Maine's newest free outdoor gym is opening at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF). This is the third Fitness Court® in Maine, thanks to a partnership between Community Health Options and National Fitness Campaign (NFC).
UMF will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6. at 131 Perkins St., open to students, faculty and staff, and the public.
Anyone 14 and older can use the Fitness Court. Seven exercise stations let you use your body weight to move at your own pace no matter your skill level, giving you a workout in as little as seven minutes. There's also a free Fitness Court app that acts like a digital coach, with training videos for beginners, intermediate and advanced users.
“Free access to fitness opportunities is vital to building healthy communities,” said Kevin Lewis, Community Health Options president and CEO. “We’re proud to be the exclusive NFC sponsor in Maine and delighted to be opening this Fitness Court with UMF, where students, faculty, staff and the community can all benefit from workouts that help to build overall health and well-being.”
UMF is the first university or college to team up with Community Health Options and NFC as part of an ongoing effort to build Fitness Courts across Maine, joining the world’s largest free outdoor gym network. Two Fitness Courts are already open—at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in the City of Lewiston and at VFW Park and Field on Canoe Club Road in Hampden.
To learn more about the event, read the UMF news release announcing the opening.
Learn more about the Community Health Options partnership with NFC here. And don’t forget to follow Community Health Options on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.
Maine has extended its review to determine who’s eligible for MaineCare until the end of October with a renewed effort to reach those who may have missed out in 2023—even if they didn’t respond to earlier requests to provide the information needed to confirm their eligibility.
The state began reviewing eligibility in 2023 following the end of the federal public health emergency and successfully renewed coverage for 300,000 Mainers. About 9% lost their MaineCare coverage last year, but the state says it expects a higher percentage of the remaining 55,000 people will lose coverage, either thanks to higher wages or because some have moved out of state. Those folks are scheduled for renewal in August, September or October, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
