The Village of Palos Park’s National Fitness Campaign Fitness Court on Village Green opened for business on June 18.
There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony and some demonstrations on how to use the station-to-station court courtesy of the Moraine Valley cross country teams.
“Creating this fitness court was this village’s commitment to health and wellness,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said. “It’s free. It’s open to all ages and all fitness levels. You can come out here and work out anytime you want.”
She said that parents whose kids use the nearby playground can use the court while their offspring play.
Palos Park Director of Recreation and Park Stephen DeFalco said the court is a positive for a variety of reasons.
“By practicing regular exercise on the fitness court, individuals can lower risks of diseases such as chronic heart disease and diabetes,” DeFalco said. “A body weight workout enhances coordination, balance and mobility.
“We encourage everyone to walk, jog and cycle to this new amenity and spend a little more time outside every day.”
Moraine Valley runner Matthew Busch and his teammates went through the circuit and had plans on running nine miles after that. The Stagg graduate said that the difficulty level of the various stations depends on the individual.
“You can make it more challenging,” he said. “When you are doing the pushups, if you put your feet really far back, it makes it really challenging. You can get a good workout here.”
