Lemon Park, located in fast-paced Orange County, CA, already boasted a playground, spray pool, basketball court, and more; it now has a slick new outdoor gym with 12 exercise units featuring adjustable resistance. Previously, planners hesitated to locate these gyms nearby playgrounds because of safety concerns. But thanks to an innovative design by Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, many of the hazards previously associated with outdoor fitness equipment have been virtually eliminated. The result is a gym that lets parents work out just steps away from where their kids play. A distinctive feature of the Lemon Park gym equipment is the bidirectional piston used to provide resistance. Even on its easiest setting, the piston involves no recoil hazard, but instead returns to its resting position in a slow, controlled manner. Beyond merely adding a layer of safety to the units, the adjustable piston also constitutes a deterrent with respect to young children: Upon attempting to use a unit with the resistance set too high for them to operate, they quickly lose interest and return to the playground. The mature, dark-green-and-black color scheme is also intentional – it’s designed to appeal less to kids then the bright hues of the adjacent play structure. Park project specialist Doug Pickard helped plan the Lemon Park gym, the third installed so far in the city of Fullerton. Others are located further for kids’ play areas, but so far, Pickard says, the approach at Lemon Park has proven successful. He’s observed that parents exercising as they supervise their children “has created a great synergy between the two areas and brought more families to the park.” Eleven of the twelve Greenfields units incorporate the specialized piston; the remaining unit, a sit-up bench, has no moving components. Together, they provide a wide variety of strengthening exercises for upper body, lower body, and core muscles; a stepper brings in a cardio element. “The community loves the outdoor gyms!” Pickard says. “They are in constant use from early morning until after dark, and we see a broad spectrum of users from the community using the equipment. As we continue to refurbish and upgrade our existing parks, one of the first improvements now requested by the community is the addition of outdoor exercise equipment.”