It's such a shame that these once plentiful calisthenics parks (also known as parcourse, from the same root as parkour) have all fallen into a state of disrepair. That is... for the ones that actually still exist. And people wonder why the youth obesity rate is now reaching epidemic proportions. There just aren't any places left for them to be active anymore. Fortunately, this one near us is still intact, but for how long, who knows...

Honestly, a lot of it also has to do with the advent of the gym chains. These parks were thriving well into the late 80's, and early 90's. I'm sure a lot of us remember fondly the fun times we had there with our parents as wee little lads. However, once the big fitness corporations came along, leading everyone to think that lifting weights is the only way to go for staying in shape, say good bye to these poor little parcourse facilities. Of course, we at First Cut Fitness are not anti-gym by any means, but we can all acknowledge their role in this rapid decline.

What is even more sad is that it's not just the calisthenics parks. The entire playgrounds seem to be deteriorating, as the budget for the recreational amenities has been severely cut back by the government. As a collective, we need to lobby with the higher ups to put an end to this. Picture this. What is going to cost more money? Maintaining the parks system and promoting to people of all ages the merits of staying active? Or the exorbitant cost of health care, welfare, and other social programs needed to care for those in less than ideal health?

These pictures below from the same park as above pretty much tell you how much the government cares about the play areas these days. To quote a former presidential candidate... time for a change!

Sorry little Billy! Why don't you go home, sit on your duff all day while stuffing your face with gobs of Oreo ice cream, and play some Mass Effect 3 on your X-Box instead? You are the future of America! We are counting on you!