Just a few steps away from a playground for children, Sedgwick County Park will soon have an outdoor fitness center designed for older residents.
The Sedgwick County Department of Aging and Disabilities/Central Plains Area Agency on Aging is building an outdoor fitness center geared toward adults aged 60 and older. The $180,000 center was funded by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services through the federal Older Americans Act.
“This special project is just one of many that we have done over the past few years, but it’s one that we feel is very important,” CPAAA deputy director Monica Cissell said. “Not only to increase socialization, but also to improve health among older adults and give them a place to maybe meet up with other people or get a little bit of strength training and resistance training and an opportunity to get out of the house and have some fun.”
CPAAA Director Stephen Shaughnessy says the center was designed to be more inclusive for individuals and their family members or caregivers with mobility issues and physical limitations. It’s located close to the Sunrise Boundless Playscape, a 1.5-acre playground with age-appropriate equipment for toddlers to elementary school students. It’s nestled in the center of the park along Horseshoe Lake Drive.
“We are really hoping to see some intergenerational kind of play and activity between these two activity and playground equipment that are going to be there now,” Shaughnessy said.
The center will be shaded and have 11 pieces of resistance equipment; five of those pieces are wheelchair accessible. The space will be able to accommodate 28 users.
Cissell said resistance training is important for those over 50, along with exercises to improve or maintain balance, endurance and mobility.
“When we have good health, we have the ability to get out and live our lives,” Cissell said. “It’s important of to encourage people to get out there and do some exercise and enjoy the beautiful park.”
Cissell said another benefit to the center is the location.
“It’s right by the walking path so people can come out to Sedgwick County Park for a nice walk and then hit the resistance equipment,” Cissell said.
Cissell thanked Sedgwick County Park staff for their help on the project.
“They’ve been great to work with,” Cissell said. “They’re advising us on the space and the best location.”
The equipment is expected to be installed by the end of September. Cissell hopes that the department will be able to host a couple classes at the center provided by its wellness coordinator.
“We hope to also have some signage that might encourage people to try different types of exercise or maybe help them identify how to use the equipment correctly and to benefit them most,” Cissell said.
Cissell also said that the department plans to have its annual Wellness in the Park program in the shelter next to the center and have activities using the exercise equipment during the event.
Though the department’s focus is on older adults and people with disabilities, individuals of all ages are invited to use the equipment.
“We want it to be a nice opportunity…maybe for grandparents to take their grandchildren to the park and they can do a little exercise too, while they’re there, hit the picnic table and enjoy some lunch and make a fun time out of it,” Cissell said.
Jacinda Hall, a recent graduate of Wichita State University, was a summer intern with the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.
