Barnet Council to install new fitness equipment in parks

Property owners living in Barnet are set to benefit from more outdoor gyms, thanks to an initiative put forward by MPs in the area.

Barnet Council has recently announced proposals to install new outdoor gym equipment in six parks. The equipment will be similar to that currently found in Oak Hill Park, which is located in the borough.

Friary, Hendon, Watling and Childs Hill parks have already been earmarked to have the equipment installed.

There are also plans to introduce 'marked and measured' routes in ten parks. A marked and measured path is a pre-plotted running, walking or cycling route in and around a park. It also allows users to keep track of their fitness levels by providing a set length for them to monitor their progress with.

Nine parks in Barnet already have the marked and measured routes in place.

The council is currently holding a consultation on the proposals to gather the public's views.

Councillor Helena Hart, cabinet member for public health at Barnet Council, has urged local residents to get involved in the decision-making process.
 
She added: "This project is all about giving residents the opportunity to make exercise a really enjoyable activity and one which they can follow at their own pace. I am particularly enthusiastic about marked and measured routes and how they can support regular exercise amongst older people."

"We want to give the people of Barnet as many options as possible to help them improve their health; this is why I want to urge as many residents as possible to take part in this consultation and help us improve our plans even further."

The borough's public health team conducted a survey in January 2013 to find out how physically active local people were.

It found that there were five main obstacles which stopped residents taking part in exercise: cost, time, the quality of facilities, lack of transport and knowledge of what is available.

The new proposals to install fitness equipment in the borough aim to address these issues.

Published 25th November, 2013

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