Overview

Fresh Air Fitness was contracted by Kensington & Chelsea Borough Council to install a new accessible outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park.

Background

Sitting at the heart of the community, the park provides a green, fresh, healthy space for city dwellers to reap the health and wellbeing benefits of the outdoors. The Council already understood the huge benefits of outdoor gym equipment for communities, and after a rigorous tender process chose to partner with Fresh Air Fitness for this exceptional project.

Open spaces and green parks bring cohesion to local communities, boosting mental and physical wellbeing by providing space to exercise in the outdoors. As part of the Council's continued commitment to improve its parks and open spaces, and having seen the enormous success of the outdoor gym at its Kensington Memorial Park, the Council proposed to install a new outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park.

Hammersmith and Fulham residents were at the heart of the strategy and with extensive consultation including a dedicated website, locals agreed an outdoor gym facility would benefit the community.

A little-utilised patch of barren land was identified as a suitable site for transforming into an outdoor fitness zone with multiple pieces of innovative outdoor gym equipment. Fresh Air Fitness won the tender.

Challenge

The outdoor gym needed to meet the diverse needs of the local population. The equipment had to be suitable for beginners to advanced levels of fitness and a wide potential age range. It was critical that pieces were simple to use and that exercise suggestions were available.

Inclusivity and accessibility was important when selecting each piece of outdoor gym equipment.

Due to the natural and green nature of the park, a neutral colourway and design would be central to the finished product, to blend seamlessly with its surroundings and create a space to switch off and escape from the hustle and busy of city life.

Solution

Fresh Air Fitness's innovative outdoor gym included 22 user stations with the following pieces:

  • Accessible Combi: Pull Down and Chest Press (2 users)

  • Resistance bench press

  • Surface graphics of an agility ladder

  • 3x Plyo boxes

  • Hip twister (3 users)

  • Cross trainer

  • Recumbent bike

  • Rower

  • Leg press (2 users)

  • Surface graphics of lunge circle for body weight exercise

  • Accessible arm and pedal bike

  • Training Rig with accessible parallel bars

Wetpour surfacing was selected - a safe, durable and permeable option that allows the site to be accessible to all, and available year-round.