FitLot is a New Orleans-based, national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities find the resources they need to plan, build, and activate outdoor fitness parks. Founded in 2013, FitLot’s vision is for every American to have access to a cost-free public exercise space within walking distance of their homes.
The Challenge
Americans suffer from more lifestyle-related, preventable illnesses than any other country in the developed world.
Unfortunately, the communities suffering the most often have the least resources to improve health outcomes and create fitness opportunities.
FitLot exists to help bridge that gap.
If the benefits of exercise could be packaged into a pill, it would be considered the most powerful miracle drug ever created.
No other medication can simultaneously:
Prevent & Treat Chronic Diseases – Reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers.
Boost Mental Health – Lowering anxiety, depression, and stress while improving cognitive function.
Enhance Longevity – Extending lifespan and improving quality of life.
Strengthen the Body – Increasing muscle mass, bone density, and cardiovascular endurance.
Improve Immune Function – Making the body more resilient against illness.
Unlike most medications, exercise has no harmful side effects (when done safely) and benefits nearly every system in the body. If Big Pharma could bottle it, it would be the most prescribed and profitable drug in history!
Outdoor Fitness Parks Are A Solution
Each FitLot is a community space for people to get active, connect with neighbors, and proactively care for their health. The FitLot model is an innovative response to the challenges of lifestyle-related health issues, ever-growing public health disparities, and inequitable access to quality fitness equipment and instruction.
FitLot’s Impact To Date
Updated April 2025
57
TOTAL FITLOT OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS
FUNDED, DONATED & CONSTRUCTED
92
OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS CURRENTLY ACTIVATED
WITH FITLOT’S PROGRAM AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
$10,863,186
RAISED TO SUPPORT THE CREATION
AND ACTIVATION OF PUBLIC OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS
4,200
NO-COST COMMUNITY FITLOT CLASSES
HELD NATIONWIDE
(10/1/2020 -1/1/2025)
20,680
NO-COST COMMUNITY FITLOT CLASS PARTICIPANTS
570
LOCAL FITNESS PROFESSIONALS
TRAINED AS FITLOT NEIGHBORHOOD COACHES
1,075
COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS SUPPORTED
WITH FITLOT’S PARK PLANNING GUIDE
570,000 lbs
OF RECYCLED TIRE RUBBER
KEPT OUT OF LANDFILLS
83,220 Sq Ft
OF PUBLIC OUTDOOR FITNESS PARK
SPACE CREATED
FitLot Has Organized the Donation, Construction and Activation of Outdoor Fitness Parks in all 50 States the USVI, PR and DC.
Click below to find your closest FitLot or to learn more about a particular project.
Praise for “The FitLot Method”
12-week training program
“My mobility has improved more than 50% since I started. About a month ago I’d have to get in a grocery store cart to do my shopping. The progress I’m making is life changing.”
Our Plan for a Greater New Orleans Network of Outdoor Fitness Parks
FitLot is raising the support needed to plan, build, and program a network of outdoor fitness parks that will create equitable access to outdoor fitness spaces and instruction for more New Orleanians.
The map below features at least one potentially ideal location for a FitLot in each Council District.
Existing green spaces have been identified by the Councilmembers of those Districts as being an impactful location for the addition of an outdoor community fitness park.
While this is one possible framework of a Greater New Orleans network, the final site selection work will be collaborative and community-driven.
Explore the Network Map
On the map below, click the icon in the upper left corner to view the list of potential FitLot park locations in Orleans (blue) and Jefferson (yellow). Current FitLot parks (red) are included along with existing non-FitLot outdoor fitness parks (green). Click on a marker to view details of the park, including approximate number of residents served within a 10-minute walk.
THE WHY – BY THE NUMBERS
25-30 Year – Life Expectancy Difference
Residents in the Treme neighborhood live 25-30 years less than people in neighborhoods only two miles away.
31-42% of adults are obese
In the GNO Area, 31-42% of adults are obese, increasing the risk for leading causes of death, including heart attack, stroke, and different types of cancers.
24-34% of adults lack physical activity
In the Greater New Orleans area 24-34% of adults lack physical activity.
2.5%
1.26 Million people live in the New Orleans, Metairie Metro Area and only 2.5% live within walking distance of an outdoor fitness space.
To learn more about the health of the Greater New Orleans Area please view the resources below:
- New Orleans Health Department’s Community Health Improvement Plan For 2022-2025
- City Health Dashboard; Data from PLACES Project, Centers for Disease Control, 2019
- PLACES, Local Data for Better Health, CDC
- 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment by LCMC & Ochsner
- American College of Sports Medicine’s National Fitness Index Ranking/Report for New Orleans (#46 of 100 Largest US Cities)
- Louisiana Department of Health – State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
Maps & Stats
What is a FitLot?
Here are the equipment details.
The FitLot offers a purposeful combination of equipment elements that provides a fully functional community fitness space for the widest range of ages and abilities.
Each FitLot is similar in size to a playground – is shaded and safety-surfaced, and contains both static and moveable fitness equipment for strength, cardio, balance, and flexibility training. The equipment is made with powder coated steel and made to last outdoors with minimal to no maintenance needed.
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1
Learn how to use your FitLot
The Welcome Sign features a library of movements you can do with FitKit resistance bands.
2
Integrated Design
The fitness equipment of the park is integrated directly into the shade structure, creating a continuous circuit to follow.
3
Scan the QR Codes for 30 second instructional videos.
Each piece of equipment has an instructional sign with QR Code. Scan the QR code to visit our Library of Movements and watch a 30 second instructional video on how to use that piece of equipment.
