Good morning on this bright and warming Tuesday.
New Yorkers faltering on their resolutions to get in shape this year have at least one good excuse: It can be very expensive.
In a city where a gym membership can cost hundreds of dollars a month, and where cycling, yoga and training classes are regularly priced at over $30 per session, breaking a sweat often feels more like breaking the bank.
But there are plenty of ways to get fit for free, so long as you know where to look.
Athletic wear stores. Brands like Athleta and Lululemon offer in-store classes in yoga, Pilates, boot camp, barre and more. If assuming a lotus pose while surrounded by merchandise throws off your chi, center yourself with a reminder that these classes are free — as long as you don’t shop on your way out.
Shape Up NYC. Maybe you avoid working out because you think it’s just … so … boring. In that case, you might try bringing a friend who makes you laugh to one of the more unusual Shape Up NYC classes offered by the parks department, like belly dancing, hip-hop aerobics or line dancing. The parks department offers 250 classes a week in every borough, all free. Still not enough mental stimulation? Try a bilingual yoga class and learn how to do a perro invertido.
Running groups. For many of us, the choice between running on a wintry morning or nesting in a warm bed isn’t much of a decision. Unless, of course, someone is at the park waiting for you. Running groups like the New York Road Runners, or ones organized by brands like Nike or JackRabbit, not only give some accountability to your workout, but most have trainers on hand who can give you advice on getting the most out of your run.
Continue reading the main storyOutdoor groups. If you’re willing to wake up and work out early (we’re talking 6:30 a.m.), then the November Project and The Rise NYC instructors will greet you with open arms and contagious energy rarely encountered at that hour. Both groups use the city as their gym, so expect to do sidewalk burpees, run a lot and use park benches as makeshift StairMasters.
Exercise from home. This is the easiest option, though probably the hardest to stick with. Here’s a guide to short workouts you can do from home or on your lunch break. And here’s a nine-minute full-body strength training workout, and another you can do in seven minutes.
Here’s what else is happening:
Weather
It’s safe to jog this morning.
After our frigid, weekslong cold spell, we’re looking at another comparatively comfortable day with a high of 40.
Before you head out, you may want to pair some shades with your scarf. Lots of sun is in the forecast, but so are chilly winds.
In the News
• As the temperature dropped into the single digits, the subway became the shelter of last resort for some of New York City’s homeless. [New York Times]
• The number of traffic deaths in New York City plummeted in 2017 to the lowest level since record-keeping started over a century ago, city officials said. [New York Times]
• Hundreds gathered at a memorial service in Harlem to say farewell to Erica Garner, who became an activist after her father, Eric Garner, was killed by the police on Staten Island. [New York Times]
• Officials are investigating the runway traffic jam that turned a chaotic but manageable winter-storm episode into an airport delay for the ages. [New York Times]
• Four years after the fatal hazing of a Baruch College student, the fraternity he was trying to join was banned from operating in Pennsylvania for 10 years. [New York Times]
• A family bid farewell on Monday to the five members they lost in a deadly Bronx fire. [New York Times]
• A former lieutenant at a Brooklyn jail who is accused of using his authority to repeatedly rape a female inmate will stand trial this week. [New York Times]
• The floor of Penn Station’s newly opened “state-of-the-art” West End Concourse is full of large cracks. [New York Post]
• Snow fell for 66 straight hours in Syracuse, starting early Thursday and ending around noon Saturday, the National Weather Service said. [Democrat and Chronicle]
• Temperatures hit the single digits over the weekend, causing pipes to burst and homes to flood across Brooklyn. [Bklyner]
• This Brooklyn woman has spent much of her life caring for loved ones. She now faces her own medical problems, and has made her mental health a priority. [New York Times]
• Today’s Metropolitan Diary: “Crossing Against the Light”
• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Morning Briefing.
Coming Up Today
• NYC Audubon leads a bird watching walk beginning at the Netherland Monument in Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. 8 a.m. [Free]
• How do you balance a career in poetry and the needs of a young family? Four poets discuss the topic at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon at the Andaz Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. 7 p.m. [Free]
• Dance companies from across the U.S. perform during the weeklong American Dance Platform festival at the Joyce Theater in Chelsea. 8 p.m. [Tickets begin at $36]
• The comedian Aasif Mandvi performs during the variety show “Nat Towsen’s Downtown Variety Hour” at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in the East Village. 7:30 p.m. [$9]
• Alternate-side parking remains suspended through Wednesday for snow operations.
• For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.
And Finally...
Winter Restaurant Week is fast approaching, and reservations for the more than 370 restaurants that participate opened up this week.
We know, we’re giving you mixed signals here: free workouts and multicourse meals. But according to science, you’ll have a better chance of getting off the couch if you have an incentive.
And what’s a better incentive than pineapple-braised pork belly from Noreetuh or duck carnitas tacos at Empellón? (Both are New York Times critic’s picks.)
During Restaurant Week, three-course dinners are $42, and lunch and brunch are $29.
You’ll want to make reservations now for the more popular restaurants, which offer the prix fixe menus Jan. 22 through Feb. 9.
You can see a full list of participating restaurants, and search by cuisine, here.
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