Parental Concerns

Four hundred and thirty-two participants, all parents, were asked various questions ranging from concerns over physical activity (both at home and in school), impact of screen time vs. physical time, and whether or not their children’s work load at school impacted their child’s overall health.

The results were alarming, with 87% of parents concerned about childhood obesity and 77% concerned about the impact of screen time on physical playtime. Over 25% of parents feel their children’s schools do not provide enough time for physical activity.

“Our main goal with this study was to tap into the minds of parents in regards to their children’s physical health overall, how much of a priority it was, and what we could do to help combat their concerns,” said Peter Velikin, Co-Founder of Gorilla Gym. “It’s a proven fact that physical fitness in a young child’s life is just as important as mental fitness during a child’s development. It’s a symbiotic relationship: focusing on both together helps the child excel throughout their childhood and guides them to make healthier decisions into adulthood.”

The parents surveyed were most concerned that the lack of physical activity day to day for their children would cause childhood obesity, a medical condition that is impacted by poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and genetics.

“According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)*, children and adolescents should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity each day,” said Velikin. “Parents are fervently seeking guidance in this area. The more resources and options we can offer them to encourage their children to stay active, the better.”

Velikin and Co-founder Kiril Alexandrov created Gorilla Gym to combine fun and health benefits with the ease and novelty of exercising indoors. It’s lightweight, portable, and installs in a doorway in seconds without tools or drilling, supporting multiple attachments for dozens of exercises and activities, including an indoor swing, gymnastics rings, and much more for fitness and yoga. It holds up to 300lbs. and has met all product safety testing standards globally.

It also offers countless health benefits for children with autism, disabilities, and sensory processing disorders. Researchers have found many positive links when exercise is incorporated into therapy programs. Some of the findings show that movement-based autism therapies can help improve academic performance. Physical activity can even help reduce an autistic child’s aggression.

Exercise therapy can help improve motor skills and engagement and exercise can mitigate the negative effects of autism medication. On the most basic level, using Gorilla Gym will help kids burn calories, which can help keep their weight in a healthy range.

“As parents ourselves, we recognize the need for products to be both entertaining and functional,” said Velikin. “Over 75% of our customers have told us their children use their Gorilla Gyms on a daily basis and for months on end. Who wouldn’t want to swing the day away?”

Scroll through the full survey results below: