Outdoor Fitness Park Dedicated in Phoenix
More than 150 Arizonans attended the dedication of AARP Arizona's new fitness park at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in north Phoenix. (AARP Arizona)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – AARP is just one organization that wants Arizonans to be fit and healthy, and the group dedicated an outdoor fitness park in north Phoenix this week to help.
In conjunction with the nonprofit group "FitLot," AARP Arizona sponsored construction of the park, which contains exercise equipment that can be adapted to meet a wide range of fitness levels and abilities. It's part of the Rose Mofford Sports Complex north of downtown Phoenix.
AARP Arizona State Director Dana Kennedy says while the park is available for everyone, AARP plans to use it for regular activities for its members.
"Following the opening, we are working to basically do programming at the park itself," says Kennedy. "So, much like what we do with Hance Park downtown, we have 'Fall Into Fitness' concert series, where we have instructor-led activities, like aerobic activities."
The project is part of AARP's 60th anniversary celebration. The dedication ceremony included Mayor Kate Gallego, City Council member Debra Stark and more than 150 guests, volunteers and community members.
Kennedy says the fitness park features a variety of stations, and it isn't designed strictly for people over 50. The equipment can be used by folks of all ages and fitness levels.
"There's an elliptical machine there, there's a stair-stepper," says Kennedy. "Then you could hook the fitness bands and do resistance training; you could certainly do push-ups, pull-ups. You could do lower body as well as upper body fitness."
Working with FitLot, she says AARP plans over the next two years to sponsor a fitness park in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The goal is to help communities find resources to plan, build and program outdoor fitness parks.
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