlistment. Playworld Systems is taking action by offering innovative fitness products that help people of all ages get strong and stay fit."
A military recruit must pass strict physical fitness standards, including performing sit-ups and push-ups, when he or she signs up for military service. Although each military branch has its own individual policies, all measure strength, body fat, aerobic capacity and weight, among other factors.
"Physical fitness is also essential to maintaining a strong public safety workforce, including police officers, firefighters and EMTs," added Proud.
In addition to promoting fitness among young people who may join the military later in life, Playworld Systems has installed its fitness equipment at military bases around the world to help current service personnel stay in top shape:
- ENERGI
- Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina
- Several more ENERGI systems are currently being installed at other locations
- NEOS Wall
- Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida
- Fort Belvoir, Fairfax, Virginia (two)
- Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas
- Randolph Air Force Base, Universal City, Texas (three)
- Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma
- Ansbach Germany
- Marine Semper Fit unit Iwakuni, Japan
- USAG Bamburg Germany
- NEOS 360
- Fort Sill, Lawson, Oklahoma
ENERGI Total Body Fitness System
With only one moving part, ENERGI delivers a guided, fat-burning workout with 120 progressively challenging exercises that use body weight resistance to target nearly all 600 of the body's muscles. Using the latest fitness technologies, ENERGI provides a gym-like, personal training experience for a variety of age groups. ENERGI's five stations feature instructional graphics that have been tested to assure immediate comprehension. The self-contained fitness regimen allows people to engage in exercise while connecting with nature. ENERGI now features Microsoft Tag technology. Utilizing a smartphone and the Tag Reader app, users scan the Tags to access video demos to ensure they exercise safely and with the proper form for maximum benefit.
NEOS
A crossover between outdoor play and ever-popular video gaming, NEOS brings an entirely new experience to the community. The unique system combines the speed and action of video games with the explosive movement of aerobic exercise. With its flashing lights and engaging sounds, NEOS is a multi-sensory experience that draws crowds with competitive fun while it works the heart and lungs for an invigorating workout. According to an independent study by the Geisinger Center for Health Research, playing NEOS delivers a workout comparable to jogging or playing soccer, raising heart rates by an average of 20 percent. The NEOS family of products includes the NEOS Wall, where players run, stretch and jump to reach interactive buttons along the length of the system to play nine games at three different levels; and NEOS 360, an interactive circular environment that surrounds players and challenges them to a vigorous, multi-directional competitive workout.
LifeTrail Advanced Wellness System
In addition to Playworld Systems' emphasis on military fitness, the company also focuses on promoting exercise among the nation's senior population. Designed specifically to maintain and improve the health of people over 50 years old, the LifeTrail Advanced Wellness System is an enhanced version of the original LifeTrail product Playworld Systems launched in 2003. The advanced outdoor workout system now includes 21 activity panels and 159 exercises and is based on the functional fitness principles patterned after the movements of everyday life. Functional fitness can be a key component in helping users maintain independence and rehabilitate after an injury. Using real-life body positioning and movements, the LifeTrail Advanced Wellness System focuses on building the strength and energy required to accomplish routine activities.
Tests conducted in the fall of 2009 in partnership with a senior housing community showed that LifeTrail Advanced helped to increase strength and dynamic balance among adults and seniors. Within a five-week period, the test group increased their upper body strength by 49 percent, lower body strength by 31 percent and agility and dynamic balance by 14 percent.
Samples of ENERGI, NEOS and LifeTrail Advanced will be onsite at the Athletic Business Conference and Expo in Playworld Systems' booth (#1320). Participants in the Military Fitness Summit reception and dinner are invited to stop by Playworld Systems' table, meet with company representatives and obtain more information about ENERGI and NEOS specifically for military personnel.
About Playworld Systems, Inc.
Playworld Systems, a third-generation family-owned company headquartered in Lewisburg, Pa., has been a leader in imaginatively designed and customized commercial recreation and playground equipment for more than 30 years. With the belief that The World Needs Play®, Playworld Systems creates equipment that brings the joy of play to people of every age through such innovative product lines as ENERGI®, LifeTrail® Advanced, Playworld™ PlayDesigns®, and NatureForms™. Playworld Systems has invested significant resources to measurably reduce its carbon footprint, from eliminating PVCs to enhancing its waste management and recycling programs. In fact, Playworld Systems is the first major U.S. playground manufacturer to remove 99.999 percent of PVC from its products.
The company has received numerous awards throughout the years, including two International Industrial Design Excellence Awards, a gold medal from International Design magazine, two News Directors' Choice Awards on Early Childhood, and the Pennsylvania Governors' Award for Safety Excellence. Along with these awards, Playworld Systems was a consultant to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board). For more information, visit www.PlayworldSystems.com.