The City of Amarillo (COA) Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) have announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® and digital wellness programming to Amarillo.
The Fitness Court®, located at John Ward Memorial Park, will open August 20 at 10:00 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is open to the public. Following the ceremony, PARD will be offering a free yoga class. In addition, Fitness Court Ambassadors will give demonstrations on how to use the fitness equipment.
This Fitness Court® was developed by PARD, BCBSTX, and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities across the region. The Fitness Court® is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets users leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations.
Created for adults of all abilities and those aged 14-plus, the Fitness Court® workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court® App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience.
The COA is one of 50-plus Campaign Partners building a network of Fitness Courts across the state, with the help of BCBSTX.
“Finding new ways to enhance our parks and create meaningful experiences for residents is always a priority,” said PARD Director Michael Kashuba. “Partnerships like this allow us to bring innovative amenities to Amarillo that improve quality of life and make healthy, active living more accessible for everyone. We’re grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and National Fitness Campaign for helping make this Fitness Court possible, giving our community a free, year-round resource for adults of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy.”
“Physical activity is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to improve overall health,” said Dr. Mark Chassay, chief medical officer at BCBSTX. “By investing in Fitness Courts across Texas, we’re creating more opportunities for people to move, connect, and build healthier, more equitable communities for the future.”
“We are excited to have John Ward Memorial Park join us in the journey to improve health and wellness as we work to make a powerful and long lasting impact on health outcomes and happiness by building healthy communities across America,’’ said Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign. “The addition of the outdoor Fitness Court, along with digital wellness programming, demonstrates a tremendous commitment to the health and wellbeing within the Amarillo community.”
For more information on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas’s support of NFC, please visit https://www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/texas.
Also for more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.