New Fitness Course

Wheat Ridge Adds Fitness Court at Panorama Park through CPRA/National Fitness Campaign Partnership and American Rescue Plan Funding

By Brandon Altenburg, M.Ed., CPRP, Grant and Special Project Administrator, City of Wheat Ridge Parks & Recreation

The City of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation department installed and opened a sleek and modern outdoor Fitness Court® with a supporting mobile app at Panorama Park in October 2022.

This capital project is a featured part of a 2021-2022 initiative launched by a collaboration between the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC), a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build, and fund healthy infrastructure.

The City of Wheat Ridge and dozens of other select recipients from around the country were awarded a $30,000 grant from NFC to help support the program. In addition to grant funding, a city match and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were contributed to make the project possible in Wheat Ridge.

“We are very excited to add this new opportunity for our community to get fit and healthy,” stated Karen O’Donnell, director of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation. “The new Fitness Court® offers a beautiful park setting with equipment that is specially designed for outdoor use.”

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The new Fitness Court® at Panorama Park is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels. New users can also download the free Fitness Court App that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally-supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App, entitled “Fitness Court”, is available for iOS and Android. The Fitness Court is now available for drop-in use during Park hours and will feature instructor-led classes in the future. r k product s g r k s rchit e ct u ral d o g p a r k product s

National Fitness Campaign developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 100 active Fitness Court locations across the country, and the Campaign will reach a total of 250 cities and schools by the end of 2022.

To learn more about National Fitness Campaign and how to qualify for funding, visit www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/ colorado.