Chester County has an elaborate new outdoor gym, installed as part of a national campaign to encourage exercise and combat obesity.<\/p>\n
The infrastructure is called a Fitness Court<\/a>\u00a0and it features\u00a0seven stations that enable people to get a workout in seven minutes.\n<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0<\/b>Most costly add-on procedures marketed to improve IVF success show little benefit, study says<\/a><\/p>\n \nThe Fitness Court was funded by Independence Blue Cross as part of the National Fitness Campaign<\/a>. The $100 million initiative will work\u00a0in collaboration with schools and municipalities to\u00a0build 5,000 outdoor gyms across the country by 2030.<\/p>\n \n“By investing in accessible, welcoming spaces like this, we\u2019re helping remove barriers to healthier lifestyles and ensuring more residents across Chester County have opportunities to stay active and connected close to home,\u201d Marian Moskowitz, vice chair of the Chester County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.\n<\/p>\n \nLast year, approximately 37% of the people in the United States were obese, down slightly from a record-high of nearly 40% in 2022, a recent Gallup<\/a> poll reports. The\u00a0drop is due in part to the rise in GLP-1 weight-loss medications.\u00a0More than 34% of adults and more than 15% of children in Pennsylvania are obese, according to statistics from the Obesity Action Network<\/a>, a national nonprofit advocacy group.<\/p>\n \nObesity is a chronic condition that increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and other serious health issues.\n<\/p>\n \nThe Fitness Court is located\u00a0at Charlestown Township Park, which already had play structures, basketball courts, picnic pavilions and a one-mile paved trail.\u00a0The new outdoor gym is designed for people 14 and older and adaptable to different fitness levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n