The University of Nottingham is inviting students, staff and local residents to work up a sweat by trying out its very latest outdoor Active Trail – which extends over one and half miles around its campus.

This latest investment in sport by the University is an innovative trail featuring five fitness stations which offer small group training facilities for people of all abilities in the beautiful setting of its University Park campus in Beeston.

Designed especially for outdoor training, the new trail offers a range of body weight training stations including Dip/Leg raises, pull up stations, arc traverses, and press and row stations – to name a few, allowing for upper body, lower body, core and full body workouts.

Free demonstrations

On Tuesday 22 September to mark the start of Welcome Week, sports teams and staff from the University will be on hand to give students and staff demonstrations on how to use the new trail.

A day of 30-minute training tutorials will also be offered to introduce users to fun, energetic workout sessions, starting on the hour between 10am and 4pm at fourth fitness station. Everybody will be invited to participate in some fun challenges on the equipment with the chance of winning some great prizes.

Samantha Bell-Minogue, Assistant Director of Sport (Participation), at the University, said: “The Active Trail enhances our offer for both students and staff providing them with access to free fitness equipment at a time that is convenient to them. We look forward to engaging with a wider population of our community and hope that it will encourage more people to become active in new and innovative ways in the outdoor environment across our exceptional green campus.”

First-class training facilities

In the absence of personal trainers, users of the Active Trail can refer to either placards on the stations that clearly outline proper use of the equipment, or they can use QR codes via their mobile phones to access tutorial videos online.

The Active Trail was installed by sports equipment company Life Fitness UK. Craig Cocking, UK Vertical Sector Manager, Life Fitness, explains: “As the popularity of outdoor fitness continues to grow, we’ve teamed up with The University of Nottingham to make more use of its green space so it benefits both students and staff as well as the wider community.

“The installation of SYNRGY BlueSky provides a fantastic alternative to indoor workouts and together with the University, we’re encouraging both students, staff and local people to take advantage of the first-class training facilities on their doorstep so they can enjoy a more active and healthier lifestyle.”

David Ross Sports Village

This latest investment by the University into its sporting facilities follows the start of construction earlier this year on its £40m new sports complex on University Park, called the David Ross Sports Village.

The new development, which is due for completion in summer 2016, will help to deliver the University’s ambition to increase participation in sport at all levels, from encouraging children to experience a range of new sporting pastimes, through to the enhancement of elite performance at a national and international level.

More information

Take a look at a map of the Active Trail for more details and locations.