Rowing machines in parks to battle the bulge

CYCLING and rowing machines are being installed in public parks to help people fight the flab.

Exercise machines and balancing beams will also be installed in the parks as part of the fight against obesity and heart disease.

NHS North Staffordshire is spending £120,000 on the keep-fit schemes at Bathpool Park, in Kidsgrove, and Lyme Valley Parkway, in Newcastle.

Other changes include improving walking routes at the parks and building an allotment at Lyme Valley.

Councillor Mary Maxfield, portfolio holder for culture and active communities on Newcastle Borough Council, said: "There are concerns about obesity levels and heart problems in North Staffordshire.

"Using outdoor gym equipment is an exciting project and I can't think of any like it in the area.

"People can be put off going to the gym because of the cost and access to facilities, but this equipment will be free to use by people of all ages, whenever they feel like it."

The exercise equipment will cost taxpayers £20,000 and signs will be put up telling them how to use it.

Jackie Small, head of Health Improvement at NHS North Staffordshire, said: "A recent survey found less than one in four adults in Newcastle participate in physical activity and sport.

"Gentle outdoor exercise such as walking can significantly improve health and also prevent and treat long-term health conditions."

Now the council is holding a month-long consultation to determine the details of the equipment.

Fitness instructor Hannah Crighton, from Newcastle, said: "It's a great idea because if people can't afford gym memberships, or to buy their own equipment, they can use what is on offer at the park.

"I've heard of this kind of thing in countries like America but never around here."

The Lyme Valley allotment will be run with the Friends of Lyme Valley Parkway group.

Group chairman Elizabeth Shenton said: "We have been trying to organise funding for an allotment for sometime and it will be a fantastic addition."