Fit Club Takes Over NYC Gardens

Ah, the New York City green space. Such a welcomed respite amid the concrete jungle. Parks and grassy knolls are often populated with sunbathers, book readers, old ladies feeding the pigeons, lovers strolling hand in hand and the occasional fitness or yoga class.

This August, however, 55 more community gardens will become centers of all things health and wellness with Fit Club. A series of events brought together by yoga and activewear empire Lululemon, Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and Coca-Cola.

NYRP has been cleaning up dirty lots filled with garbage in Brooklyn, the Bronx and East Harlem and converting them into community gardens. In an effort to introduce the community to these new areas, NYRP brought in Lululemon to organize health and wellness activities.

“Part of our mission is to encourage people to get outside and enjoy the community spaces,” said Shannon Donohue, NYRP’s Special Events Manager, according to Well + Good NYC. “People responded really well to past fitness programming, so this year, we updated it.”

And by updating it she means bringing in four weeks of health and wellness programming which she dubs the four pillars of wellness. At gardens near select Target stores each Saturday in August (Target Bronx Garden, Target East Harlem Garden and Target Brooklyn Garden) classes or booths will be available to educate and empower people to live well and be healthy.

Starting Saturday, August 7, there will be nutrition education, followed by strength training the next week. The third installment introduces IntenSati, the martial arts-based cardio class which involves positive affirmations for a complete mind-body experience. Finally, the events round off with Anasura yoga, which is quickly becoming the most popular style in the city.

What better way for New Yorkers to embrace junk lots-turned-community gardens then with attention to their own health and well-being? Check NYRP's calendar of events for more information.

Photo by lululemon athletica via Flickr.