The Benefits of Using Outdoor Athletic Turf

Training on an outdoor turf field offers several advantages that cannot be replicated by a more traditional indoor workout or hard-surface outdoor environment. Whether one is a professional athlete or an avid exerciser looking to add some variety to an otherwise monotonous workout routine, outdoor turf fields offer a multi-dimensional and effectual environment for physical health improvement. This blog will share the unique advantages of workouts on outdoor turf fields and why they may be the best options for your fitness journey.

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Superior Surface for Reducing Injury Risk

Gentle on Joints and Muscles

The advantages are that training outdoors on this turf field minimizes the shock impact on joints and muscles developed from harder surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. Having a softer surface than usual allows the turf to absorb the impact better. This reduces the joint loads during high-impact activities such as running, jumping, and dynamic exercises, hence enabling one to be at lesser risk of injuries and train for a longer comfort period.

Enhanced Safety Features

Outdoor turf fields are designed with safety in mind. The even and predictable surface of the turf eliminates many of the common injuries associated with irregular training grounds, such as twisted ankles or falls. Besides, modern turf fields have advanced drainage systems that do not allow water to accumulate on the surface, minimizing the risk of slipping and falling when the field is wet.

Optimizing Performance and Endurance

Consistent Training Conditions

The uniformity of the outdoor turf field can enable the same conditions for training, very important for athletes who do their training in controlled environments. This is unlike natural grass fields, which may turn out muddy, uneven, or overgrown; this turf field holds its shape and texture and provides a consistent platform for all forms of exercise.

Versatility for Different Workouts

Outdoor turf fields can be so versatile and used for just about anything related to physical activity. From soccer and football drills, all the way to yoga sessions and boot camps, turf can adjust to whatever the training requires. Such flexibility will also permit trainers and coaches to be more creative in the exercise programs and hence be able to keep workouts both interesting and challenging.

Environmental and Maintenance Advantages

Lower Water and Maintenance Needs

An outdoor turf field workout is also a very environmentally friendly choice. For one, turf fields use nowhere near as much water as an actual grass field would require, and it has hardly any maintenance, like mowing or fertilizing. This helps save some natural resources and keeps the field always prepared for use without the mess of puddles, mud, or patches.

All-Weather Usability

Unlike natural grass, turf fields can be supported outdoors in almost any kind of weather. The quick-draining characteristics of turf make it an excellent choice for rainy days when traditional fields might be unusable. That means less disruption in workouts and more consistent training schedules, which are crucial to people who are serious about their fitness goals.

Enhancing Psychological Benefits

Connection with Nature

Outdoor training on a turf field gives the opportunity to connect with nature, which will go a long way in improving one’s mental health and well-being. The fresh air, natural light, and open space make for better vitality and a generally happier mood; hence, it makes working out much more productive and fun.

Encouraging Group Dynamics

Outdoor workouts on a turf field lend themselves naturally to group activities. They provide a spacious environment that is ideal for classes, team sports, and group fitness challenges. In addition to motivation through social interaction, group workouts build camaraderie and a sense of community among participants.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Fitness Routine with Outdoor Turf Field Training

I should not be writing this. The voice in my head says to keep my mouth shut. Yet, the other voice says, maybe someone will find this information helpful. That is after all what we are supposed to do at Illinois Extension, make sure the knowledge and research do not stay locked up somewhere, but extend it out across the state to help people make more informed decisions. Even though it may open a can of worms, it is time to talk about synthetic turf.

Hopefully, the idea of replacing a home lawn with synthetic turf was short-lived. A year ago it seemed to be a very popular concept on social media. But now I’m seeing lots of online commentary stating “Boy I wish I didn’t put in fake grass!” Maybe it works in Nevada, but it is not a great idea for Illinois.

A debate rages on comparing synthetic turf and natural turf in an athletic setting. I have spent the past few years sitting on couches, tailgates, and bleachers with other sports fans debating the merits of real and artificial turf. There are certainly positives to both viewpoints. Yet, both systems have downsides. Schools, park districts, and other organizations that manage athletic fields must choose how they invest their money for their sporting facilities.

