Shape Up NYC is the city's free fitness programme, and this is its Prospect Park edition: an hour of Zumba on the terrace outside a Beaux-Arts boathouse with the Lullwater behind you. The routine fuses Latin, international and popular music into something closer to a party than a class, and instructors pitch it so complete beginners can follow. If your barrier to exercising has ever been the price of a studio class, this removes it entirely.
What to expect
An instructor leads an hour of dance fitness set to Latin and international music, with everyone following along in a loose group outside the boathouse. Levels are mixed and nobody is corrected, so following at your own speed is normal. Free, drop-in, and over in an hour.
Good to know
- Free and drop-in through the Shape Up NYC programme — no registration
- The B/Q to Prospect Park, or enter from Lincoln Road and walk to the Lullwater
- Bring water and a towel
- Beginners are the norm rather than the exception
- Outdoors, so it depends on the weather
- One hour, morning slot, leaving the rest of the day open
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Common questions
Do I need any experience?
No. The class is pitched at all levels and beginners are common.
Is it really free?
Yes — it runs through Shape Up NYC, the city's free fitness programme, with no registration required.
Where does it meet?
At the Audubon Center boathouse in Prospect Park.
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