The City of Sydney will go to tender for an extensive upgrade and expansion of the exercise stations in its many parks, in a move that Lord Mayor Cover Moore says is intended to encourage more exercise in the city and “tackle health problems caused by sedentary lifestyles.”

Up to six new fitness station designs will be installed, suitable for “all ages and abilities.” They will add to existing facilities, to “ensure a free and easy outdoor workout station lies no more than 800 metres away from the public no matter where they live.”

The equipment will include fixed body-weight equipment such as chin-up bars and step-up benches, and other structures with space for ropes, harnesses and exercise bands.

The city currently provides outdoor fitness equipment in: Observatory Hill Park, Millers Point; Wentworth Park, Glebe; Sydney Park, St Peters; Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills; Bicentennial Park, Glebe; Perry Park, Alexandria; Bourke Street Park, Woolloomooloo; an South Sydney Rotary Park, Erskineville.

They will also receive new drinking fountains, seating, bike racks and landscaping.

“Low levels of physical activity are linked to obesity and chronic diseases, so it’s important the City provides plenty of safe, inclusive facilities for fitness and physical exercise, especially with so many residential apartments in our area,” said Ms Moore.

“Almost 60 per cent of Australians are either sedentary or have low levels of physical activity. But access to large, high quality and attractive open spaces with the right facilities can increase levels of physical exercise.”

Ms Moore said new exercise facilities across the City’s parks will also help preserve the seating, trees and turf that have become popular to regular exercisers.

The first site set for new equipment will be Rosebery’s Turruwul Park, with other parks to follow in Glebe, Alexandria, Pyrmont, Surry Hills, Erskineville, Green Square, Chippendale, Waterloo, Millers Point and Potts Point.

The City’s long-term Park Fitness Exercise Plan follows surveys of 237 people at selected parks in March. In interviews, community members described equipment they would like to use as well as ideal locations and layouts.

A spokesman for the City of Sydney was unable to put a price on the new equipment, which has yet to go to tender.