Community workouts at high school tracks

Communities can get schooled in fitness by using district facilities

“The really important part of this opportunity is to get out early and get moving.” — Richard Marchini, Owen J. Roberts High School principal “You can just come and walk. You can come and run. People like working out with other people.” — Richard Marchini, Owen J. Roberts High School principal

S chool grounds are no longer just for students and staff but are often open to the community for fitness opportunities.

Many school districts are providing their residents with a place to exercise and usually for free. People may have access to their neighborhood schools’ playground fitness equipment, track, courts and more. Some districts even go one step further by proving the community with an organized workout.

Richard Marchini, Owen J. Roberts High School principal, recently started a weekly free activity called Wellness Wednesdays. Announcements were sent out to Owen J. Roberts School District K through 12 families and staff inviting them to participate. For the next six weeks, Marchini will open the high school track from 6 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. for anyone that wants to join the morning exercises.

“People can do whatever they want to but we do have some posted workouts for them if they’re interested,” he said.

The school district’s physical education department provided workout plans that are posted online. There are exercises for all abilities from beginners to advance. Marchini said people can choose to do something as simple as a progress walk and run or something a bit more challenging like circuit exercise. A workout plan titled “serious” involves lunges, bear crawls and laps around the track.

“For a solid 45 minutes, you’re doing lower body and running exercises,” Marchini said.

Marchini said every year he tries to put something in place at the high school that allows the community to have access to exercise facilities. He thought it was a good idea to open the track to the community since there’s been such nice weather lately.

“The really important part of this opportunity is to get out early and get moving,” he said.

There have been two weeks so far of the Wellness Wednesday workout and Marchini said he’s heard nothing but positive responses. About 50 people came out the first week. Parents like having the ability to bring their children and workout together, Marchini said. He said another reason people enjoy the opportunity is because it’s not a gym and people can do whatever fitness activity they feel comfortable doing.

“You can just come and walk. You can come and run. People like working out with other people,” he said. “I just think it’s fun.”

Owen J. Roberts is certainly not the only school district that allows their community to use facilities for fitness. The Boyertown Area Senior High School Track is open to the community from dawn to dusk including weekends.

Several people use the track as part of walking groups. The Wellness Council of Boyertown organizes a senior bingo walking program on the track during warmer months. Seniors along with their children, grandchildren and caregivers are invited to walk the high school track while playing bingo. For each half lap completed around the track, participants get 10 bingo numbers pulled to mark their cards.

Several other school districts in the area open their facilities to the community. There are some rules of course. Often, the facilities are only open to people that live within the school district. Also the grounds may not be open for community use during school hours or when there’s a school activity like a football game. A key might be needed to open the facility or sometimes there’s an area such as a track that stays open. Every school district is different but residents can find out more by contacting the administration building.

SUBMITTED PHOTO — OWEN J. ROBERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT About 50 people came out to the first of weekly Wellness Wednesday workouts at the Owen J. Roberts High School track. The weekly exercise opportunity is open to students, parents, staff and community members.

DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA FILE PHOTO Kids race from the start line during a 200-meter dash for The Hill School community track night. Children ages 2 to 14 competed in different distance runs and other track events such as the softball throw and long jump.

MICHILEA PATTERSON — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA A young girl and an adult high five one another after completing an exercise routine during a Wellness Wednesday workout. The weekly workout is open to the community and located at the Owen J. Roberts High School football stadium.

MICHILEA PATTERSON — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Rich Marchini, Owen J. Roberts High School principal, does burpees during a Wellness Wednesday workout at the track. The weekly exercise opportunity is open to staff, students and community members.

DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA FILE PHOTO Kelly Mourar (left) and her friend Nancy Kapp enjoy a warm afternoon walking around the track at Boyertown HS while the toddler that Kapp babysits takes a nap.

OWEN J. ROBERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT The Owen J. Roberts School district invites students and their families to use the high school track for exercise activities. There is a Wellness Wednesday workout at the track from 6 a.m. to 6:45 a.m.