National Fitness Court In Midlothian Is Open
The City of Midlothian celebrated the opening of a National Fitness Court on Thursday, August 5, at the Midlothian Sports Complex. Located at 1000 S. 14th Street, near the softball fields, the Fitness Court is free and open to the public during park hours, which are 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Fitness Court is an outdoor, shaded, bodyweight, circuit training center designed for adults of all ages and fitness levels. A concept of the National Fitness Campaign, there are courts installed in approximately 200 communities in 40 states.
Made possible by a donation from Methodist Midlothian Medical Center and grants from Midlothian Community Development Corporation (MCDC) and Healthy Cities, the Fitness Court features a variety of exercise stations in a 35-by-35-foot area that allows up to 28 people to use the Court at the same time. The 30-piece equipment circuit includes apparatus that facilitates seven movements, including core development, agility, bending, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and squats. The seven-movement system provides a full-body workout.
The Fitness Court can be used by individuals or with groups. Anyone can download the Fitness Court App for free to view demonstrations, access training videos, and take advantage of challenges designed specially for Fitness Court users. On the App, users can track their progress and get hints for improvement.
One user said she’s been using the Fitness Court while her daughter is at softball practice.
“It makes the time go by quickly and before I know it, I’ve gotten in my work-out before practice is even over.” Said Heather Dowell, director of Midlothian Parks and Recreation, “Fitness Court has a great reputation throughout the country and we were able to visit several courts in Texas to select exactly what we wanted.”
Methodist Midlothian Promoting Health & Wellness
Alyn Nix, president of MCDC, said that the Fitness Court fits in perfectly with MCDC’s goal to upgrade and expand our parks for all the citizens. MCDC is appointed by the City Council to administer sales tax to fund the maintenance and operating costs of projects that positively impact the quality of life for citizens of Midlothian.
“Supporting the Fitness Court also made sense to Methodist Midlothian,” said Jary Ganske, administrator. He pointed out that Methodist Health System’s mission is to improve and save lives through compassionate, quality healthcare. “With the Fitness Court in the backyard of our newest facility, we naturally wanted to be a part of it and support local initiatives to promote health and wellness,” added Ganske.
