Boston’s Equitable Approach to Fitness Programming
In a time of elite gyms and ever-rising summer camp rates, The Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series is innovating in the simplest of ways. “[The Boston Parks Summer Fitness Series] activates parks, builds community and helps make the healthy choice fun and accessible for Boston residents,” Nicole Ferraro, yoga teacher and Active Living Project Manager in the Chronic Disease Prevention & Control Division, has said. Nicole is proud to teach yoga for the series on Tuesdays at 10 am in Symphony Park (chair yoga) and 6 pm in Franklin Park and hopes to finish its last month strong.
Outdoor fitness classes are popular in Boston but tend to be offered in more commercial parts of the city such as Back Bay at a cost not all residents can afford. This free series, in partnership with Boston Parks & Recreation and Blue Cross Blue Shield MA has purposely planned classes to be in 11 varied neighborhoods, especially in areas where fitness options are scarce. Cheryl, a local woman who attended a Zumba class at the Gertrude Howes playground in Roxbury said she was excited to learn about the series through The Bay State Banner, a local newspaper serving the African-American communities of Boston. Cheryl was even more excited that a Zumba class would be taught right on her street and she came eager to dance after work in office slacks and sneakers. “This is the only exercise I’m getting right now,” Cheryl shared, validating a need by local residents that The Summer Fitness Series has contributed to filling.
Starting out as just free Zumba at City Hall in 2012 to now offering 21 different classes such as tai chi and line dancing, the series has grown exponentially over the past 4 years and now boasts over 2,300 participants in just their first month this summer. The series also offers age-appropriate classes for children and the elderly such as obstacle courses and gentle yoga. Even being mindful of time, the series tries its best to accommodate the lifestyles of all Bostonians with classes scheduled after work hours, early mornings and even weekend afternoons. This all-inclusive approach to fitness programming is aligned with the Boston Public Health Commission’s mission of serving all residents, especially those who are most vulnerable.
Do your body some good and schedule in as many of the free classes as you can before the series ends on September 4th! For real-time updates on class cancellations, follow @HealthyBoston on Twitter. Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #BostonMoves and for details on the full schedule click here.
This blog post was originally posted on the Boston Public Health Commission website.
