On Friday June 4, 2021, Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) will unveil its newest quality of life addition at Arroyo Viejo and Lowell parks, sleek and modern outdoor Fitness Courts® with a supporting mobile app. This capital project installed by Oakland Public Works is a featured part of a 2021 initiative launched by National Fitness Campaign (NFC), a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build and fund healthy infrastructure.
The OPRYD was awarded $60,000 in grants from NFC to help support the program. In addition to grant funding, a city match and funding awarded from the Sugar Sweetened Beverage Community Advisory Board (SSB) contributed to make the project possible in Oakland.
“The new outdoor fitness courts prove that equity is a priority for OPRYD. The courts provide residents access to a free quality platform for meaningful physical activity and we hope will allow for community bonding and building” stated Nicholas Williams, Director OPRYD. “Oakland deserves this, so we made it happen!”
The new Fitness Court® at Arroyo Viejo and Lowell parks are open-air wellness centers that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with teens and adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels. New users can download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App, entitled “Fitness Court”, is available for iOS and Android.
National Fitness Campaign developed the seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 100 active Fitness Court locations across the country, and the Campaign will reach a total of 250 cities and schools by the end of 2021.
Current times have amplified the critical need to support the health and well-being of our most vulnerable communities” said Julia Liou, Chair of the SSB. “This project enables our community members the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health.”
The community is invited to the Opening Day Launch Event to try the Fitness Court® and learn about upcoming community wellness events and programming.
Come dressed in fitness gear and ready to give it a try!
Arroyo Viejo Park |
7701 Krause Ave. |
Friday, June 4 |
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Lowell Park |
1180 14th Street |
Friday, June 4 |
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
COVID-19 restrictions remain in effect. Please wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
For more information, find us on Facebook @oakparkrec and Instagram @oakparksrec, or contact OPRYD at (510) 238-7275 or parksandrec@oaklandca.gov.
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ABOUT NFC:
National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a social enterprise – founded in San Francisco, California in 1979 – that specializes in funding, activating and promoting healthy infrastructure through partnerships with cities and schools. Now operating in over 150 cities, NFC's unique program delivers consulting services and an integrated wellness initiative to communities, centered on the world’s best outdoor gym: The Fitness Court®. Our mission is to design healthy infrastructure for cities to improve the quality of life for people. Learn more about NFC at NationalFitnessCampaign.com and follow on social @NatFitCampaign.
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