By Hector Flores
Despite the forecast of 80-degree weather, the bright sun and high humidity made it feel like 100, but Suozzi was undeterred. Not only was he going to cut the ribbon on the trail, he was going to run half of it with his fellow county staffers, Lopez and members of the Long Island Tae Kwondo Academy of Franklin Square.
Before the run, Suozzi said, ³This fitness trail is a terrific addition to Eisenhower Park, and provides all our residents with a very structured and accessible exercise regimen. This is one more reason to come out to this beautiful park and either begin or continue a fitness program.²
Suozzi and his fellow runners stopped at three of the 20 fitness stations along the trail. Lopez explained that each station features a specific exercise, complete with instructions. The exercises include stretches, pull-ups, sit-ups and balance walking. The instructions include target heart rate guides for the exercises.
³People can work on their cardio, flexibility and strength training,² Suozzi said.
The low-maintenance fitness stations are made of a mix of treated Southern yellow pine timbers and steel tubing. The $10,000 cost of the stations was underwritten by the Manhasset-based Nassau County Sports Commission.
³The trail is designed for runners and walkers,² Lopez said. ³The objective is start out easy and progress to harder exercises.²
At the end of the run, Chris Song, 13, a member of Long Island Tae Kwondo, said, ³The run was nice, but it was kind of tiring.²
Ed Consilio, an instructor at the tae kwon do studio, said, ³The trail is awesome and puts the park in good use. I am an advocate of fitness, and this was just great.²
Suozzi explained that the Healthy Nassau initiative is a byproduct of a series of county projects. ³Healthy Nassau is a combination of healthy living and healthy environment,² he said. ³We were doing Open Space Bond Act and curtailing air and land waste. We had all these individual projects, so we decided to link them all together. By 2020, I want Nassau to be the healthiest county in the country.²
According to Suozzi, the Healthy Nassau campaign is endeavoring to curtail three of the leading causes of premature death: smoking, lack of exercise and improper diet. ³No pain, no gain is a myth,² he said. ³All you need is exercise.²
Lopez, a fitness advocate himself, said that since he became parks commissioner a year ago, he wanted to create a trail that was interactive and fun. ³If you choose to come here, use the trail and its stations as an opportunity to be active and healthy,² he said.
The trail is on the west side of Park Boulevard, which bisects the park. with the first station located near the field house and playground, by parking field No. 2 (near Hempstead Turnpike). From there it winds north past the Nassau County Aquatic Center and Lakeside Theater, and then heads south back toward the starting point. It is open during park hours, from sunrise to sunset.
A second trail, underwritten by Goldman Sachs & Co., was recently completed in Christopher Morley Park, a hilly 98-acre park in Roslyn-North Hills. The county plans to add additional fitness trails, also at no cost to taxpayers, in other parks on the South Shore.
At 930 acres, Eisenhower Park is the largest park in Nassau County, featuring a range of facilities, including three 18-hole golf courses, a driving range, the Aquatic Center, dozens of athletic fields and courts, picnic areas and playgrounds.
Along with the Fitness Trail, Healthy Nassau initiatives include seeking a ban on trans fats and adding calorie counts to restaurant menus; working with other municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and explore mass transit options; continuing to preserve the county¹s remaining open space; operating an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration; providing space for a farmer¹s market offering local produce; the ³Biggest Loser² Weight-Off Competition for county workers, and seeking a state-authorized increased cigarette tax to discourage smoking.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
