New Year’s on the Rocks
New Year’s on the Rocksby Emily Kluver
On New Year’s Day, people all over the country resolve to be different, better, healthier. Millions promise that the coming twelve months would bring a whole new self. Specifically, a more fit version of themselves.
The procrastinators, the couch potatoes, and the busy bees often hang up the towel before the end of the first month. They are busy. Tired. Or simply bored.
Many believe that their struggle with the gym is their only fitness option.
At Brooklyn Boulders (BKB), a rock climbing gym located on Degraw Street and 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, people of all ages and fitness levels are able to work toward their goals in a fun, mentally stimulating, and supportive environment. It’s not all about losing weight or gaining strength.
Marketing Manager Anthony Bagnoli notes that BKB is a place where “humans can express and develop every aspect of themselves – physical, intellectual, creative and social – all in one place.”
With membership, the gym offers free yoga, acroyoga (a combination of acrobatics and yoga), fitness, and capoeira classes in addition to a small gym. However, their big selling point is 22,000 square feet of wall space dedicated to rock climbing, a sport which involves individuals working through courses made up of plastic grips set on large walls to reach the top.
These rock courses range from straightforward beginner-level courses to complicated challenges designed to push climbers to their limits.
But, in addition to physical fitness, the gym works to create co-working spaces. They offer free wi-fi and work tables to encourage professionals to come and mix their work with their physical fitness.
Brooklyn Boulders additionally offers monthly musical performances, community events, and a monthly lecture series.
Sticking with a gym can be a challenge, but exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. Activities that engage individuals within a wider community and offer engaging activities can help people stick with their goals and achieve results.
Whether you love rock climbing, basketball, yoga, martial arts or even racquetball, 2017 may be the year to hang up the gym membership and try something a little outside the box.
ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE
Of course, every person is different. Alternative fitness activities in the area for different budgets, locations, and interests include a wide variety of activities.
Yoga is a form of exercise deeply connected to spirituality, philosophy, and mental wellness. It increases flexibility and strength in addition to offering people a way to lose weight. Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on core strength in the abs, lower back, and hips, improving coordination and balance.
The countless Yoga and Pilates classes available in Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, and surrounding neighborhoods allow people to reduce stress and improve their mental and physical fitness. These classes can be offered at individual studios or within larger gyms.
Martial Arts studios are available across local neighborhoods and kickboxing at the southern end of Carroll Gardens. Both offer the chance to hone your aggression.
Ballroom dance clubs in Carroll Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods offer classes and events where people can combine creativity with their fitness goals.
Crossfit gyms work on building a close-knit communities to support adherence to your goals. Locally, there are two of these gyms now open on Van Dyke Street in Red Hook and Degraw Street in Gowanus for those who need a little extra motivation to stay active.
And, as always, the Red Hook Recreation Center offers basketball, swimming, billiards, ping pong, and more traditional fitness classes. Their cost is $150 per year, with major discounts for anyone under the age of 24, over the age of 62, veterans, or with physical disabilities.
Outdoor resources, particularly popular in the summer months, include a variety of parks. Locals can play basketball at places like Coffey Park or Carroll Park and soccer or baseball at fields outside the Red Hook Recreation Center. Those willing to make the trek will find that Brooklyn Bridge Pier Park in Brooklyn Heights has a variety of sports courts available to the public including basketball, handball, and shuffleboard, no-cost fitness equipment, and roller skating.
The Red Hook Rec Center and Miccio Center
by Nathan Weiser
Various fitness related goals are common themes among New Year’s resolutions. In Red Hook, the Sol Goldman Recreation Center and the Miccio Community Center offer programs that can be utilized to help accomplish those goals.
For a $150 yearly membership fee for ages 25-61, the Rec Center has classes throughout the week that you can go to that range from basketball instruction to self-defense class. Membership for the Rec Center costs $25 for seniors (62+), veterans, people with disabilities and young adults (18-24). Youth ages 1-17 can use the facility for free with an ID.
Starting in January, on Wednesdays from 2-3 pm and Friday from 6:30-7:30 pm, any member can come to participate in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Highlights of this class include sculpting the body into a work of art and disciplining the mind and body to stay strong when fatigued.
HIIT classes also teach the overall importance of heart rate monitoring and staying in shape.
Another available class that the Rec Center offers is “Crazy Cardio and Insane Abs” on Wednesday from 3-4 pm and Thursday from 6-7 pm. Participants in this class learn about heart-rate monitoring and developing a stronger mindset.
According to Elijah, who instructs these classes, New Yorkers of all ages are welcome to attend. The HIIT and the Crazy Cardio classes are ongoing throughout the year.
Senior Basketball and Fitness begins Saturday, January 14 from 8-9 am. The program includes three-on-three basketball games and various other exercises for seniors. The program will continue every following Saturday through March 25.
The Rec Center’s hours are 6 am-8 pm Monday through Friday; 8 am-4 pm Saturdays. This gives one plenty of time to get a workout in early in the morning, afternoon or evening.
The Rec Center isn’t the only local fitness option, of course – the Miccio Center has a program for kids interested in basketball.
Pro Hoops is a free fitness activity at the Miccio Center every Friday from 5:15-7:15 pm for kids ages 8-18. Good Shepherd Services partners with the District Attorney’s office to organize this program, according to Nigel Bell, the assistant program director at the Miccio.
Kids, adults and seniors who get involved in any of these activities will be well on their way to fulfilling their fitness related resolutions.
