Garfield park to get new exercise equipment

A new piece of outdoor exercise equipment, called a ski walker, is expected to be installed soon at the Garfield City Park. Garfield Community Association (GCA) bought the walker for $819. It is the first in a series of outdoor equipment the group hopes to buy over the next few years. The pieces will be placed along the park’s walking path for public use.

Joggers and walkers now use the walking path that skirts the outer edges of the city park. Forrest Miller, GCA member, said the path has a fairly high rate of use, even in the winter time.

“A lot of people walk the park in the winter. It will work when it’s cold or when it’s warm. You just have to be dressed appropriately,” he said.

Garfield resident Kelly Conklin walks her two dogs three or four times a week on the path.

“I walk both my labs... It ends up being about a mile,” she said.

Conklin was enthusiastic on hearing about the incoming piece of equipment, saying she was interested in seeing it and trying it out.

“It’s like a free fitness center,” she said.

When asked what other types of equipment she’d like to see in the park, Conklin said an obstacle course would be fun for both children and adults.

“You crawl under things and over stuff -you crawl through things. That would be kind of fun,” she said.

She added it would be nice to have a starting point and markers along the path so people could know the distance they have traveled as they make laps.

GCA came up with the money for the equipment through a series of community fund-raisers. Miller said they will buy equipment as they raise enough money. For the next piece of equipment, they’d like to hear ideas from Garfield residents.

The ski walker works much like a tread mill, except the operator simply swings their legs on sliding, plastic swings which move straight forward and back in a cross country ski mode.

Garfield city staff will install the machine. Once the equipment is installed it will become city property and be maintained by the city, Miller said.