RoAnn Destito, New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner, today announced the expansion of the popular summer program, Fitness at the Plaza presented by BlueShield of Northeastern New York. This year, the free Tuesday and Thursday evening workout classes at the Empire State Plaza with professional trainers will begin an entire month earlier, on June 5, and run through August 30.

“Making smart food choices and engaging in physical activity have been the cornerstones of Governor Cuomo’s efforts to create a healthier New York, and the OGS team is thrilled to host free activities at the Empire State Plaza that are aimed at helping people stay fit throughout the year,” Commissioner Destito said. “From our Learn-To-Skate clinics to our Fitness at the Plaza workout classes, BlueShield of Northeastern New York has been a generous sponsor of OGS events for many years.” 

“Individuals and families throughout the Capital Region have embraced the notion that exercise can be fun — evident through the success we’ve had with Fitness at the Plaza,” said Dr. Kirk Panneton, vice president, chief medical officer, BlueShield of Northeastern New York. “BlueShield is proud to continue our partnership with Empire State Plaza to expand opportunities for the entire community to get active and healthy.”

Fitness at the Plaza classes are free and open to individuals of all ages, regardless of fitness level or experience. The classes will be held outside from 5 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday between Agency Buildings 2 and 3, weather permitting. The rain location will be in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center meeting rooms. Classes will not be held the week of July 4.

Classes

• HIIT with Catrina K Fitness every Tuesday: These high-intensity interval training fitness classes involve high-intensity bursts of body weight movements followed by short intervals of rest and are designed to keep burning calories long after the class ends. Although the classes are challenging, they are designed to accommodate people of all fitness levels. Catrina is a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist whose career as a trainer began following a personal weight-loss journey. It involved changing her eating habits and learning to love fitness and resulted in the loss of 70 pounds. Years of studying movement and weight loss have given Catrina the confidence and knowledge to help people have a healthy relationship with food, achieve their weight-loss goals, and avoid injury while doing so.

• Sunshine Flow with Annie of The Hot Yoga Spot every Thursday: This flowing yoga class is perfect for people of all levels and experience. Students will grow stronger and more flexible and balanced each week with an instructor who will always offer modifications to make the sessions perfect for everyone. Annie began her yoga journey at age 9 when she began practicing Bikram on a regular basis. Her love of yoga led her to study anatomy and biochemistry in college, and she completed her foundational 200-hour teacher training when she was 18 years old at The Hot Yoga Spot where she also received her SUP (stand-up paddleboard) yoga training and Bikram training. Annie has taught yoga in the Capital Region as well as in Noord, Aruba and Florence, Italy.

All participants will be required to sign a waiver to participate. People are encouraged to pre-register at www.empirestateplaza.org to sign the waiver in advance and to be contacted regarding any updates to the schedule. Walk-ins are also welcome.

For updates on the Fitness at the Plaza schedule visit the Empire State Plaza Events page on Facebook, follow @plazaevents on Twitter, or call (518) 474-4759.