Achieve Your New Year's Resolution in Lincoln Square

Did you make a New Year's resolution to prioritize your health this year? That's why rather than steer you to eat sweets, which we have plenty of in Lincoln Square, we're encouraging you to walk our parks and streets and frequent our fitness facilities in 2023.

If you're looking for a free way to get some exercise, why not walk the streets of Lincoln Square? During the month of January, you will have the added benefit of seeing the Big Apple, Musical Tree, and Music Box at Dante Park and the Tumbling Brights and lighted trees in the Broadway Malls along your route. And, of course, all year round, you can pick out your next purchase from the windows of shops as you pass them by.

Don't forget that you can escape into nature, which is great for both your physical and mental health, just steps away from Lincoln Square in either Central Park or Riverside Park, for a walk, jog, run, or bike ride. If you'd like some camaraderie while you run, join the Arc'teryx Upper West Side Run Club. Runs last about an hour, begin at the storefront at 158 Columbus Ave, and go through Central Park. The first Run Club of 2023 will be on January 13, but check this website for more details. For now, the club will meet monthly, but it may meet more frequently when the weather warms up.  

If you prefer to use equipment or a more structured routine, why not sign up for one of our local gyms or fitness classes? Equinox has its flagship location at 10 Columbus Circle and its Sports Club New York location at 160 Columbus Ave at 67th Street. At Columbus Circle, Equinox members have access to high-end amenities, including a dry sauna, on-site Spa, Barre Studio, Yoga Studio, Cycling Studio, Saltwater Pool and Indoor Lap Pool, steam rooms, and locker rooms equipped with Kiehl’s products. The Sports Club features an indoor pool, a sundeck, a sauna, a steam room, basketball courts, a rock wall, Boxing Studio, Pilates Studio, Yoga Studio, and more. Equinox is currently running an Initiation Promotion. If you become a member in January, you can earn back your $100 initiation fee as long as you work out eight times in 30 days. 

Are you looking for a short but intense workout without being pushed over the edge to exhaustion? Give RX30 a try at 55 Amsterdam Avenue (between 61st and 62nd Street). It is a progressive H.I.I.T-style fitness program conducted in an organized and structured class environment. Want to focus on both your body and mind this year? Try a class at CorePower Yoga that combines an intensely physical workout with the mindfulness of yoga. The studio, located at 2030 Broadway at 69th Street, also offers online classes.  

If you need something fit for the whole family, consider joining the West Side YMCA. Located at 5 W 63rd Street at Central Park West, members can participate in group exercise classes, lap swim, multi-purpose swim, basketball games, family gym, and personal training. Plus, your membership allows you to visit any YMCA in the five boroughs. The YMCA is currently offering a $0 fee for joining and one month free as long as you keep your membership for three months. Youth sports and dance, aquatics, and community art classes are fee-based.

Or, just outside the district is the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center at 232 W 60th Street (between Amsterdam Ave and West End Ave). The facility features fitness equipment, an indoor gym and pool, a dance room, a media lab, and more. When you join the NYC Parks recreation centers, you don't just get access to a specific center; you get access to all of them. For an annual membership to all centers, adults 25 through 61 will pay $150, seniors, those with disabilities, and veterans will pay $25, and anyone 24 and under will receive free membership. However, New Yorkers ages 25 - 61 will receive a 10% discount with a New York City ID.

Of course, if you're going to exercise this year, you might as well look stylish and feel comfortable. You can buy some great activewear from Arc'teryx at 158 Columbus Ave, as well as Wilson, lululemon athletica, and New York Running Company by JackRabbit, all at The Shops at Columbus Circle. 

If you have a different goal for the year, check out our neighborhood guide here to see if you can accomplish it in Lincoln Square. 

We wish you much luck achieving your new year's resolution in 2023!

Photo Credit: Elena Olivo