12 Calgary parks with outdoor fitness equipment

 

You don’t often think of doing lat pulls or sweating on an elliptical trainer at the local playground down the street.  But with the outdoor fitness equipment craze sweeping North American, you can indeed do that. 

There are actually 20 million square-metres of fitness spaces outdoors in China.  Ladders, balance bars, stations to do sit-ups.  In Spain, the hub of the outdoor fitness equipment/playground craze, the work out stations are painted in attractive primary colours. There is even an outdoor fitness centre in London’s famous Hyde Park and in an effort to get seniors moving it’s been nicknamed “Pensioner’s Playground.”

Spring is on its way and it will soon be time to get outdoors. The City of Calgary has 12 parks where adult-sized fitness equipment has been installed – there are actually more locations throughout the city, like at the University of Calgary for instance.

The idea is catching on because these equipment stations are like playgrounds for adults, perfect for the person who can’t afford to work out at the local fitness centre or doesn’t have a facility close by or wants to get outside rather than work in their home gym.  The City, by installing these stations at local parts, is removing barriers to fitness and is making it easy for Calgarians to get off the couch and give fitness a try.

Bear in mind, these are public parks and you might have to wait in line for your turn – just like you used to line up behind the swings to have your turn at recess.  People will be watching you unless you wear a head lamp and visit at 3:00 am.   But it’s an awesome way to meet new people.

Exercise is the best way to maintain good health, physically, psychologically and emotionally.

Each park in Calgary has a variety of equipment so you can get a good circuit going.  Some have more machines that others and you might want to drive around and check them all out.

Here’s the other thing – with a couple of exceptions, these parks are mostly in the north end of the city.  Hopefully more will pop up in Calgary’s south.

If you find a park you like and some of the equipment is not in working condition or seems unsafe, the City of Calgary would like you to call 311 right away.

Fitness equipment locations

Applewood Park Community Association, 899 Applewood Dr. S.E.

*equipment maintained by Community Association

Equipment includes:

• Double reverse butterfly
• Two-person extension / curl
• Combo lat pull-down / arms press
• Three-person air walker
• Two-person side by side cross-country skier
• Recumbent stationary bicycle
• Elliptical
• Rowing machine
• Bike

Arbour Lake, 555 Arbour Lake Dr. N.W.

Equipment includes:

• Lateral pull down
• Air walker
• Vertical press
• Seated chest press
• Seated leg press
• Sit-up station
• Elliptical
• Cardio walker
• Rowing machine
• Hip flexor

Coral Springs Park, 172 Coral Keys Dr. N.E.

Equipment includes:

• Vault bar
• Chin-up bars
• Parallel bars
• Sit-up station
• Horizontal ladder
• Push-up station

Deerfoot Business Centre, 6632 8 St. N.E.

Permanent slackline posts are available at this location as part of a pilot initiative.

Equipment includes:

• Vertical climbing ladder
• Muscle builder climber
• Horizontal ladder
• Sit-up station
• Vault bar
• Jump touch
• Step up
• Parallel bars
• Leg lifts
• Balance bar
• Chin-up bar

Dover - Greater Forest Lawn Seniors Society, 3425 26 Ave. S.E.

Equipment includes:

• Stair Climber
• Pendulum Air Walker
• Air Walker
• Rowing Machine
• Chest Press
• Lat Pull-down
• Leg Curl/Leg Extension
• Leg Press
• Butterfly Machine
• Roller Fit Pendulum
• Dip Station
• Horizontal Bars
• Tai Chi Spinners

Edgemont Ravines, 20 Edgebyne Cres. N.W.

Equipment includes:

• Sit-up station
• Chin-up bar
• Horizontal ladder
• Rings

Edworthy Park, 4075 Bowness Rd. N.W.

East side of river, just off pathway

*equipment maintained by Parks Foundation Calgary

Equipment includes:

• Bike fix-it station
• Sit-up station
• Stretch station
• Twister
• Elliptical
• Chest Press
• Pull-up bars
• Dip bars
• Leg press
• Lat pull-down

Grant MacEwan Elementary School, 180 Falshire Dr. N.E.

Equipment includes:

• Horizontal ladder
• Balance beam
• Chin up bars
• Sit up station
• Elevated balance beam
• Parallel bars
• Push up bars

The Hampton's School, 10370 Hamptons Blvd. N.W. 

Equipment includes:

• Half knee bends
• Bench curl
• Log hop
• Leg stretch
• Sit and reach
• Body curl
• Vault bar
• Achilles stretch
• Push-up station
• Chin-up bar
• Knee lift

Hawkwood Park, 95 Hawkwood Hill N.W.

Equipment includes:

• Balance beam
• Horizontal ladder
• Standing jump
• Push-up station
• Vault bar
• Chin-up bar
• Parallel bars
• Sit-up station

Louise Riley Library, 1928 14 Ave. N.W.

*equipment maintained by Community Association

Equipment includes:

Various equipment

Quarry Park, 138 Quarry Dr. S.E.

*equipment maintained by community developer

Equipment includes:

Various equipment

University Research Park, 3725 36 St. N.W.

Equipment includes:

• Chin up bars
• Touch jump post
• Leg lifts
• Parallel bars
• Horizontal ladder
• Sit up station
• Step up station
• Vertical climbing ladder
• Vault bar