Rovaniemi gets unique exercise park in Sept

Lappset Group Oy is setting up a park in Rovaniemi with exercise facilities for all age groups of people.

The construction work, started on July 17, is slated for completion on September 3, Lappset Group sources said. The park opens to public in the same month.

There will be outdoor sport and fitness equipment for people of all ages – for example, a large parkour area for children and teens, practice equipment of various disciplines like body weight training and street workout for adults, exercise facilities for the active-ageing citizens with specially designed equipment to fit their needs like training of balance, fine motor skills and muscle strength, said the sources.

“This site is going to be one of the largest outdoor exercise facilities of its kind in Finland with 700 square metres of space. The site is in the city centre, beside the football arena,” Lappset Group Communication Manager Irma Kuukasjarvi told the Daily Finland.

She said the park will present a unique solution and environment to conduct a great variety of physical exercises for all, from children to the elderly.

The sports park will also be available free of charge for everyone, whether a resident of the city or a tourist.

“Another specialty [of the park] is combining art and physical exercise facilities in the same area. There are going to be graffiti walls in the area for street art. To my knowledge, this is very unique, at least in Finland,” Kuukasjarvi added.

She hopes the residents of Rovaniemi will take this place as one of their preferred outdoor gyms and use it regularly to enhance their wellbeing through physical exercise as well as socialising with family and friends.

“I also hope that the site would encourage local tourism operators to develop activity-based tours and training camps for tourists visiting Rovaniemi. I would also love to see various training camps be organised on the site in the future,” she added.

The fitness equipment has been developed in collaboration with CrossFit World Champion 2009 Mikko Salo and Finland’s first CrossFit Kids instructor Anu Puonti, said Lappset’s Marketing Assistant Eveliina Salmivuori.

The products allow training in both high-intensity bodyweight as well as easier and more common movements, such as abs and back, she said.

“The park will include parkour, kids’ activity area, senior sport, fitness park, basketball, and graffiti wall,” Salmivuori told the Daily Finland.

The “senior sport” equipment strengthens the motor skills and manual dexterity of the elderly. They offer sensible forms of activity, which also enhances mental well-being, said Salmivuori.

“The park will serve a large crowd. It enables activity from street art to high intensity sports in one place. It truly invites people outdoors and allows users from all ages to enjoy the joy of outdoor activity,” she added.