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Fitness in the Square resumes in August: Program takes place each Thursday
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
Frisco residents looking to stay healthy are now able to enjoy a great weekly exercise program once again. The city of Frisco's Fitness in the Square program is resuming this month after taking July off for a summer vacation period.
Fitness in the Square returns to Frisco Square each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in August; the program's first day back is tomorrow, Aug. 2. The program, created in November by Mayor Maher Maso, City Manager George Purefoy and City Councilman Bob Allen, aims to get Frisco residents out and about with fun activities, Maso said.
"Basically, it's a way to bring families out and get them exposed to fitness in the center of our community," the mayor said. "We all [Purefoy, Allen and myself] were thinking of starting something along the same lines and it was a perfect fit for our Be Fit Frisco effort."
"We have an opportunity to build fitness and good life choices into our community," he said. "As we design a community for sustainability we also design it for families to be able to come outdoors and figure out ways to be fit."
Maso stressed that Be Fit Frisco isn't a program, but rather a "long-term part of what Frisco will be." The initiative will be built into various programs and opportunities in the city beyond the Fitness in the Square program.
Allen echoed Maso's sentiments and said he hopes Fitness in the Square will also help people in the community get to know one another.
"I think it's a great community opportunity -- I've participated in it myself," he said. "I was involved for the first month and a half [of the program] but had to focus on my campaign after that, but I look forward to rejoining it again. ... It's a great way for families to get out and get moving, and it's a great way for people in the community to go out and meet new friends."
The councilman said the idea for Fitness in the Square was created after visiting a conference in Houston, where he, Maso and Purefoy saw a similar program in action and thought it'd be a great fit for Maso's Be Fit Frisco initiative.
Fitness in the Square features numerous training regimes to keep participants interested and coming back, such as Zumba and kickboxing. The program rotates activities on a month-by-month basis to keep things fresh for participants.
"The important thing is it's really designed for all levels, whether you're a 12-year-old beginner or somebody that's experienced," Maso explained. "We want to have something for everyone."
Maso emphasized the fact that Frisco is only half built-out and that programs like Fitness in the Square will only help the community grow by creating attractive options for residents while also promoting fitness in the city.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in the United States have increased substantially over the last three decades. Nearly 36 percent of all U.S. adults are obese, and approximately 17 percent of all American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese. Texas is one of just 12 states with an adult obesity rate of more than 30 percent of its population.
These statistics were part of the reason Maso started Be Fit Frisco; he hopes the city will buck the obesity trend throughout the state and country with the initiative.
"Childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and we have an opportunity to help our citizens with the tools they need to make better lifestyle choices," Maso said. "We're really kind of kicking things off. The important thing to know is this is going to be a long-term effort."
Be Fit Frisco isn't just an initiative Maso's touting for other Frisco residents -- it's something he's actively involved in. The mayor takes part in most of the initiative's programs, including Fitness in the Square, and has also begun living a healthier lifestyle like the initiative promotes.
"I'm healthier thanks to [the initiative]. Like everyone else, I have to think about the things I do and make good decisions," Maso said. "Hopefully with some time [Be Fit Frisco] will start to make a big difference in the community. It's going to be something that we want to be engrained in our community."
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