UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After being put on hiatus by the pandemic, a series of popular fitness classes for seniors will soon return to Carl Schurz Park thanks to funding from a neighborhood legislator.
Free yoga classes and walks for seniors will resume starting Sept. 19 and run for eight weeks through Nov. 11, City Councilwoman Julie Menin said.
first released over a decade ago As part of a senior fitness program run by the City Parks Foundation, Carl Schurz’s classes were cut short when COVID-19 hit, prompting “many local seniors” to ask Menin to restart them, he said.
“These were fabulous classes with good attendance,” one senior wrote in an application shared by Menin’s office. “I was hoping these classes would be renewed once the pandemic was under control, but to date they haven’t.”
Yoga classes will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10-11am, while the fitness walking program will take place on Mondays and Fridays from 9-10am.
New Yorkers 60 and older are eligible, and organizers provide all equipment. The people can online registration for the Fall 2022 season.
“I am so pleased to bring back a program that has brought so much joy to our neighborhood seniors,” Menin said in a statement, noting that her Upper East Side district ranges 47th out of 51 citywide for acres of park and playground space, according to a 2015 study.
While the new funding covers just eight weeks of programming for this fall, Menin’s office will likely renew the funding for another season next year given his popularity, a spokesman said.
“I am delighted to fund this fall programming at Carl Schurz Park for our seniors to stay socially and physically active in our community,” said Menin.
