COUNCILS
Fresh Air Fitness installed an outdoor gym at Freystrop Recreation Park to boost community engagement and support healthy living through outdoor exercise.
The ‘Freystrop Recreation Park Project’ was formed in 2021 by Freystrop Community Councillors, Esme Utting and Dawn Harries, with a sole purpose - the rejuvenation of Freystrop's Village Hall and Recreation Area.
To enrich the quality of life for its community members, numerous exciting initiatives were undertaken by the project – including providing free to use, state of the art, outdoor gym equipment.
At Freystrop Recreation Park, the outdoor gym was destined to be very special.
The project team wanted a mixture of adult and junior pieces of equipment so whole families could visit the park and exercise together.
It was recognised that engaging younger members of the community and introducing them to an early love of outdoor exercise was going to be very good for the community in terms of social cohesion and wellbeing – now and for the future.
Fresh Air Fitness was commissioned to design, manufacture and install their brand-new outdoor gym equipment following an extensive tender.
To be successful the outdoor gym had to combine functionality, aesthetics and accessibility.
The outdoor gym was thoughtfully designed with the future in mind.
Pieces were staggered intentionally, to accommodate extra items of outdoor gym equipment, allowing for expansion and development as the level of community engagement grows and funding opportunities arise accordingly.
Five key pieces of outdoor gym equipment were installed as follows:
• Bike : An upright, outdoor exercise bike providing the rider with a great warm up or cool down option to boost the heart and lungs during a workout.
• Triple Pull Up : A fantastic calisthenics body-weight piece of equipment which builds strength in the arms and shoulders. Users can perform overhand pull-ups, underhand pull-ups, chin-ups and hanging leg raises.
• Air Skier : A fun and engaging price of equipment which strengthens the legs and core by swinging from side to side. Set your own pace - gentle for beginners or more intense for advanced.
• Arm and Pedal Bike : A seated piece of equipment that exercises the arms and legs. Easy piece to use and enjoy whilst engaging the whole body.
• Rower : This fantastic piece of equipment was designed by our research and development team, specifically for primary aged children, following high demand. Replicating the motion of rowing using the whole body to power the equipment.
“Firstly, I would like to thank the two gentlemen who came all the way to Freystrop to fit this equipment, they were great and really helpful.
“The equipment has been very well received by the community and continues to be used by so many different age groups at different times of day. I think it has been a surprise that quality equipment has been installed for use by all, for free. I am sure this will help improve the health of the community.” - Anna Simpson
At Fresh Air Fitness, we have installed over 4500 outdoor gyms nationwide. Outdoor gyms can be found in local parks, green spaces, next to community centres, along trim trails and beside children’s playgrounds.
If you would like to find out more about installing an outdoor gym, you can download our brochure.
Our team of experts can signpost you to many funding options, which can ‘part-fund’ or, in many cases, ‘fully-fund’ your outdoor gym project. We have already supported colleges, community groups, councils, schools, and charities across the UK. Print our FREE downloadable guide on Funding.
