Sherwood’s Thornhill Park already boasted a man-made fishing pond stocked with catfish, bream and catch-and-release bass, a half-mile paved walking loop, a gazebo, picnic areas and a pool.
All of it is easily accessible to visitors and hundreds of city employees thanks to a pedestrian bridge that spans Kiehl Avenue.
Mayor Virginia Young wanted more—specifically an affordable-for-all, multifaceted fitness experience.
Enter the 2019 Fitness Trail Improvement Project, funded through the Sherwood city budget after several rounds of city council debate.
Sherwood decided to follow the lead of dozens of other communities across the nation, including Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas, and purchase six Greenfields Outdoor Fitness stations at a cost of $68,000.
Nothing wrong with a walk in the park—walking is the No. 1 fitness activity according to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan—but that option was already available to Sherwood residents.
An outdoor gym, free of charge, was not.
Now, users can improve their strength and flexibility while doing their cardio, and in time each of the six fitness stations will be under shade-providing awnings.
Each of the six stations includes a quick response code that can be scanned to enable videos detailing how to properly use the equipment.
There are six stations—two-man Tai Chi Spinners, two-man Lat Pull-down, two-man chest press, back extension/Plyometric Steps, and multi-level stretching station.
It all starts with the multi-person functional fitness rig that sits on a pound-in-place rubber foundation—featuring a lat pull-up bar, ball target, dip station, Bulgarian split squat, sit-up bench, S-shaped pull-up bar and ring rows.
The equipment uses bi-directional pistons, eliminating the risk of recoil and the threat of injury.
Quality of life in Sherwood has been positively impacted because of these trail improvements, with more flexibility for usage on the way once all six awnings are in place.
Thornhill Park, situated less than a block from a municipal complex that houses the mayor’s office, Sherwood Police Department and city hall office, can be busy. The idea, over time, is for regular users to learn when to schedule Individual and group workouts.
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