Madison Heights prioritizes community health and wellness with the addition of a Priority Health Fitness Court
(Detroit, Mich. – Jun. 4, 2021) Priority Health and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) are pleased to announce the launch of an outdoor Priority Health Fitness Court® at Huffman Park in Madison Heights. The Fitness Court will officially be unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, June 11 at 10 a.m. An additional community event is planned in the evening at 5:30 p.m. for the community. This launch is a result of the partnership between Priority Health and NFC to expand free access to high quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state.
The new Fitness Court® at Huffman Park is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels. New users can also download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App is available for iOS and Android.
Madison Heights is the first outdoor court in a series of 15-20 Priority Health Fitness Courts that will be constructed in easily accessible public spaces through 2022. NFC's award-winning initiative is now supporting more than 150 cities across America, including cities in Michigan such as Brownstown, Roseville, Garden City, Big Rapids and Saginaw. This project at Huffman Park would not be possible without the generosity of sponsors Itailia Construction, Dilisio Contracting, Sunde Building, Nowak & Fraus Engineers, and International Outdoor.
Madison Heights City Manager Melissa Marsh was tipped off to the opportunity to partner with Priority Health and NFC by a Madison Heights resident, Stephanie Sawicki.
“I have a personal passion for fitness, and I am very excited to bring this program and equipment to the residents of Madison Heights,” said Marsh. “The unique part of this project is the community engagement aspect. National Fitness looks for ambassadors within the community to be trained to run free classes at the site. This helps to facilitate the growth of a healthy Madison Heights.”
NFC launched the pilot program in Michigan when Priority Health assisted with funding a Fitness Court on the campus of Oakland University in 2019.
“We are pleased to join Madison Heights and the National Fitness Campaign to officially launch the first Priority Health Fitness Court,” said Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health. “We believe all people deserve the opportunity to live a healthy life and that’s why we’re committed to supporting this partnership to reduce the barriers to free fitness and improve wellness for the neighbors of Madison Heights.”
National Fitness Campaign developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 150 active Fitness Court locations across the country, and the Campaign will reach a total of 250 cities and schools by the end of 2021.
For more information, visit The City of Madison Heights Facebook Page, or contact the City Manager’s Office at 248.583.0829.
About Priority Health:
With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.
About National Fitness Campaign:
National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a social enterprise – founded in San Francisco, California in 1979 – that specializes in funding, activating and promoting healthy infrastructure through partnerships with cities and schools. Now operating in over 150 cities, NFC's unique program delivers consulting services and an integrated wellness initiative to communities, centered on: The Fitness Court®. Our mission is to design healthy infrastructure for cities to improve the quality of life for people. Learn more about National Fitness Campaign and follow us on social @NatFitCampaign.