New gym to promote healthier living

It is hoped the new seven-piece outdoor gym at Belmont Park in Starbeck will help alter a worrying trend in the area which has seen residents’ health fall behind the rest of the Harrogate district, where life expectancy is traditionally very high.

The health problems in Starbeck are particularly prevalent among males, with a lack of regular exercise often seen as a crucial factor.

The new £3,000 gym would be free for all residents to use and if it is not proving popular after four years, Harrogate Council says it will arrange for the equipment to be taken away and donated to a Ministry of Defence rehabilitation centre.

The proposals for the new gym are expected to agreed by the council next week.

Research by the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust shows Harrogate is far below the national average for the number of residents who smoke, fail to take exercise and have poor diets, but adds there are pockets of poor health.