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Reap the Benefits By taking advantage of the city’s many opportunities to be on foot, it’s not hard to accumulate a half hour of exercise a day. Do this five days a week and you can reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Better yet, you’re teaching your children the value of an active lifestyle.
How to make NYC your gym You don’t have to join a sports club or buy expensive equipment to get in shape. Instead, make New York City your gym and take advantage of hundreds of free or lowcost activities throughout the five boroughs. Physical activity doesn’t just feel good, it’s good for you. Regular exercise is especially important for kids: it protects against obesity and the medical conditions that come with it, strengthens muscles and growing bones, and improves mood. The city’s thousands of miles of sidewalks, walkways and bike lanes—and more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities—make it easier than you might think to get, and stay, fit. Here are a few ideas:
Play in a Park The city’s parks have places to walk, run, bike, hike, skate, and swim. Some offer free swim lessons in indoor pools from the fall through the spring, and many feature 10
everything from basketball and volleyball courts to football and soccer fields. Did you know that 214 schoolyards double as playgrounds on evenings and weekends? The City’s Schoolyards to Playgrounds program aims to put all New Yorkers within a 10-minute walk of a park.
With so many opportunities at your doorstep, New York City really is the ultimate year-round gym. For more information on Schoolyards to Playgrounds and other free or low-cost activities, visit NYC.gov and search for Parks.
Take a Hike Walking in the city is a great family activity. WalkNYC offers free one-hour walks led by trained instructors on evenings and Saturdays in select parks in every borough. Or participate in a one-to- two-hour hike led by a Parks Department Urban Park Ranger.
Take a Class Through BeFitNYC.org, you can find fitness activities throughout all five boroughs. Join or lead a lunchtime walking group, take a yoga or Zumba class, go for an after work run, and more.
Break It Up Not a hardcore athlete? Not to worry. Even small bouts of exercise confer health benefits,
Near the end of every school year,
over 800,000
students receive a NYC FITNESSGRAM report, which summarizes a student’s performance on various ďŹ tness measures. The report also includes steps you can take to improve your child’s health-related ďŹ tness.