TAYLOR MASCETTA: People at Burnet Park were working up a sweat last night. FitParks Burnet meets twice a week to guide participants through a quick workout. N-C-C’s Amalia Brownell was at the park yesterday to learn what keeps people coming back year after year.
AMALIA BROWNELL: It was a hot one in Syracuse yesterday evening, but folks at Burnet Park weren’t just working up a sweat from the weather.
KEVIN HANRETTY: “I really like to do is focus on the strength aspect of it all and really working on the progressions from week to week as opposed to, of course, just throwing together a random workout.”
BROWNELL: FitParks Burnet meets every Tuesday and Thursday, weather permitting, to offer a free workout class through Syracuse Parks and Rec and caters to all walks of life, from 18 to 80. But it’s not just the workout that keeps people coming back.
BOB RYAN: “You have a beautiful setting in the park and you know you’re on the grass, you have trees around you, you have a nice breeze. It’s usually a summer afternoon and it’s a wonderful way to stay fit.”
BROWNELL: Bob Ryan says he’s been coming to the program for several years and says that he’s loved getting to know the many others who also have been coming to FitParks year after year.
RYAN: “It’s a wonderful way to be in touch with everyone in the city.”
BROWNELL: The class may be small, but Jada Sterling says that makes it easier for the class to be closer to both their instructor and each other.
JADA STERLING: “That’s what’s great about having such a small class because he can actually come around and interact with everybody. You learn everybody’s names, you just kind of get to know us and we’ve kind of formed a little mini community”
BROWNELL: Instructor Kevin Hanretty agrees. Being able to get to know the group and watch their growth is something Hanretty says he’s grateful for.
HANRETTY: “It’s really fulfilling to see individuals who maybe couldn’t do a push up at the beginning be able to, you know, work their way up to doing a push up on their toes.”
BROWNELL: Amalia Brownell, NCC News.
MASCETTA: Thanks Amalia, FitParks runs every year from around May to October, when the weather begins to become too cold to continue outdoors.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The recent warm weather hasn’t been the only thing causing people in Syracuse to work up a sweat.
FitParks Burnet is a free workout class offered through Syracuse Parks and Recreation that meets every Tuesday and Thursday in Burnet Park. The program is listed as an adult class and can see attendees anywhere from age 18 to 80. So FitParks instructor Kevin Hanretty does what he can to make a workout that works for anyone who decides to attend.
“I can accommodate so many different walks of life. As many injuries as you have, I’m happy to modify any exercises for you and really help you on your journey,” said Hanretty. “There’s a wide variety out there in the fitness world that people are doing. What I really like to do is focus on the strength aspect of it all and really working on the progressions from week to week as opposed to just throwing together a random workout.”
Hanretty has been teaching the class for the past two years and knows some of the anxieties that keep people from starting their own fitness journey. He believes that many people don’t quite know where to start and struggle to find an environment they’re comfortable in. Because of FitParks’ welcoming community, Hanretty said it’s often a good place for people to check out.
Hanretty wasn’t the only one drawn to FitParks’ community. Bob Ryan has been going to the program for several years and said he’s seen plenty of familiar faces coming back year after year.
“It’s a wonderful way to be in touch with everyone in the city,” said Ryan. “You have a beautiful setting in the park and you know you’re on the grass, you have trees around you, you have a nice breeze. It’s usually a summer afternoon and it’s a wonderful way to stay fit.”
The class does normally stay on the smaller side, but for FitParks attendee Jada Sterling, that’s just another benefit.
“That’s what’s great about having such a small class because the instructor can actually come around and interact with everybody,” said Sterling. “You learn everybody’s names, you just kind of get to know us and we’ve kind of formed a little mini-community.”
