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This is perryman’s home turf— Astroturf, to be precise. He’s standing on a 35- by 40-foot field surrounded by nine pieces of workout equipment. Unlike the brightly colored children’s play structure nearby, equipment in this section of the park is painted in mellower shades of forest green and beige. Officially, Gladden Park’s year-old


depressed, because I had a lot of people around caring for me. I just wasn’t thrilled with the situation I was in. It was a huge change.” The inactivity took its toll: Perry-


man lost muscle mass and felt zapped of energy. “It had been about a year and a half since I’d had anywhere to work out,” he says. “I walked every day, but that’s about all that I could


made a date to try it out,” she says. “It was like an answered prayer.” Today, the Fitness Zone is a key component of Perryman’s recovery regimen. He joins DeVaney at Glad- den Park several times a week. As they do leg presses side by side, a middle-aged woman in colorful workout attire jogs by, calling out a greeting. That’s typical of the


T HE FITNESS Z ONE I S A


K EY CO MPONEN T T O P ERRY M AN ’ S REC O VERY.


“It was like an answered prayer.”


WATCH VIDEO


outdoor gym is a Fitness Zone® exer- cise area, but the media has dubbed it an “adult playground.” Whatever you call it, the best part about it is that it doesn’t cost a dime to use. Otherwise, Perryman says, he wouldn’t be exercising at all. A Vietnam veteran on a fixed income, Perryman can’t afford a gym membership. Times were tough already when in 2010 he suffered a stroke that required a three-month hospital stay and an extended at- home recovery. “I stayed indoors a lot,” says


Perryman. “I don’t want to say I was


find fitness zones in your city at tpl.org/fitnesszones. none near you yet? no problem. read on for simple exercises you can do with just a park bench.


do. I just didn’t feel good.” “Once Michael was out of the


hospital, he no longer qualified for physical therapy benefits,” explains Perryman’s sister Sue DeVaney. “I checked around to see if any of the fitness clubs had specials for veterans or low-income folks, and they didn’t.” That’s when DeVaney discovered


the Gladden Park Fitness Zone. “I went home and called Michael and we


TPL.ORG · 57


The Sit-and-Stand: • Place your arms outstretched and stand with your back to the bench as if you’re going to sit down. • Squat slowly to a sitting position, barely allowing your weight to rest on the bench. • Slowly stand up again, lifting with your legs and core muscles as you rise.


william lorenzen


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