Outdoor fitness equipment donated to Horizon’s Earth Heart Park

Visitors to Horizon’s Earth Heart Park can now stay fit by using outdoor fitness equipment installed in the park thanks to a capital grant from Arizona Complete Health.

The donation provided funding for an outdoor motion and fitness playground geared toward children, according to a release.

Earth Heart Park is a community garden area on the campus of Horizon Health and Wellness, 625 N. Plaza Drive in Apache Junction.

The park was designed to bring the community together in a special place where young and old can experience the joy and wonder of gardening, while appreciating the unique desert plants and trees. The 4-acre park and community garden is a place to promote health and wellness for the community, the release states.

The equipment — step ups, handhold leg lift, sit up/push up bench, jump touch, parallel bars and curved balance beam — is available and spread throughout the park.

“The generous donation of this outdoor fitness equipment from Arizona Complete Health will be a welcome addition to the park for all those seeking a healthier lifestyle,” Laura Larson-Huffaker, CEO of Horizon Health and Wellness, said in the release. “This is just one of our many endeavors to fulfill our mission of improving the health and wellness for the communities we serve.”

Earth Heart Park visitors can now enjoy the serenity and peacefulness of the park, while their children can have fun and benefit from exercising on the new outdoor equipment. Research shows that exercising outdoors has many benefits. People with access to green environments exhibit better well-being and functioning scores in social, physical, and psychological domains, the release states.

“Earth Heart Park is exactly the type of project aligned with our mission of transforming the health of the community, one person at a time,” Martha Smith, Arizona Complete Health president, said in the release. “We are honored to be able to add outdoor fitness equipment to compliment the community garden area on the campus of Horizon Health and Wellness. This way, we can raise awareness of the importance of exercise and proper nutrition while providing a safe place to bring the community together.”

About Horizon Health and Wellness

Horizon Health and Wellness is a nonprofit integrated health care provider licensed in Arizona and accredited through the Joint Commission to deliver an array of inpatient, outpatient and residential services for all ages and stages of life. Horizon offers comprehensive health care services that include family medicine, emotional and behavioral health, addiction treatment, telehealth and more. For more information, call 833-431-4449 or go to hhwaz.org.