If any of you follow me on Snapchat [@taylorwalkerfit] then you may have seen the fun family fitness day I shared with my mom last week! She has a great park right near her new home and not only did we walk/jog the mile around it, but we took the time to stop at the equipment park to work on our strength training skill-set. It was so refreshing to see people really taking time to enjoy the gorgeous 75-degree day with family and friends by moving and grooving free of charge! The equipment was not only fun to use, but it offered diverse exercises that utilized our own body weight to move the machinery. While utilizing the equipment I truly felt the way I do in my barre classes. It may take a little more time to feel the burn, but the low weight/high-rep method truly does the trick!
This past week I stopped by the grand opening of the new Fitness Zone at Tropical Park in Miami; the Fitness Zone is part of an ongoing collaboration with the Miami-Dade Park Recreation and Open Spaces Department ongoing collaboration with The Trust for Public Land Fitness Zone® program, and this particular one was sponsored by TD Bank. When I first pulled up it was exciting to see families of all different ages and backgrounds in their bright spandex, eager to try out the new equipment. There was everything from a chest press machine to a partner leg press and everything in between; enough for a full body workout that was anything but ‘a walk in the park’. The best part about the Fitness Zone was that all the equipment was shaded under an amazingly breathtaking tree. It looked like something straight out of Animal Kingdom or ‘The Lion King’. When I walked up to the new Fitness Zone not only was I impressed by the green space, but I also felt that this was an extremely welcoming space that will only invigorate the community that surrounds Tropical Park.
TD Bank has partnered with Trust for Public Land and the Parks Department to construct a handful of these free Fitness Zones in Miami-Dade County, giving residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy local parks by getting healthy! When I first started this blog, many of you know that I was a home fitness junkie ONLY, and I would have given anything to have a park like this in my neighborhood! In Miami we have the luxury of working out outside Every. Single. Day. 365 days a year; a rarity in almost every other state in America. What I loved most about this Fitness Zone is that not only does it support the health of residents with free exercise equipment, but it also supports the health of the local environment by providing an increased urban tree canopy and native plants to help cool and clean the air. Remember that gorgeous tree I was talking about earlier? Introducing form, function and freshness at its finest!
When I first agreed to cover the unveiling event I did not realize what an impact TD has had on the environment. We have all seen TD Bank grow over the years, their witty commercials, locations popping up on every corner, but they are so much more than a bank! Did you know that TD Bank is dedicated to supporting the environment? The bank incorporates the environment into everything they do, including their community events, LEED-certified buildings and local environment partnerships like the one here in Miami with Trust for Public Land.
If you happen to live in the Miami area head over to Tropical Park at:
7900 SW 40th Street, Miami, FL 33155. Bring your families and enjoy making family fitness memories thanks to TD Bank!
