GET OUTSIDE

I really like the idea of encouraging people to be outside. Even in these colder months.
I could go down the line of telling people where nice walks are.. Planning out the walks. for instance we are only 40 mins away from yorkshire moors, the penines etc. There is so much to see!
I think with this though needs to be some really organic design. most probably hand crafted. I think something digital would contradict what I am trying to get across.

Looking closer into the benefits of being outside.

Cold air on your body during the winter or warm sunlight on your face in the spring communicates valuable and appropriate information to your genes so that your body can serve you better.  Being outdoors for part of the day helps reset circadian rhythms and balances hormones and promotes weight loss.

Encouraging young children to be active outdoors is important for their physical, mental and social development.  Another possible mechanism relating nature to health is that of social interaction and forming relationships.

Research shows the benefits of just a little big of greenery goes way beyond a momentary mood boost - they can have a profound effect on your health.  Evidence suggests that forest and other nature areas help in people’s recovery from stress and fatigue.  The more often one visits green area, the less often one reports sickness from stress.

Plants and trees are like living, breathing air filters.  They detoxify the air by absorbing many substances that can be harmful to humans, like excess carbon dioxide and dust particles.  They also create oxygen, which we need to live and to function.  NASA researchers conducted a study years ago, which found that having just two houseplants per 100 square feet of space removed toxins and dramatically improved air quality in a house.

Exercising on a natural surface imparts tremendous benefit to your musculoskeletal system.  In order to continue to improve musculoskeletal health uneven or natural terrain like grass fields, trails, hills, and other obstacles should be utilized.  This can significantly decrease the risk of foot, ankle and knee injuries.

A variety of research has identified these startling facts:  20 percent of our four year olds are overweight and 8.5 percent of six year olds and 15 percent of 15 year olds are obese.  Obesity is linked to increasing less physical lifestyle and a reduction in outdoor activity.

(this is in america and found on http://www.getawaytotennessee.com/html/outdoor_health.html)

Being outside.

I think the main things I love about rounders are being outside, running around and being with my friends.
BEING OUTSIDE.
There is something about being outside that is really refreshing. when I am inside and have nothing to do I get frustrated really quickly but outside there is so much to occupy my mind, so much to see and it just feels good.
Whats the science behind it??

With technology and information more and more of our time is spent inside. We travel from one box to the next. We sleep inside we eat inside we step into our cars and move to our next compartment all without going outside. There is a growing body of research showing the health benefits of being outside. Speeding the recovery from medical procedures and increasing energy levels to better mental clarity and longer attention span, the list of known benefits is compelling. Our modern lifestyle has developed to the point where going outside has become an “option”, the effects of this are just beginning to be understood.

The benefits of exercise can be summed up as putting more years in your life and more life in your years. The health effects are numerous and lack of exercise is being touted as one of the most significant factors in our burgeoning health care costs. The surgeon general is recommending at least 5 hours of physical activity each week, estimates are that 60% of us fall short of that minimum.

Spending time outside and exercise are both utilized as stress reduction techniques. Either one will boost energy levels and increase one’s sense of well being.

The combination is greater than the sum of its parts. Achieving two compatible necessities at once, time is saved. Outdoor exercise tends to encourage more complex movements often preformed on varied ground surfaces. This creates a greater development of coordination and the muscles which stabilize the body. Increased strength in movement has a better correlation to life’s challenges of carrying kids or running up the stairs than does the isolated muscle strength created through restricted movement patterns.

To get started just open the door and step out. Walk, hike, run, ride a bike, play with your kids, join a soccer league, train for a triathlon, join an outdoor boot camp… the choices are virtually endless. Combined with healthy eating habits you will not only gain health and vitality for yourself but set the example for your family and friends. Happy Trails! (http://www.wellsphere.com/recreation-article/the-benefits-of-exercising-outdoors/3989)

Where can you play rounders?

http://www.maximillion.co.uk/services/team-building?gclid=CNHvvbjp3qQCFU824wodwA5LLw

http://www.teambuildevents.co.uk/team-building-companies/team-building-companies.html?09TBCo-UK-2&gclid=COWjxtLp3qQCFYVA4wodpA2wLQ

http://www.teambuilding.co.uk/ from £75

I want to look into making Rounders a team building exercise. This would be based around small offices with a low budget possibly independent  companies. The team building websites(above) offer a wide range of acitivities but sadly non of them are rounders!! Rounders is a game that can easily be set up by the group of people, they wouldn't need someone there to help arrange them and usually parks are scattered around cities/towns so would only be a short ride to get there. The point in doing this is to attempt to promote rounders in our society outside of school.  

Shopping

I was searching for a rounders set in shops around leeds and was really disappointed when I found that either no body sold them or they were out of stock. Of course there is always the internet but will people really go to that trouble for a casual game of rounders.
This could definitely be a market for me to look further into. Talk to shops and ask why they have not been stocking rounders kits.  Are shops too full of the sports that make loads of money? (probably).

whenever I play rounders...

I always get together a miss match of equipment. The bat is indeed essential but the bases can be changed for jumpers/cricket stumps/shoes (anything available!) and the soft leather cased ball is often substituted for a less painful and easier to hit tennis ball. This seems to add to the informal, play it wherever you are game of rounders which I have grown up to love.  It has an easy going, summer time sense surrounding it. The classic english summer maybe?
I want to hold onto this informality and comfort created by what is usually seen as a competitive sport.