Lt. Carston Swenson does lunges at the Capodichino site’s “fit box” at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, on Aug. 7, 2025. The pop-up outdoor gyms on the base have barbells, weights, kettlebells and other training equipment. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)
NAPLES, Italy — Sailors at Naval Support Activity Naples looking to keep fit now have a new option to get an outdoor workout, without giving up weights and other typical gym equipment.
On Monday, Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation Naples opened an outdoor training center, or “fit box,” at the base’s Capodichino site.
The box, actually a converted cargo container, features barbells, weights, sleds, kettlebells, a climbing rope, pullup bars and other fitness equipment needed to keep sailors ready for the tactical demands of their job, said Austin Holmes, MWR Naples fitness director.
The pop-up outdoor gym enables MWR “to reach out and get more active duty (sailors) engaged and hopefully at optimal level,” Holmes said.
Two more boxes are located at the base’s Support Site, which includes family and unaccompanied housing, and another is at an NSA Naples detachment in the Italian town of Gaeta, he added.
In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a rapid services-wide review of physical fitness, body composition and grooming standards.
In June, the Army adopted a new fitness test that introduced “updated scoring standards that emphasize readiness and combat effectiveness,” the service said in a June 6 statement.
The Air Force also is preparing major changes to its physical fitness assessments as an effort to “revive the warrior ethos,” an Air Force spokesperson told Stars and Stripes in June.
It wasn’t clear Thursday whether the Navy was considering changes to its physical fitness standards.
Austin Holmes, Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation Naples fitness director, closes the doors to a "fit box" for outdoor workouts at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, on Aug. 7, 2025. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)
The fit boxes in Naples, which are sold by the veteran-owned company BeaverFitUSA and cost about $56,000 each, are unlocked and not staffed. Sailors and other community members ages 12 and older have access at most any time of the day or night by signing in through a QR code.
Operating hours at each box vary depending on the availability of lighting and other factors. For example, the box at Capodichino is open 24 hours daily, while one at Support Site is open only from sunup to sundown until lighting can be installed.
A second box on Support Site that is solely for use by service members will open after fencing and a lock are installed, Holmes said.
Holmes said the program allows sailors to vary their workout setting, offering an improved training experience. It also helps to better prepare them for the challenging environmental conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, that they may encounter in various locations or in combat, Holmes said.
The boxes support Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System objectives, which aim to guide sailors on effective training techniques and healthy nutrition, he said.
A crowded gym and the opportunity to train outdoors were what brought Lt. Carston Swenson to the fit box at Capodichino for a noon workout on Thursday.
“It’s just nice to be outside in the daytime,” said Swanson, who plans to use the box regularly.
Sailors work out at a "fit box" on the Capodichino site at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, on Aug. 7, 2025. The box is one of four installed at Support Site and Capodichino on NSA Naples and at a detachment in the Italian city of Gaeta. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)
“Fit boxes” at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, feature barbells, weights, kettlebells and other training equipment. The pop-up outdoor gyms offer sailors at the base the ability to vary their workout environment. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)
Stars and Stripes reporters Wyatt Olson and Zade Vadnais contributed to this report.
