City to Unveil $35K Outdoor Fitness Equipment Installation

ribbon-cutting event When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 Where: Asbury Park

ASBURY, Iowa - Asbury city officials this weekend will unveil new public-use outdoor fitness equipment at Asbury Park.

The city bought the equipment as part of its "Health Trails" initiative. It is being installed this week and should be ready for use by a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday.

The equipment and its installation cost the city about $35,000, said City Administrator Beth Bonz. A $5,000 grant from the Dubuque Racing Association was put toward the project.

The equipment consists of five stations at which people can perform more than 100 exercises.

The stations will be up year-round, although city officials admit they will likely be used mostly in warm weather.

"The goal is to try to encourage local residents to make healthier choices, get out and exercise a little more. Hopefully, people will take advantage of it," said Jason Thieme, the city's parks and recreation director. "It's the first of its kind in the county. It's a progressive new kind of thing that we're introducing to the area."

Thieme said the exercise equipment and stations should appeal to a broad range of residents.

"They call it functional training. It's not like you're sitting on a traditional bench press and throwing weight around. It's more geared to a wide variety of skill levels and abilities," he said. "Hopefully, we can reach a really broad range of folks out there, get them comfortable and get them active."

Mayor Jim Adams said the exercise equipment is part of the project to connect the city's four parks with a walking trail. He said the ultimate goal is to eventually connect the city trails to larger nearby trails like Heritage Trail, which is 26 miles long and runs east and west through Dubuque County.

"We're pretty excited. It should be a good fit for the community," Adams said of the new outdoor fitness stations.

Local fitness experts will be on hand for Saturday's event to give demonstrations and provide tips. Thieme said he hopes the city can eventually incorporate exercise classes and other outdoor activities with the new equipment.