focus

Fitness in the park

Tai chi is a good introduction to exercising outdoors and was developed in China many centuries ago. It can involve martial arts and competitive wrestling, but for most people, it is undertaken with slow and deliberate movements to help focus on breathing, meditation and balance.

The Chinese Wushu Association says that practising tai chi takes up little space. “The best place should be in a beautiful outdoor environment, with fresh air, which is in line with the concept of ‘nature and harmony’ advocated by the principles of tai chi,” says a staff member of the association.

There are a growing number of studies that suggest that tai chi can help people of all abilities and ages improve their body flexibility, nervous system, immunity, digestive and cardiovascular systems. It can also prevent and relieve symptoms relating to depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and is widely used in sports rehabilitation and recovery from surgery.

If you want more from tai chi than stretching and relaxation, you can graduate to using swords as well. The Chinese Wushu Association has worked with ISO/TC 83’s subcommittee SC 6, Martial arts, to develop a standard – ISO 20740 – on the Wushu Taiji sword used in the martial arts area of tai chi. With specifications on the materials used and dimensions of the hilt, blade and hand guard, greater user safety and consistent product quality can be ensured for anybody interested in going beyond bare-handed tai chi exercises. However, don’t forget that you must have mastered the basics of tai chi first.

Clothing, too, is subject to an ISO standard. Designed with manufacturers in mind, ISO 20739 specifies the classifications, requirements and test methods of clothing for performing the Wushu Taiji sport. “The clothing is made in accordance with the traditional Chinese folk clothing style and is mandatory for formal competitions or performances. It embodies people’s respect for tai chi and recognition of our culture,” the Wushu Association explains.

In at the deep end

Moving from the park to the water, for many people, holidays feature swimming. To ensure poolside safety, computer vision systems are available and in wide use by public swimming pools or pools that are larger than 150 m². ISO 20380, Public swimming pools – Computer vision systems for the detection of drowning accidents in swimming pools – Safety requirements and test methods, covers the safety requirements and methods needed to continuously scan pools, mathematically detect a solid mass at the bottom of the pool and activate an alarm, saving precious time.

ISO/TC 83 developed this standard to help lifeguards prevent drowning and accidents in public pools. “Our studies have shown that due to architectural designs, organization issues or personnel restraints, lifeguards alone are not always enough to prevent accidental drowning,” committee member Joanna Laurent says. Even with the computer vision system in place, vigilance by not only trained lifeguards but parents remains vital. “This system is only to be used by appropriately trained experts and cannot be the only safety precaution taken,” she says.

“With data showing that drowning occurs despite the presence of lifeguards, it is important that swimmers have received appropriate lessons and parents are always on hand to keep an eye on their children. No system is perfect and enhancing safety by every means available will always be essential.”

Floating safe

With safety in mind, swimming will always be a highlight of outdoor summer play and exercise. Novelty inflatables have become increasingly popular in recent years with shapes, designs and purposes expanding beyond life jackets and paddling pools. They all aim to enhance the fun to be had in or on the water but can present a heightened risk of accidents or drownings.

Known as “floating leisure articles for use on and in the water”, ISO has developed seven individual standards, under the ISO 25649 series, that cover the equirements for safety in design, use, stability and load capacity. “It’s important that we examine an inflatable item made for the water and do a very thorough examination to find out every possible risk associated with it,” says Enrico Ticozzi, another expert member of ISO/TC 83.

“A risk analysis allows us to ensure that each item is made to rigid technical standards so that users can feel assured that the product they’re using – anything from an inflatable arm band for their child, a blow-up ride-on llama or a canoe – is safe for them to use.”

To ensure that the inflatable meets these ISO requirements, each item has the standards printed on the packaging of the product and the product itself. “They are very visible. It might ruin the graphics of some of the designs but they are unmissable. You should avoid buying inflatables from casual sellers at the beach and instead go to your regular retailers or online to get the quality and compliance required by ISO,” advises Ticozzi.

With safety in mind, swimming will always be a highlight of outdoor summer play and exercise.