Workout for Free with these NYC Fitness Classes: Winter 2020 Edition

During the summer months, it’s not hard to find free fitness classes in NYC. On your way to the subway, you might have to zig-zag through a running group class as they stride along the sidewalks or you maybe have even seen groups doing yoga in the middle of Times Square. But, winter is a little different. It’s hibernation season. But, someone once told me, “summer bodies are made in the winter.” And, with that in mind, I’ve rounded up a list of places you can go in NYC this winter to crush your fitness goals. (Note, this list only includes classes that are always free, not one-offs).

FlexIt –  This app lets you work out at a ton of gyms across the U.S. and only pay for the time you use it. For a limited time (through April), Use my code DELIAFLEX within the promo section of the app, to get 100% free access to the gyms of your choice. Click here to lean more.

SeaPort Fit – Throughout the year South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 mall hosts free fitness classes. This winter’s lineup includes a cardio and strength training bootcamp hosted by Trooper Fitness and yoga by Lyons Den Power Yoga. The classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30PM. See the schedule here.

Bryant Park – During the winter, Bryant Park moves its free fitness offering inside Overlook, its observation deck, located on the second floor of the Skating Pavilion. Free classes to choose from include barre, yoga and meditation. You must bring your own mat and towel. See the schedule here. They also offer free ice-skating-based exercise classes on Thursday mornings, but you have to bring your own skates and locks; otherwise the skate rental is $18 per person and locks are $12. View the schedule for that here.

Wellth Collective –  Wellth Collective hosts a series of free fitness and wellness experiences at Refinery Hotel. The first class kicked off with a cardio session with 305 Fitness. See the schedule for their January resolution themed classes here. Or, click here to view their free weekly lineup at  Public Hotels.

NYRR– From Zumba to yoga, NYRR offers a number of free classes throughout the year. See the full schedule here. Make sure to have “RUNCENTER Event” selected on the dropdown menu.

Arlo NoMad Hotel – CorePower Yoga instructors lead a series of free events at the hotel. Upcoming events are usually posted here.

Shape Up NYC – This organization offers free, drop-in fitness programs with locations across the five boroughs. For example, every Monday at 7pm, you can put on your dancing shoes and attend their Global Flex Groove class, which is a combination of dance aerobics along with yoga-based breathing and flexibility training. Learn more here.

Jackrabbit – From outdoor running (yes, even in the cold) to dance classes, Jackrabbit offers a number of free classes throughout their locations. You have to go to each store’s individual section of the website to see the upcoming classes at specific stores. Or if you’re like me, and don’t have time for that, just put in “Jackrabbit” on Eventbrite.

Lululemon – You can attend a variety of free yoga and mediation classes at lululemon. Just put “lululemon” in the search bar at Eventbrite and explore the free classes. Personally, I find their website hard to navigate and get the full list of NYC classes to Eventbrite is the way to go on this one. You will get the list of both paid and free classes, you’ll have to look through.

Sweaty Betty – From yoga to HIIT to barre, this athleisure retailer offers a variety of free fitness classes. Although, they are not so great with keeping their website up-to-date with upcoming classes, if you go on Eventbrite and just search “Sweaty Betty,” you can view and register for their upcoming classes.

Chelsea Piers $5 UnitedHealthcare Wellness Weekend – OK, so it’s not free, but for $5, you can take classes at Chelsea Piers for $5, one weekend per month. See the schedule here.

Athleta Flatiron Studio – In the past, 100% of the classes at Athleta used to be free, but now there is a paid membership. However, they have several donation-based classes, so if you’re going to pay for a class, you can at least feel good about where your money is going. You can identify them by looking for “community” in the class title.

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