CENTRAL PARK — If you can manage to keep your ears open while you lunge, sprint and box your way through this Central Park tour, you might just learn something.
Junius Morgan, a fitness guru and certified tour guide, has merged his two loves into a combination of a work-out and tour he offers at the park four times a week.
The 1-hour tour takes participants through nine Central Park landmarks including Wollman Rink, Bethesda Terrace, Cherry Hill and Strawberry Fields — but it's not meant to be a restful experience.
Morgan will ask his clients to drop down and give him 20 sit-ups while he discusses Hecksher Playground, and will instruct them on the proper way to execute a boxing hook after explaining Sheep Meadow's history as a military training ground before World War I.
Workouts are based on the fitness level of the people in the group but mainly incorporates jogging, sit-ups, lunges, sprints, jumping jacks and defensive boxing routines, said Morgan, 53.
"The benefit of training in the park is Vitamin D and fresh air," Morgan said. "There's nowhere in the city where you can find fresh air, but in the park, there's peace and tranquility. That connection with nature is very important."
Morgan's passion for the park's history started 14 years ago, when he started working out in the green space and was transitioning out of a bartending career.
He enrolled in classes to become a certified tour guide and now leads groups at the Brooklyn Bridge and around Midtown. He spends so much time in Central Park that last year he decided to share what he's learned about it while doing the training he loves.
"I want to give them a fascinating history of the park," he said. "I'm here most of the time. I love its energy and the fascinating history of it. I love the fact that its architects had the vision to design it to the point where today we can still enjoy it the way we do.
"They had to have vision because it has four different locations to get across town, but in 1858 when it was built, there was nothing above 14th Street. That they understood the needs of the present day is fascinating," he added.
Teaching #boxing classes in #centralpark #newyorkcity pic.twitter.com/Mf7km8yWuV
— Junius Morgan (@RumbleNYC) May 16, 2013
Morgan, who owns the company Unlimited Fitness, has been offering boxing, strength, marathon and sports-specific training and more since 2000.
The class is $60 per person, $25 for a group of five and $10 for a group of more than 10, and meets at Columbus Circle on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, visit his website.
