THPRD Debuts Eight Outdoor Fitness Stations at Vista Brook Park

As a Park Maintenance supervisor for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, Mike Cero often notices park visitors using any apparatus they can find – soccer goals, park benches, play equipment and more – to assist their individual workout regimen.

“Push-ups, pull-ups, box jumps...” he said, listing just a few of the exercises he sees people doing. He recognized a need for outdoor fitness facilities that park visitors could use, while saving wear and tear on THPRD equipment designed for other purposes.

He proposed a business plan to provide free outdoor fitness stations at THPRD’s Vista Brook Park in southeast Beaverton, and it was approved through the park district’s annual budgeting process.

As a result, eight fitness machines have been installed around the park’s open lawn area. They include a rowing machine, squat press, pull-up/dip bar, leg press, chest press/pull, sit up board, back extension, and ADA-accessible, four-station multigym.

THPRD has a single fitness apparatus outside its Elsie Stuhr Center near downtown Beaverton. But Vista Brook Park offers the first outdoor circuit of fitness machines in the district’s 50-square-mile service area of greater Beaverton.

Providing outdoor fitness equipment helps community members achieve greater health and wellness while connecting to nature and parks, and Cero hopes the Vista Brook installation will become a model for other THPRD parks to follow.

“It’s a pilot program, and we hope it plays out well,” he said. “The feedback we’ve gotten has been positive, people are excited. Now, we’ll track usage, gather feedback and hopefully bring more opportunities like this to the district.”

About THPRD
Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning 50 square miles and serving about 240,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Offerings include thousands of widely diverse classes, 95 park sites with active recreational amenities, nearly 70 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and about 1,500 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503-645-6433.