“To actually have equipment that you can use free is very exciting,” said Pat Frock, owner of the Springfield Health and Fitness Center.
The project was funded by a $20,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Health as part of the state and Clark County’s collaboration in the Creating Healthy Communities program.
This program aims to help people in county improve access to and affordability of healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity and assure tobacco-free living where Ohioans live, work and play, according to Sarah Dahlinghaus, a health educator with the Clark County Combined Health District.
Clark County is currently ranked 74th out of 88 counties in state health standards.
The health district and the National Trail Parks and Recreation District worked on the planning of the park together, Dahlinghaus said. Both wanted to put the fitness park along the bike path in the center of town for easy accessibility and to draw people to the trails.
The cost of staying fit — such as gym fees — is barrier many people in the city face, Dahlinghaus said, so planners wanted the new park to be accessible to everyone, no matter what income level.
“It came back full circle that we needed something free and convenient for people to come and be active,” she said.
Obesity and inactivity are two health risks the health district is working to change with the new fitness park, planners said.
Nearly 30 percent of adults in the county are obese, according to health district data, and more than 25 percent of adults self-report that they are physically inactive.
“Any decrease we see in those numbers will be a victory,” Dahlinghaus said.
Frock said trainers from her downtown gym will volunteer time to help people at the park learn how to use the equipment. The park is an important addition to the community because fostering health will boost other areas of life, she added.
“You’ll stay healthier longer, live longer and be happier,” Frock said.
The strength equipment uses body resistance training, said Peter Hurst, a personal trainer who was at the opening of the park earlier this week.
“Doing a lot of body weight things is really going to be beneficial for building lean muscle mass,” he said.
Creating Healthy Communities will continue to promote health in the community and already has nine new projects planned for 2016, Dahlinghaus said.
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