OGS announces free Fitness at the Plaza evening classes

RoAnn Destito, New York State Office of General Services (OGS) commissioner, recently announced the return this winter of the popular cold-weather exercise program, Fitness at the Plaza, presented by BlueShield of Northeastern New York.

The free workout classes at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center will be conducted from 5 to 6 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday from Jan. 5 through March 25.

Health and safety protocols aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus will require participants to preregister at www.empirestateplaza.ny.gov for the workout classes and follow social distancing guidelines. Walk-ins will not be permitted to join the classes.

“With a commitment to abide by the most up-to-date COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, we at OGS are excited to once again offer free, indoor exercise classes at the Empire State Plaza to help people stay fit throughout the winter months,” Destito said.

“BlueShield of Northeastern New York continues to be a generous sponsor of healthy activities throughout the year here at the Plaza, and we are grateful for their continued support of Fitness at the Plaza,” Destito added.

“As the health and wellness of the Capital Region remain top priority, BlueShield is proud to partner with Office of General Services to provide access to free fitness classes twice a week for the fourth consecutive year,” Keith Dolan, Regional Executive for BlueShield of Northeastern New York remarked.

“Fitness at the Plaza allows the community to safely come together and stay active while maintaining mental and physical health as we approach the winter months and continue to follow safe social distancing protocols,” Dolan explained.

Fitness at the Plaza classes are free and open to individuals of all ages, regardless of fitness level or experience. The classes will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center.

Classes:

• Fitness Fusion with The Hot Yoga Spot every Tuesday: Fitness Fusion offers the best of two worlds, combining a challenging Barre-inspired boot camp for the first half-hour followed by a deep and relaxing stretch with yoga for the last half of each class. A Barre fitness class typically incorporates physical exercises inspired by ballet, yoga, and Pilates positions and movements. This session is a challenging workout for participants of all skill levels and will leave everyone feeling great and looking forward to the next class.

• Boot camp with Tanny Pro Fitness every Thursday: These are highintensity, full-body workout classes for people at all fitness levels. The workouts will target and tone muscles throughout the body. Classes will include some bodyweight movements and ab-focused exercises. Participants will get fit and have fun while Tanny cheers them on through each fitness experience.

Special Protocols for COVID-19 Under the COVID-19 protocols for Fitness at the Plaza:

• All participants will sign and date a sign-in sheet attesting that the answer is “No” to all the COVID-related screening questions that appear on the sign-in sheet. People unable to answer no to all questions will not be allowed to participate. People can read the questions ahead of time at empirestateplaza.ny.gov.

• Classes are capped at 45 participants.

• Pre-registration is required, and walk-in participants will not be permitted.

• Participants must bring their own exercise mats, water bottles, and towels. No equipment will be provided.

• Participants will be required to wear face coverings and remain socially distanced from others at all times, including during check-in.

• OGS will mark socially distanced spaces for exercise mats before each class.

• OGS will provide a hand sanitizing station.

• OGS will follow Reopening New York guidelines for gyms and fitness centers.

• OGS will also follow the New York Forward COVID-19 Micro- Cluster strategy, which establishes rules and restrictions for geographic zones with the highest transmission of COVID-19 cases. For more information on this strategy, visit forward.ny.gov/.