Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Warm Weather Returns, Along With Bronx Outdoor Fitness Buffs

By Eddie Small | April 2, 2015 5:46pm
 The outdoor fitness center at St. Mary's Park in the South Bronx was filled with people grateful for the warm weather on Thursday morning.
St. Mary's Park Fitness Center
View Full Caption

MOTT HAVEN — Warm weather has returned (hopefully for good) and The Bronx's outdoor fitness buffs have arrived with it.

The outdoor gym at St. Mary's Park in Mott Haven, consisting of a track and equipment for activities like push-ups and pull-ups, was filled with people on Thursday morning, one of the first days of the year to truly feel like spring in the city, and many of them said they were extremely happy for the chance to exercise outside.

"Today, I didn't feel like going to the gym, so I'm like, 'Let me just come outdoors and run,'" said 36-year-old Shana Santana. "It's better than being indoors all the time."

Santana, who said she studies early education at Hostos Community College, mostly stays away from the fitness center in the winter but enjoys running on its track and taking her daughter to St. Mary's during the warmer months, and she appreciates the opportunity to exercise in a green environment.

"The trees, they kind of give you an escape from the city," she said.

Shaun Peterson, Santana's 28-year-old brother, was with her at the fitness center on Thursday and described it as a more challenging place to exercise than a traditional indoor gym.

"It feels like it's a harder workout here because at the gym you're assisted by the treadmill and whatnot," he said. "This is the real deal right here."

Peterson recently moved to New York from California and said he was extremely happy that the city seemed to be finally warming up.

"I'm not used to this weather, man. I'm not," he said.

Some people came to the gym at St. Mary's to start getting in shape for future competitions.

Polo Ouniwa, 24, said he was there for the first time on Thursday morning in the hopes of starting to get in shape for lifting competitions. However, he acknowledged that he still had a lot of improvements to make before he would be a contender.

"I like to train myself for bodybuilding," he said. "I'm not ready yet."

Bakary Touray, 25, was working toward competing in summer running races and trying to get back the speed he had lost since being a track athlete at CUNY's City College.

"I used to do it in college," he said. "I stopped, but now I'm going to go back and continue. I want to beat my record that I had in college."

Specifically, Touray wants to beat his best 400-meter time, which he said was about 49 seconds, and he plans to use the gym at St. Mary's Park to help him train for this.

"It's a nice track," he said, "though it's a little old."

Angel Echevarria, a 53-year-old personal trainer, said he comes to the fitness center throughout the year, including during the winter when it is not very crowded.

"There's a few that come. Not many," he said. "I'd say about 10 people."

He prefers using the center earlier in the day, as he said it can become a popular place for drinkers and smokers later on, as evidenced by a handful of empty discarded liquor bottles.

However, Echevarria still described the center as a great place for people to get a workout.

"It's nice," he said. "You've got the bars. You're outside. You can do all kinds of exercises."

"I'd rather be out here than be in the gym," he continued. "You've got the air, fresh air, everything, so it's better out here."