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Adjustable resistance dials allow users to increase or decrease the difficulty.
The Elliptical, Stair Stepper, Chest Press and Hand Cycle have a resistance dial. Turn the dial right to turn up the resistance, turn the dial to the left to turn down the resistance.
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10,000 lbs of recycled tire rubber forms a fun & safe surface to exercise on.
1,400 SQFT of 3” poured in place rubber surfacing meets ASTM safety standards and creates a fun and safe surface to exercise on. Each FitLot repurposes 10,000 lbs of recycled tire rubber, keeping that material out of landfills.
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32 attachment sites for FitKit Resistance Bands.
These resistance bands can be used at ankle, waist and shoulder heights so that park users can add dozens of additional exercise options to their workouts. Buy the FitKit here.
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Moveable Elements replicate the benefits of indoor fitness equipment.
Moveable Strength and Cardio Training Elements replicate the benefits of several pieces of commonly found indoor fitness equipment and makes them available for outdoor use.
Activating Each Park
Programming
Creating opportunities for community members to learn how to use their FitLot is critical to our mission. We strive to see every FitLot activated with free community fitness programs.
The FitLot Method Circuit Training Program leverages the park as a whole and includes an activation platform featuring instructional exercise videos, circuit training planning guides, and training programs for local fitness professionals to become FitLot Neighborhood Coaches and run no cost classes for the community.
Professional Installation
FitLot works with a team of certified installers who manage construction and installation and also assist with long term maintenance. Each park takes about 3 weeks to build.
The GNO Network of FitLots could be built in a matter of months, or the parks could be strategically rolled out over a longer period of time as a one or two-year impact initiative.
Want more details?
Sponsorship Benefits
Sponsoring a FitLot Outdoor Fitness Park makes a statement that you are truly dedicated to the long term health of the community you serve. People will interact with these public spaces multiple times a week to improve their health and quality of life for the next 20 years.
Logo Recognition and Custom Colors
The welcome sign, safety surfacing, and shade canopy all provide opportunities for sponsor recognition and logo placements.
In addition, park equipment can feature a custom color palette to match the branding of the sponsor.
Public Relations
Over the past decade, FitLot park projects have earned 700 media placements, an average of 12 per park, without spending a dollar on paid PR. That coverage reached outlets with a combined monthly audience of more than 1.8 billion, including USA Today, the Associated Press, ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News, and generated 23,700 shares, likes, and comments from readers which helped us highlight and celebrate partnerships with cities, parks departments, health systems, and community organizations.
This level of earned media reflects strong editorial trust and ongoing public interest in FitLot’s mission.
Media coverage typically accompanies FitLot park installations and ongoing programming, helping normalize outdoor fitness infrastructure as a public health intervention at the community level while also reinforcing FitLot’s position as a national supporter of outdoor fitness parks and programs.
FitLot also maintains an active social presence across major platforms, reinforcing park installations and community programming through instructional content and partner recognition.
FitLot social content has generated tens of thousands of interactions over time, primarily driven by instructional and community-based posts.
700
Earned Media Mentions.
Featuring FitLot Parks and Programs in News, TV, and Magazines including verified national and local syndications.
12
Earned Media Mentions on Average
Per FitLot Organized Park
23,700
Documented Audience Engagements of Articles.
Shares, likes and comments.
People don’t just see FitLot stories — they interact with them.
1,856,129,653 UVM
Coverage appeared in media outlets with a combined monthly audience exceeding 1.8 billion.
(Data based on outlet-reported unique monthly visitors.)
*PR people apparently understand what this means… we were told this is a good thing.
Priority Parks and Featured Projects
Please consider supporting one of the following community projects.
- Morris FX Jeff Sr. Park – New Orleans, LA
- Rising Oaks New Orleans Area Habitat For Humanity – Terrytown, LA
- Bastion Community Of Resilience – New Orleans, LA
- Oliver Bush Playground – New Orleans East, LA
- Harold Gene Devore Playground – Algiers New Orleans, LA
- Oakdale Playground – Gretna, LA
- Woodland West Recreational Park – Harvey, LA
- Harold McDonald Sr. Park – Westwego, LA
Community Support
As we continue garnering support from community partners and elected leaders in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish, we look forward to discussing this initiative with you.
Larry Barabino, Jr – CEO, New Orleans Recreation Development Commission
Helena Moreno – NO Councilmember At-Large
Joe Giarrusso – NO Councilmember District A
Jay Banks – NO Councilmember, District B
Freddie King III – NO Councilmember, District C
Jared Brosssett – NO Councilmember, District D
Cyndi Nguyen, NO Councilmember District E
Mario Bazile – Director, Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation Department
Scott Walker – Jefferson Parish Council Chairman
Marion Edwards – JP Councilmember District 1
Deano Bonano – JP Councilmember District 2
Jennifer Van Vrancken – JP Councilmember, District 5
Kelsey Foster – Executive Director Algiers Economic Development Foundation
Gordon Wage – President and CEO, YMCA of Greater New Orleans
Sarah Babcock, MPH – CAA for Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng
Coretta LaGarde – Executive Director of American Heart Association Louisiana
Debora Campbell – Chairperson for A Community Voice – Lower 9th Ward
Ashlei Morrison – Director of Arts, Parks and Recreation – Plaquemines Parish Government
Our development goal for the GNO FitLot Network is $3,000,000, an amount that builds a community legacy for at least 15-20 years.
Join our team of FitLot Network Partners
For Questions or Inquiries Please Contact:
Adam Mejerson
Founder & Executive Director of FitLot, Inc.
4035 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70125
Adam@fitlot.org | (504)264-1568
