Workout In The Park= Good Times + Lots of People

Normally I wouldn’t have any interest in signing up for a huge media promotional event…especially when it involves standing in line with hundreds of others. But SELF Magazine’s Workout In The Park appealed because it’s based on exercise,  in a festival-like setting. It’s got this collective energy that expands from being outside, and falls neatly under the umbrella of healthy living. So for the 2nd year in a row, my friend and I trekked uptown to join the movement –sweaty is sexy.

What to know about SELF Magazines’s Workout In The Park:
It’s a bit of a cluster-f***. There are a lot of lines — to get in the entrance, signing up for classes, and all the freebies. My friend and I had a lot to catch up on so we didn’t mind the wait. Once you’re in– there’s a main stage with instructors leading classes, and 2 side areas– 1 for CrossFit, the other was called the Quiet Zone and it had yoga/Pilates and barre style workouts. Classes are in 20 minute increments. I took Buff yoga, Beach Body, Bollywood and CrossFit. The sponsored tents, surrounding the area, had oodles of samples and some services–I came home with about a ton of Popchips.

What The Scene Looks Like:
Women, mostly 20-somethings to those in their 50s who wanted to get their workout on. All body types were present, and pretty much everybody was dressed to sweat — literally wearing the tee-shirt Sweaty Is Sexy. Oh, they were giving away bright green Garnier head bands, so that was definitely part of the look.

The Rhythm:
Omg, everything! There was so much going on between the 3 different areas of classes, and all the swag stations. In the classes, it was high energy– keep moving– work your ass–get fit! (Even in Buff yoga which incorporated weights.) There were some people chilling out on the gifted yoga mats. Towards the end they brought out djembe drums for a military style workout to drumming…I was too beat to participate.

The Soundtrack:
Pop music, Z-100 style. I heard Happy several times. Katy Perry. Lorde…All the top 20 countdown hits.

Mind, Body or Soul Workout:
Definitely a workout for the body, my inner thighs are still sore from all those squats in CrossFit. Working out outdoors with a big group energy always feeds my soul, but the huge crowd didn’t really make for a meditative experience. Watching women take selfies in class was a wee bit distracting.