Functional Fitness with CardioWalls

Twin CardioWalls from the interactive fitness company Rugged Interactive are a big success at the Plymouth YMCA gym.

The CardioWall is a versatile tool for training and functional fitness. Produced by the interactive fitness company Rugged Interactive, the CardioWall has a number of applications and can be used in gyms, rehabilitation facilties, and similar environments. The system provides users with a fun high intensity workout and challenges them to stretch, reach, squat, balance, and keep focused on the tasks at hand. Users can create their own fitness routines or use one of the four inbuilt games, designed to develop and improve core strength, reaction time, speed, coordination, balance, and mental alertness. These are just some of the benefits that members of the Plymouth YMCA gym have enjoyed since twin CardioWalls were installed at the facility in October.

"We applied the latest thinking in sports technology and gaming to create a motivational fitness experience in CardioWall," says Simon Heap, Founder, Rugged Interactive. "The close collaboration we've enjoyed with the Plymouth YMCA meant that we were able to customise a version of the CardioWall that fit their vision for an inclusive, fun and high-quality functional fitness area."

The CardioWall was designed to be inclusive, which also makes it an excellent tool for therapy and rehabilitation, as it allows users with limited mobility to train and measure their progress. At the same time, the games available with the system are highly engaging, which motivates gym members to exercise more than they would using regular fitness machines. Neil Talbot, Gym Manager, has shared his experiences with the CardioWalls and given a few insights into the ways they help promote inclusivity and motivate gym members to keep working out. "The CardioWalls have been among the best-used pieces of apparatus in the functional fitness area," he says. "They have really brought that part of the gym to life and made it more inclusive. They're popular with people of all ages and abilities – providing a motivating and accessible alternative to structured exercise machines. We've used them with everyone from our older members to school children, from people who just want to improve their fitness to people with disabilities or with specific health needs, such as cardiac rehabilitation."

Talbot was particularly surprised to see how popular CardioWall was among seniors. "I was initially surprised to see how popular it was among our 60 plus age group," he shared. "But we quickly realised that the CardioWall was offering an easily-accessible way into exercise that was much less intimidating and less monotonous than found in a standard gym. At the other end of the age scale, we've also had some really great results with kids," he added. "They respond well to the fun and interactive elements of the CardioWalls – they can throw balls at the lights or try to beat each other on dual machines, it gets quite competitive!"

The CardioWall has a variety of applications, which also makes it convenient for trainers, as well as good for business. "From a manager's perspective, it adds a new dimension to the gym that can be used in lots of different ways," says Talbot. "I often use it for exercises with medicine balls or boxing gloves, while others might use it for a warm-up, or as part of a full-body workout routine. The personal trainers get a lot of use out of the CardioWall as they can customize routines, depending on the interests and needs of each client."