Outdoor fitness enthusiasts hope for better summer weather

First came a brutal allergy season. Then, foul air camped in the region, stoked by wildfires in Quebec. Thunderstorms and downpours punctuated more recent days.

LaLa Woods hopes July gives way to better weather, so outdoor fitness season can continue in greater force.

“We are still like other businesses recovering after Covid,” said Woods, who leads La’Movement dance fitness classes twice a week at popular Buffalo landmarks. “This might be our first run at having a regular year since 2019, but so far, it’s been up and down.”

She is one of dozens of certified fitness instructors turning parks across the region into free outdoor fitness sanctuaries through August.

Classes run the gamut of activities and locations, including:

• Zumba on Tuesdays at Canalside.

• Fusion on Wednesdays at Cazenovia Park. 

• Walking Club Fridays at Wilkeson Pointe.

• Core & Stretch Wednesdays in Tonawanda.

• Strength and Movement Wednesdays in Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Jamestown.

• Kids Yoga and Storytime Fridays at Day Road Park in Lockport.

“In Buffalo, sometimes, summers can be pretty short, so making the most of it is a really great idea,” said Michelle Carbery, senior corporate wellness specialist with Independent Health.

The next several weeks provide opportunities in the region to ramp up a fitness routine or start a new one, said Carbery, who also teaches cycling, cardio kickboxing and body pump strength classes at the Independent Health YMCA Family Branch in Amherst.

She also helps both of her employers present Fitness in the Parks, which this summer offers 16 styles of 41 classes in 26 parks across the region.

Meanwhile, trainers from independent fitness businesses in the region handle Highmark BlueCross BlueShield of WNY-sponsored classes, which take place at Canalside and Martin Luther King Jr….