Staying Fit in Redmond
Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama released the findings of a government panel tasked to make recommendations to reduce childhood obesity.
"One in 3 American children is overweight or obese," stated Ms. Obama. "We want to marshal every resource - public and private sector, mayors and governors, parents and educators, business owners and health care providers, coaches and athletes - to ensure that we are providing each and every child the happy, healthy future they deserve."
Besides a proper diet, the second best way to remain at a healthy weight is to get moving. Children need 60 minutes of active and vigorous play every day to grow up to a healthy weight. Redmond Parks and Recreation offers many unique and fun ways to get your kids (and yourselves) moving this summer.
If you or your children prefer the structured approach, the City has many sports and recreation classes available all summer. From golf, tennis, fencing or dance to martial arts, volleyball and the sports leagues - there is something for any taste.
However, the City parks also offer a wealth of ways to stay active at the exact time you want to go. From large community parks such as Grass Lawn, Hartman and Perrigo to smaller neighborhood Parks (i.e. Viewpoint, Cascade, Sunset Gardens, etc), there are countless opportunities for drop-in active recreation.
Over the last several years, Grass Lawn Community Park (7031 148 Avenue NE) has been upgraded with new baseball and soccer fields and a pavilion for parties and reunions. It is also home to one of the region’s most extensive interactive playground facilities. This playground can keep kids active for hours with the innovative "merry-go-round", large "disk" swings, climbing web and more. The water park is a great place to splash and play water games as the fountains spurt and stop and then spurt again.
Grass Lawn Park also sports a running track, fitness trail and basketball and tennis courts with lots of open space. It is an ideal spot to spend a few hours burning off the calories.
Another community park is Perrigo Community Park (9011 196 Avenue NE) in east Redmond. This park is also full of activities with a great children’s play facility, tennis courts, ball fields, basketball courts, sand volleyball and a walking trail.
If you live on Education Hill, Reservoir Park (16317 NE 95 Street) is a great place to play tennis. The courts sit atop a four million gallon reservoir.
Other small neighborhood parks are dotted around the city - you are never far from a meditative place perfect for tai chi, tag football or dare we say it - pickleball!
The City also sports several specialized parks such as the Edge Skate Park (Corner of NE 83 Street and 161st Avenue NE) for skate boards, BMX bikes and other non-motorized wheeled contraptions.
Also for BMX and Mountain bikes is the “unofficial” Dirt Bike Park close to Hartman Community Park (17300 NE 104 Street) also on Education Hill. Improvements to the jumps and to safety standards are currently in design and will be constructed this fall and winter.
Juel Community Park on NE 116 Street NE has not yet been fully developed; however it is home to a very popular disk golf course. For the uninitiated, disk golf is a very popular and growing sport that is certain to help keep the pounds off. In fact, disc golf is one of the best lifetime fitness sports. It is easy to learn, a healthy activity and accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels. If you can throw a Frisbee® and you like to have fun, you can play disc golf.
Disk golf is much like golf except it is played with golf discs (similar to Frisbees) where the object is to toss the disk towards the disc pole “hole” and get it in the basket. As in golf, the person with the lowest score after 9 or 18 holes is the winner. Unlike golf, disk golf can be played on land not suitable for other park activities or development.
And for those who prefer a hike in the woods to a brisk game of disk golf, there is the Watershed Preserve (21760 Novelty Hill Road) – 800 acres of natural open space, forests and ponds with a trail system for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking.
Redmond's parks and recreation opportunities are wide and varied. From organized sports leagues and fitness classes to mountain biking and disk golf to fun in a state-of-the-art playground, it’s all here.
More information on the City’s parks and recreation programs is on the City’s website.
