Outdoor equipment arrives at area parks

Unincorporated Azusa's Dalton Park has some unusual new playground pieces: an elliptical cross-trainer, a chest press, an "air walker plus" and other free gym equipment.

The outdoor gym machines appeared at five county parks in recent months, and county Supervisor Gloria Molina announced this week that these "Fitness Zones" will be installed at five more San Gabriel Valley locations next year.

Of course, "it is a little pricey," Molina said. Her office contributed $125,000 toward the $200,000 cost of the first five Fitness Zones. The equipment prices ranged from $673 for a sit-up board to $3,081 for a two-person shoulder press.

"Because they are outside, they have to withstand a little more wear and tear, just like playground equipment," Molina said. "So it is pricey, but it's a lot cheaper than people having to buy it individually."

The project was managed by The Trust for Public Land, a land conservation nonprofit. The idea is to create new exercise options in existing parks, said TPL spokeswoman Nicole Lampe.

"There are a lot of places for kids to get active, and we wanted to add a way for their parents to get active," Lampe said.

"We're choosing parks based on population
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density and lack of access to physical activity, so places where there aren't a lot of gyms, or where the average income level means a lot of folks wouldn't have a gym membership," Lampe said.

Dalton Park features nine pieces of equipment with 13 exercise stations.

Strength-training equipment works the legs, chest and arms, with resistance provided by the exerciser's body weight. Pull-up bars and a sit-up board are also part of the package. Four pieces of cardio equipment complete the zone, but the elliptical, the two swing-like "air walkers" and the rowing-motion "rider" offer no resistance.

Similar equipment is also at San Angelo Park in Avocado Heights, at Sunshine Park in East Valinda and two parks in East Los Angeles.

The next five Fitness Zones will be installed by July, with one in Lashbrook Park in El Monte, and two each at the Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale and at Whittier Narrows County Regional Parks, according to Molina's office.

TPL received $50,000 from Kaiser Permanente to develop the first five Fitness Zones, and TPL chipped in $25,000 of their own funds. The $200,000 total went toward installation, construction management, signs, staff time and, of course, equipment.

TPL bought $90,000 worth of equipment from TriActive America, one of the very few manufacturers of outdoor gym equipment, said Helen O'Shea, TPL's Fitness Zones project manager.

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