TINY instruction plaques etched onto the equipment at the newly-opened outdoor gym at the La Lucia Park have left users puzzled.

The plaques carry instructions for usage. The problem, however, is that the instructions are difficult to follow and written ‘in broken English’. In one section it reads, “Taking the equipment each time, the middle-aged and old people are 10 to 15 times, the teenagers are about 20 to 25 times.”

Ward councillor, Heinz de Boer, has urged residents not to allow the wording on the signage to distract them from seeing the bigger picture.

“The fact of the matter is that residents are receiving access to high quality equipment that they would otherwise be paying for at other gyms. This facility is an asset to the community. The equipment has been well used and otherwise well received,” he said.

De Boer added that there is a massive instruction board, in plain English, at the site, which would assist with the instructions of all of the equipment, should users need any advice.

Thembinkosi Ngcobo, the city’s head of parks and recreation, was also unperturbed by the issue, saying they were concentrating on the equipment and not language.

The same plaques can be found at the other completed outdoor gyms in across the city, including KwaMashu, Mariannridge and Umbilo.

The aim of the project was to build approximately 10 outdoor gums across the province in an effort to facilitate a healthier lifestyle among residents.