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Are you ready to get fit in Marion?

Are you ready to get fit in Marion?

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Are you ready to get fit in Marion?

City looking to add exercise equipment to Brunetti Park

news@theeveningtimes.com

Walkers at Brunetti Park in Marion and other fitness conscious outdoor enthusiasts could soon have some new exercise equipment to use to stay fit and trim.

Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rawls said he plans to purchase some outdoor fitness equipment machines as a new feature at the park.

“It will be different types of equipment,” Rawls said.

“You will be able to do plyometrics and stationary stuff and various types of exercise. They offer some stuff where you can do push ups or chin ups, and an elliptical machine — all kinds of stuff.”

Rawls said the idea to buy the equipment and add a separate fitness area originated with Mayor Frank Fogleman about a year and a half ago.

Many cities are adding fitness equipment to their parks. In Arkansas, both Conway and Heber Springs have added exercise equipment to their parks.

“It is a growing trend,” Rawls said. “I think people who use the walking trail will utilize it. More people are thinking about fitness and a healthier lifestyle. I think it is something we can do for our people in town where they can enjoy and plan an outdoor activity. And you don’t have to have a gym membership to do it.”

The city budgeted $30,000 to buy equipment last year but it got too late in the year that they decided to roll it over to this year.

Rawls said he is going to come up with a plan for which equipment to buy in conjunction with the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Equipment ranges in price from $2,100 up to $7,000.

“They gave me prices on 12 to 13 different pieces,” Rawls said. “Most are in the $2,100 range. The highest priced ones are anything mechanical like a stair stepper. Those run in the $5,000 range. And they have an elliptical which runs $7,000. They are built to be outdoors and made to withstand the weather.”

The goal is to buy six to eight pieces of equipment, Rawls said. “We are going to decide which pieces of equipment we think will be the best ones for there,” Rawls said. “And I think instead of putting them along the walking trail, a lot of cities do an outdoor fitness area.

They are just set up on one big pad or they do it in clusters. We can do it however we choose to do it.”

By Mark Randall

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