PARKKRUN has gone down a storm with joggers in the town...now could park gym follow suit?

Six outdoor fitness areas have been installed in parks in St Helens in a bid to increase residents' activity levels and reduce obesity.

Funded by the Public Health Grant, the gyms include a number of resistance and cardiovascular type exercise equipment which are wheelchair-user friendly and accessible to anyone aged over 14.

The gyms, put in place as part of St Helens Council's healthy weight strategy 2014-2017, are located in Mesnes Park, Nanny Goat Park, Old Lane Park, Queens Park, Sherdley Park and Taylor Park.

Matt Davies, public health programmes officer for St Helens Council, who was part of the team behind bringing the gyms to St Helens, said: "Barriers such as time and money have an impact on a person's ability to practise a healthy and active lifestyle.

"Outdoor gyms offer the perfect solution to these barriers and are a fun way of promoting a family approach to being active as they can encourage parents who sit and watch their children play to have a go."

Senior councillors have been discussing whether to adopt the 'Declaration on Healthy Weight'.

The issue of obesity is described in council papers as a priority for the borough, where 67 per cent of the population is said to "have excess weight".

The papers add there are particular concerns over obesity in adults aged between 16 and 24 in the town, who have been identified as being almost twice as likely to be obese than regional peers.

Other areas of concern, it says, include women – who are more likely than men to be hospitalised due to obesity – as well as people with learning difficulties.

The report adds that obesity is a significant issue for children, with one in five children aged 10 to 11 being very overweight.