The new Fitness Zone consists of a cluster of nine fitness stations with strength training and cardio exercise equipment to give residents an opportunity to exercise where they would not normally be able to do so. The nine stations include a "Leg Press," a "Chest Press," a "Lat Pull Down," a "Vertical Press," a "Cross Country Ski," a "Pendulum Abs," a sit-ups bench, two horizontal bars and an elliptical trainer. Nearby benches will provide visitors with a shady place to sit and rest after their workout. The 4-acre Marva Y. Bannerman Park also contains a lighted basketball court and two lighted tennis courts.

Funding for the Fitness Zone was provided by the Trust for Public Land in partnership with CBS EcoMedia and United Healthcare, and the Miami-Dade County Parks General Fund. The cost for this new development was $99,000.

Marva Bannerman Park is located at 4830 NW 24 Ave., Miami. For directions and information about activities and programs at Marva Y. Bannerman Park, visit www.miamidade.gov/parksor call 305-633-4064.

"I am delighted to see such strong community partners, as CBS EcoMedia and United Healthcare, collaborating with Miami-Dade County Parks and The Trust for Public Land in this endeavor to help create a healthier Miami-Dade County," said Mayor Gimenez.  "Public-private partnerships like this one are what help us to make an immediate positive impact in the community."

"This new Fitness Zones will help neighbors become more active through exercise, so they can stem off heart disease, obesity and other ailments that threaten their health," said Commissioner Edmonson.  "I encourage everyone to take advantage of these new exercise opportunities that are available to them at their neighborhood park."

"These unique park spaces invite residents to reap the benefits of good health as they "Live A Parklife," which embodies an active lifestyle filled with fun, outdoor recreation and sports activities," said Miami-Dade County Parks Director Jack Kardys. "Kids to seniors alike will enjoy the ease and convenience of having a fee free outdoor gym, just steps away from their homes." 

This marks the ninth Fitness Zone installation for Miami-Dade County Parks.  Other Miami-Dade County parks with Fitness Zones: Gwen Cherry Park, West Perrine Park, AD Barnes Park, Jefferson Reeves Park, South Dade Park, Oak Grove Park, Leisure Lakes Park, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

Future Fitness Zone installations are planned for Olinda Park, Tree Island Park, Haulover Park, Sierra Park, Deerwood Bonita Lakes Park, Goulds Park, and *Gratigny Plateau Park (*a Miami-Dade County park currently under development.)

Miami-Dade County Fitness Zones are further complemented by other fitness oriented amenities located at its parks throughout the County, including vita courses, which are exercise trails with fitness/exercise elements along a pathway that can also be used for walking, running or skating.   

Miami-Dade Parks' "Partnerships for Fitness" program also includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a partner.  Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) is a locally driven CDC initiative supporting 50 communities, including Miami-Dade County, to promote physical activity and tackle obesity-a leading preventable cause of death and disability in the United States.  CPPW has also assisted with funding for Fitness Zones at A.D. Barnes Park, Gwen Cherry Park, Jefferson Reaves Sr. Park, and South Dade Park.

About The Trust for Public Land
Founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land is the leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people, operating from more than 30 offices nationwide. The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness and helped generate more than 34 billion in public funds for conservation.  Nearly 10 million people live within a 10 minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these site every year.  Learn more about The Trust for Public Land at www.tpl.org.

About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,848 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.

Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.parksfoundationofmiami-dade.com.

To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-755-7848.