PARKS & REPS
Brooklyn
Participants in Joanna Paterson’s popular Prospect Park class can regularly be seen doing cartwheels down grassy hills or going on jogs to admire the latest public-art projects, such as Suchi Reddy’s recent “The Connective Project” — an installation made of 7,000 hand-crafted spinners.
“It’s a cultural experience you’ll never get in a gym or studio,” says the Windsor Terrace-based personal trainer, who’s been running her boot camps in Prospect Park near the Bandshell for the past seven years.
Her group classes give participants a chance to work with a personal trainer in a motivating environment, Paterson says.
Closer to the water, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s free summer fitness series offers views of the Manhattan skyline — as well as an assortment of dance, pilates, barre and yoga classes. Because of the proximity to the harbor, Zen moments are often interrupted by helicopters or foghorns.
Prospect Park: $75 for five classes, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m. at the 15th Street entrance to Prospect Park. More information at BodieSynergy.com.
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Free. Schedule and information at BrooklynBridgePark.org.
The Bronx
When Todd Belin, the 43-yearold owner of Belin Sport and Fitness, launched his $15 boot camp in Van Cortlandt Park in 2008, “no one knew what we were talking about.”
That’s no longer the case, so in 2015, he added a registered nutritionist and a dietitian to his staff to set his class apart from other fitness programs. (There is an additional fee for their services.)
The classes have been so popular he now offers them at Williamsbridge Oval park, too.
“There’s a lot of laughing, and before you know it, time’s up,” he says. “They’re designed to do what exercise is meant to do — re- lieve stress and get endorphins flowing, whether through exercise or just moments of fun.”
Van Cortlandt and Williamsbridge Oval parks: $15. For more information, visit BFitNYC.com
Queens
Twice a week at MacDonald Park in Queens, about a dozen people gather for a free 30-minute workout followed by a post-workout coffee. Called the Rise, the free classes are led by a group of friends who aren’t certified trainers and formulate their classes more like a social event than a formal fitness class. They often take playful approaches to choosing workouts, such as rolling dice to determine how many reps the class will do together.
“That way, you can’t blame anyone except for the dice,” laughs Brett Roer, a school principal based in Queens who leads the class with his pals.
“[With] the people who make it to coffee afterwards, you wind up having a really special social bond.”
Then again, he might be biased: Five years ago, while working out at the Rise, he met his future wife!
MacDonald Park: Free, Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 a.m. More information at Facebook.com/ TheRiseNYC.
Manhattan
To draw attention to his outdoor fitness class in Central Park, Shariff Harris advertises in chalk on sidewalks surrounding Central Park. He also posts to Instagram, noting, “Everyone loves a cheap date! Will you work out with me?”
Harris typically hosts intimate groups of up to seven students at his classes, which use park benches and paved pathways as ready-made equipment.
“There’s less pressure [than in a gym],” says the 33-year-old graphic designer from the Upper East Side, who considers training his side hustle.
To get your sweat on in a more urban setting, check out the Garment District summer fitness series Broadway Sweat. The free classes include yoga, pilates and body sculpting on a 400-foot-long road “tattoo” created by artist
Steed Taylor. Central Park: $10. For more information, go to @hardwork_ fitnessnyc on Instagram. Broadway Sweat: Free, Wednesday at 6 p.m. through Aug. 30 on Broadway between 36th and 37th streets. Information at GarmentDistrict.NYC.
Staten Island
Certified trainer Gus DiLeo leads twice-weekly boot camps at Staten Island’s Silver Lake Park. Costing just $10 each, classes incorporate all elements of the park to give clients a workout they can’t get in a gym. Recently, a nearby apartment complex left tree branches on the sidewalk, so DiLeo had participants hold them during squats.
DiLeo, who also trains and teaches classes at the local YMCA, has been running his outdoor boot camp for the past eight years — and that longevity adds to the communal spirit.
“I host barbecues at my house,” says DiLeo, who lives
in West Brighton. “We’ve all become friends.”
Silver Lake Park: $10, Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Reach out to realgus@aol.com for more information.