
Outdoor fitness parks can play an important role in improving the overall health of a community. Access to well-designed parks and fitness spaces within a 10-minute walk of one’s home not only benefits a person’s physical and mental health but strengthens bonds between neighbors and across communities.
FitLot’s mission is to create stronger, healthier, and move active communities. We believe fitness parks can help address inequitable access to fitness opportunities that ultimately leads to health disparities.
Below, find helpful links to support you in your community health evaluation and park planning process. When you’re ready, download the Plan Your FitLot Guide and get started.
Livability and Health Equity
The Healthy People 2020 report discusses ways to foster social and physical environments that promote good health for all. Here are additional resources on wellness and livability factors in our communities:
- The AARP Livability Index helps to assess walkability and lifestyle-related diseases.
- The American Fitness Index was updated for 2020 and features city-level data
- The 500 Cities Project provides “city- and census tract-level small area estimates for chronic disease risk factors, health outcomes, and clinical preventive service use…”
From The Data Center:
“Health equity is the attainment of the highest level of health and well-being for all people. It requires efforts to ensure all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to lead healthy lives.
Conversely, health disparities are avoidable differences in health that are the result of unequal distributions of social, economic, and environmental factors.
Examples include wealth, income, safe housing, quality education and quality health care – all of which influence health from an early age.”
Relevant Articles
Research on the Benefits of Outdoor Fitness Parks
Research on outdoor fitness parks is new and has room for growth but initial findings are promising. Click below to view a recap of existing research regarding the benefits of outdoor fitness parks.