In Lake County’s Ross Township, the township trustee’s office has unveiled a new place for exercise, specifically working out outdoors, in Merrillville. The wellness court features two fitness areas separated by a mural designed by local artists. The free Fitness Court Studio App will work in conjunction with the workout areas to deliver a seven-minute full body workout on one side and an outdoor class area for Zumba and other group activities on the other. Ross Township Trustee Eric Blackmon, Sr., said the Fitness Court project amplifies the township’s mission of “impacting lives in our community.” The township says the new outdoor Fitness Court Studio at Hidden Lake Park on Broadway in Merrillville is a featured part of a nationwide initiative launched by the National Fitness Campaign. This year, the Ross Township Trustee’s Office and dozens of other recipients from around the country were awarded grant funding from the National Fitness Campaign to help support the program, a news release said.  The National Fitness Campaign was founded in San Francisco in 1979 and just welcomed its 500th Healthy Community in 2023. For more information about the Fitness Court Studio, visit https://www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/fitness-court or call the Ross Township Trustee’s Office at 219-769-2111.