A new free workout spot has opened in Naperville. On Thursday, June 16, the Naperville Park District held its grand opening for the Frontier Sports Complex Fitness Court, located right next to the 95th Street Community Plaza.
“The park district working with a number of sponsors, was able to bring this to the community. It’s a program through the National Fitness Campaign that we were excited to learn about a few years ago and research it, and find a location here in Naperville where it would be a great fit,” said Naperville Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson.
Funding
Costs for the court were covered in part by a $25,000 grant from the National Fitness Campaign in partnership with the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, as well as a number of sponsor donations. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush provided a $50,000 title sponsorship.
“We are very dedicated to not only injury care but injury prevention. One of the best ways for adults and kids to stay healthy is to stay active; so these types of opportunities where they can come out throughout the year, outdoor, for free, engage in individual activities or class activities; it’s just a really exciting opportunity for the community,” said Concussion Program Director at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth.
Workout Options
Members of the Fort Hill Activity Center were on hand during the grand opening giving demonstrations and workout tips.
“It actually has an app that works with it. So the app will give any community member that wants to come and work out ideas of what they can do at different stations. There’s seven stations here that work different movement patterns,” said Fort Hill Fitness Manager Kristina McGrath.
“A lot of high intensity interval training workouts work well here. So you’re doing different movements for short bursts of time with some built in rest, which elevates your heart rate, gets those muscles pumping. And you can get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time,” said McGrath.
What the Future Holds
The Naperville Park District hopes the public will come out to take advantage of the new workout center.
“Certainly hoping that it helps to improve the overall heath and wellness of the community. Individuals can come out here and work out and improve their health and wellness, and again, be in a great outdoor setting,” said Wilson.
Naperville News 17 Patrick Codo reports.