New downtown exercise initiative in Jacksonville

Fitness in Plaza geared towards adults, kids

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is a new initiative in Jacksonville that hopes to bring more fitness to the downtown area.

The idea is to promote exercise in our city and change the way people think about downtown Jacksonville at the same time.

"I'm a downtown resident. I'm a Jacksonville native," said program creator Donteacia Seymore. "I've been here when downtown was bubbling, and I am here now. I kind of wanna see it come back to, you know, the way it used to be in the early 80s and 90s."

Bringing downtown back to what it once was is one of the main reasons Seymore says Fitness in the Plaza was created.

"Fitness in the Plaza is an opportunity for Jacksonville residents to come downtown, experience our beautiful landscape and get a good workout at the same time," said Seymore.

Fitness in the Plaza isn't just for adults, it's also designed to get kids moving.

"We know that about a third of children in our area are overweight, and 70 percent of them will grow up to be overweight, so we want to change that practice," said St. Vincent's CEO Moody Chilsolm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 35 percent of people in Jacksonville are considered overweight, 26 percent of them are categorized as obese and nearly 28 percent say they do no physical activity at all.

"These events will give people a great opportunity to come out and participate in something that doesn't cost them anything," said Chilsolm. "Whether it's Zumba or whether it's senior silver sneakers classes or children activity programs."

If you are interested in participating in Fitness in the Plaza head to fitnessintheplaza.com for more information.