Outdoor exercise equipment . . . so much of it!

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One of the things that continues to strike me as odd are the number of collections of outdoor exercise equipment I see in public parks here.  They're all over, often near traditional kids' playground equipment.

Near a playground on my walk home from church.

I have never seen anyone using them.  I almost never see kids on the playground equipment, either. Maybe it's because of the heat and humidity; maybe it's because I'm passing by these place during the wrong time of day.  

In a touristy section of the Amador Causeway.

But still, after three months here and daily experience of passing by these exercise machines, I've had lots of chances to catch people in action.  

Along the bus route.

And nope, the exercise equipment is always vacant as I go by. 

Near a gated community called "Embassy Gardens"

At first, I figured that these were relics of the former U.S. presence here in the Canal Zone where I live (like the sidewalks).  

Down the street from my first AirBNB

But the U.S. left the area a quarter of a century ago.  The sidewalks have often fallen into disrepair (and occasionally gotten fixed).  This exercise equipment is in excellent shape, so clearly these machines are not just a relic of times-gone-by. 

Around the corner from my AirBnB

I'm really curious about why--when there are so many kinds of public goods a city could spend its money on--these unused pieces of equipment seem to be so prevalent.  Is it wishful thinking?  Virtue signaling?  Or are there actually users who come during times I don't get to see them (after dark, or in the dry season, or some such)?

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