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Synthetic Athletic Turf

Starting, let’s look at synthetic athletic turf. Essentially, this system is comprised of rubber material and plastics installed on a gravel and/or sand base. The surface is considered more cushioned for falls, yet that cushioning varies and depends on the depth of the rubber material below the surface. Synthetic turf is marketed to need fewer inputs. It doesn’t need to be mowed, fertilized, aerated, reseeded, and so on. That reduction of efforts is seen as cost savings for the lifetime of the field. Synthetic turf can be played on in the rain without destroying the field and it can handle more frequent use. When you’re in a rural school with one field to handle all your sporting events, synthetic turf can make a huge difference in access to a high-quality play surface.

Very often the main downside people mention about synthetic turf is a perceived increase in injuries. There is a lot to unpack in that argument, more than I have room in this article, but in short, we can’t just point to synthetic turf as a culprit. There are multiple factors to consider, including ever-changing gear, footwear, rules, and athleticism of the players. However, there are evident health concerns about synthetic turf. Quite obvious is how much hotter the playing surface becomes during sunny weather. The radiating warmth can lead to overheating of athletes, and even skin burns during hot summer weather. Additionally, the cushioned surface changes with time. As debris, paint build-up, and the degradation of rubber occur, it alters the hardness of the surface. Synthetic turf has also been shown to have a greater potential for abrasions and burns from sliding.

Synthetic turf also has a lifespan. It does not last forever. And depending on local climate, maintenance, and use it can shorten or increase that lifespan. While many companies make varying claims on the lifespan of their synthetic turf, it seems like most synthetic field surfaces last ten years or less. The base layers under the play surface can last longer.

The upfront cost of synthetic turf is often the biggest hurdle for most organizations. It is not uncommon for an initial installation cost of synthetic turf to reach $1 million. But after installation, there are maintenance costs. A study showed annual labor costs averaging $6,000 with 375 hours of labor for synthetic turf compared to $4,000 for 250 hours of labor on natural turf fields. Finally, a used-up synthetic turf must be landfilled and that will incur more costs.

Natural Athletic Turf

These athletic fields have a playing surface of traditional living turf grasses. It is not uncommon for these fields to be planted in the native soil. However, some athletic fields have their grass growing in a sand base.

The primary benefit to natural grass play surfaces is we have been using these for a long time. The research has been done and the knowledge is out there on how to manage these fields. Natural grass fields also introduce fewer synthetic materials into the environment. A natural grass play surface is cooler and more forgiving when it comes to sliding. Plus, if you’ve ever been on a hot synthetic field, it often smells like hot tires. A natural turf athletic field smells like, well grass!

Yet, the major problem with natural turf is all it takes is one game in poor weather conditions to destroy a field. Imagine a football game in the rain. Cleats tearing at the ground. Players coming off the field with mud and chucks of turf in their helmets. The day after, the field manager is met with a mud pit. And how do you get the field ready for next week’s game let alone the soccer game coming up in a few days? And when the ground becomes bare and dry, we now have a harder surface where players are more prone to injury. Essentially, natural turf play surfaces have limitations on the amount of use, which may restrict who can use a school or community field.

Managing a natural turf field is more than just mowing. It requires a higher level of horticultural knowledge and continued education. Organizations have to be willing to hire trained or pay to train their staff on turf management. In this case, we are not dealing with a plastic carpet, but instead living plants that will respond and change with time. These living plants are growing under high-use conditions and require inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, overseeding, and more beyond this list. Becoming experienced in these different practices is critical when it could make or break your athletic field’s performance.

Is there help for communities to make this decision?

Installing a particular field because the county next door has one is not a great way to go about this decision. It should involve multiple groups of individuals in a community, especially the people who manage the athletic fields.

There are some resources online that can help inform organizations during this process. These will be linked below. Also, I’m not a turf expert, just the messenger. If you contact me asking if you should go with natural or synthetic turf, you won’t get much out of me.

The decision to invest in synthetic or natural turf is a choice that must be weighed individually by an organization’s unique situation. Here are some resources that may help as a guide:

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• Investing in Safe Sports Fields – Cornell
• Reimagining Sustainable Community Sports Fields of the Future: a Framework for Convergent Science-Stakeholder Decision-Making – Published in Circular Economy and Sustainability, by Texas A&M researchers
• Is adding a synthetic field the answer? – Cornell
• Athletic Fields and Sports Turf – Penn State Extension
• BMPs (Best Management Practices) for Sports Turf – Sports Field Management Association
• A Guide to Synthetic and Natural Turfgrass for Sports Fields Selection, Construction, and Maintenance Considerations – Sports Turf Managers Association