Municipal officials unveiled outdoor fitness equipment Thursday at Kingston Park.
The equipment was installed in late August. It’s the third set of FitPark outdoor equipment in Chatham-Kent, as Tilbury and Blenheim also have similar open-air workout stations.
Deb Veccia, supervisor of parks and horticulture in Chatham, said there are 10 stations at Kingston Park, including some equipment designed specifically for children.
“It’s for cardio, strength and balance,” she said, as the devices are clumped in three stations in the middle of the park and are utilized by all ages. “The majority of folks I see here during the day are seniors.”
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Dr. April Rietdyk, director of public health, said the equipment is designed to improve overall quality of life and increase physical activity.
“Up to one-third of the chronic disease that we see is caused by physical inactivity,” she said. “This equipment has allowed us to bring fitness to the people. This one allows for family time. A family can come out and enjoy the park and build up family fitness.”
Rietdyk hopes to see more of the equipment, which is a joint partnership between parks and public health, go into other parks in Chatham-Kent.
Total price for the project is about $50,000. And it is high-tech.
“Each piece of equipment is smartphone ready. If you put your smartphone in it, it will keep track of your fitness progress,” Veccia said.
There are also QR codes on the equipment, so people can scan the codes and access videos on how to properly use the apparatus.
The devices are stainless steel, Veccia said, so they are very low maintenance, and there are no external moving parts.
