Fitness enthusiasts and those just starting out in exercise have a new place in the Lehigh Valley to continue their healthy endeavors — and it’s free.
Upper Nazareth TownshipOn Saturday, people gathered for the official opening of Ryvert Park’s new fitness court, the first of its kind in the local area. According to the national organization This led to the establishment of hundreds of similar courts throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation.
The outdoor gym allows you to get a full body workout in just 7 minutes. The court features 7 zones focused on core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility and bend. The court has a variety of step blocks and objects to push and pull, and is designed for people of all fitness levels and those looking to spend more time.
About half of the gym is open space for group exercise classes, while the walls in between are adorned with artwork depicting Nazareth-area landmarks, including the town’s Martin guitar factory. CF Martin & Co. is one of the donors of the roughly $300,000 facility.
It’s about 70 feet long and 30 feet wide — about a quarter of the size of a football field. The town also built a half-mile walking trail around the perimeter of the gym.
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Town Council President Scott Silvanus said the court process began before the pandemic, when the town surveyed residents about recreation.
“One of the things they were interested in was an activity like this, a walking trail, and we took the initiative to make that happen,” Sylvainus said, thanking Town Manager Lisa Klemm and Christine Mullen, vice chair of the supervision and chair of the recreation committee.
Clem said the National Fitness Campaign approached the town, provided information and offered a $30,000 grant.
“They had video and it was something we’d never seen in this area,” Klem said. The town parks provided the site, and its recreation fund, grants and private donations covered the cost, about $300,000, Klem said.
National Fitness, a San Francisco health consulting firm, is working with communities, schools and others to help fund and build the outdoor courts. This is the area’s second outdoor gym, with Kutztown University opening one in October 2022, according to National Fitness spokeswoman Lindsay Valenti.
Mullen said she saw the fitness facilities at Kutztown University on the way to take her son to school.
“When I went there, I looked it over and had the kids do some demos and present to the board,” she said. Residents said courts and other areas for exercise had been noted in the survey. “We’re trying to bring those back,” she said.
The fitness court comes with a one-year warranty, and town staff will continue to maintain it, Klem said.
The free courts are available during park opening hours from dawn to dusk, and as well as giving it a try, users can also download the free Fitness Court app on their smartphones for more information about using the gym.
Only a few people tried it out Saturday, but many said they were looking forward to using it.
“We love it,” said Andrew Hirsch, a New Hampshire resident who watched his wife, Dee, and their teenage son, Ty, race through the jump area. “It’s another step in our efforts to rebuild our community after the pandemic, not just for physical reasons but for social reasons.”
Hirsch is especially keen for older kids to give it a try.
“You don’t see kids going out now like you did in the ’70s and ’80s,” he says.
The Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Lehigh Valley hosted a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for the facility, located behind Town Hall at 100 Newport Ave. More information is available on the Town Hall website. Upper Nazareth Township Or visit the National Fitness Campaign site at nationalfitnesscampaign.com.
In addition to Martin Guitars, construction management company JVI LLC and St. Luke’s University Health Network will also be sponsoring the event and working with the town to offer group exercise classes.
Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be contacted at [email protected]
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