Lawrence Parks and Recreation installs outdoor fitness equipment along Burroughs Creek Trail

photo by: Contributed photo

An outdoor fitness station allows for vertical bench press exercises. The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department recently installed four equipment stations along Burroughs Creek Trail.

Lawrence residents can now get a bit more of a workout as they use a trail on the east side of town.

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department recently installed new outdoor fitness equipment along Burroughs Creek Trail in the East Lawrence neighborhood between 12th Street and Ward Avenue. The trail is part of the Lawrence Loop and runs just west of Haskell Avenue between 11th Street and 23rd Street.

The four pieces of equipment include an elliptical machine, a vertical bench press, a two-person cross-country ski machine and a pull-up and sit-up station.

Mark Hecker, Parks and Recreation assistant director, said the department installed the equipment as part of a new fitness trend in public parks that allows people to get outside for a workout rather than head to an indoor gym.

“If you’re a hardcore fitness person, you could use it, or if you are just a casual (fitness) person you can use it too,” he said.

The city previously installed outdoor fitness equipment in Deerfield Park, 2801 W. Princeton Blvd., and found it to be successful.

“It seems to hold up really well,” Hecker said of the equipment. “We’re pretty excited about it.”

The purchase and installation of the equipment along Burroughs Creek Trail cost about $15,000. Hecker said the city may add more equipment if funding becomes available.

“We’re just trying to get people outside and getting them to enjoy fitness activities,” he said.

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