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Outdoor Sports: good and healthy for everyone

September is the perfect month to keep moving outdoors. Exercising together in the fresh air gives energy, reduces stress, and creates moments to meet and catch up with others. At IJslander, we don’t just see outdoor sports as an activity, but as part of a healthy lifestyle: moving, meeting, and having fun outside. Who wouldn’t want that?

Why outdoor sports are so healthy

Exercising outside has a noticeable positive effect. In the fresh air, your lungs get more oxygen, giving you an instant energy boost. Daylight stimulates the production of vitamin D, which benefits immunity and mood. Being active in a natural environment helps clear your mind and reduce stress. And perhaps most importantly: outdoor sports connect people. A chat on the sidelines, practicing together, or motivating each other makes exercise more enjoyable and easier to stick with.

The benefits at a glance

More energy and fitness
Regular outdoor exercise gives the body a natural boost. Stamina, strength, and endurance visibly improve.
Stronger immune system
The combination of exercise, fresh air, and daylight supports the immune system and helps you stay fitter in daily life.
Being active together
Public sports areas invite people to meet. Sports and play bring neighbors together in a low-threshold way.
Accessible for all ages
With the right equipment, everyone can join: children who love to play football, teenagers who want to train, adults working on strength and fitness, and seniors wanting to stay vital.

Spotlight: CityBox®, BarForz and Fit4Life

Outdoor sports with IJslander

Due to urbanization, informal playfields are disappearing in many neighborhoods, and playing in the street is becoming less safe. At the same time, open grass fields sometimes cause nuisance: balls ending up in gardens or areas turning into hangouts. IJslander therefore developed thoughtful solutions that stimulate sports while protecting the environment: CityBox®, ArenaParc, Backstops, panna cages, and BarForz.

CityBox®: Multifunctional sports field without nuisance

The CityBox® is a certified, patented stainless-steel sports cage and ball catcher with a timeless, transparent design. Thanks to the open cable system, sightlines remain intact, making social supervision easy. Special noise-reducing cables limit contact sounds, making the sports area highly suitable for residential neighborhoods.

Key benefits of CityBox®

Sustainable through the (re)use of stainless steel.
Transparent construction: good visibility and social safety.
Noise-reducing thanks to special, absorbing cables.
Vandal-resistant: no surface for graffiti, cutting, or scratching.
Resilient cables that don’t break.
Accessible for everyone, including wheelchair users.
Fully customizable in shape, size, and accessories (multi-goals, roof nets, Urban Sports Battle board).
Complies with NEN-EN 15312:2007+A1:2010.

Sustainable and circular
Stainless steel is weather-resistant, low-maintenance, and has a long technical lifespan. Field research (e.g., municipality of Hellendoorn) shows that maintenance costs of stainless-steel equipment are significantly lower than alternatives. IJslander buys back decommissioned stainless-steel equipment for high-quality reuse (Cradle-to-Cradle): for example, a CityBox can be repurposed into park benches or bollards.

Tailored for the neighborhood
Every location is different. Choose goals or baskets, determine shape and size, combine with an outdoor sports net, and add seating (e.g., a Chillbench or Youth Bench). Prefer a compact solution? Then a panna cage or backstop (noise-reducing ball catcher with integrated goal) is an excellent choice.

BarForz: strength, coordination and training together

BarForz is IJslander’s robust calisthenics and boot camp line. With climbing and stretching elements, pull-up bars, and varying heights, it creates a training spot for all levels. Train entirely with your own bodyweight, individually or in groups.

6 Reasons to choose BarForz

Accessible
Train with your own strength, without weights or memberships.
Scalable
Suitable for small and large locations; modules in various sizes.
Full body training
Exercises that stimulate multiple muscle groups and tendons at once.
More than calisthenics
Suitable for boot camps, obstacle courses, and play elements (e.g., climbing competitions, running combinations).
Durable and low-maintenance
Stainless-steel constructions are vandal-resistant and weatherproof.
Stimulates social interaction
An active alternative to “hanging around,” training together increases self-esteem and community involvement.

Fit4Life: exercise for every life stage

In collaboration with physiotherapists, IJslander developed Fit4Life: carefully designed exercise equipment for public spaces. These devices are specially created to stimulate movement in a safe and responsible way. The exercises mimic daily movements, such as climbing stairs, standing up, or reaching, helping maintain mobility, flexibility, and muscle strength.

Fit4Life is ideal for diverse target groups. Seniors can boost vitality by working on balance and strength in an accessible way. Adults use the equipment to stay fit and prevent injuries. The devices also support rehabilitation and preventive training, thanks to the involvement of physiotherapists in their design.

Fit4Life equipment makes physical activity accessible to everyone, regardless of age or level. They are simple to use, require no complicated techniques, and encourage people to be active together. This makes the range ideal for exercise gardens, parks, care facilities, and community centers where health, social interaction, and fun are central.

Ready to get your community moving?

Would you like to design a CityBox®, BarForz setup, or panna cage tailored to your location and target group? We are happy to help with design, flow, materials, and budget.