Recently I enjoyed visiting our newly opened Novant Health Fitness Court here in Kernersville! Have you heard of Fitness Courts yet? If not, you may soon see one coming to a city near you.
The project is part of a 2020 initiative launched by the National Fitness Campaign, a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build and fund healthy infrastructure.
As described on their website: The Fitness Court is an open-air wellness center that allows people to use their body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable to all fitness levels. Users can download the free Fitness Court App, “Fitness Court.” The “coach-in-your-pocket” style platform transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported ecosystem. The app guides workouts or allows fitness buffs to compare their performance with others. Fitness Court is available for iOS and Android.
As you may be able to tell from the photos, each court consists of 7 movement stations:
- Core
- Squat
- Push
- Lunge
- Pull
- Agility
- Bend
The goal is to have a full-body workout in 7 minutes, by spending 45 seconds on and 15 seconds of rest at each station before you move to the next one. Each station lists a movement option with easy, medium, and hard versions, so you’re good to go no matter your fitness level!
Many courts already have Fitness Ambassadors leading regular workouts, but if yours doesn’t yet, no worries, the Fitness Court App will guide you through each station so you can work out on your own anytime. The app also has workouts specifically targeted to things like mobility, cardio, Tabata, so the possibilities are endless. Note that the court is only open to those 18 and older for safety purposes.
Are you passionate about fitness and interested in being a Fitness Ambassador for your local court? You can apply here! I got my certification a few months back and I’m so excited to spread the word and build a bigger fitness community here in Kernersville. NFC provides you with free training and materials so that you can start leading classes. No fitness court near you? You can apply to bring one to your city or school here.
Have you seen a Fitness Court in your area? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how these will impact community health.
Thanks for reading.
Emily
The Planking Traveler 