Mayor Bloomberg Wants to Get You Fitter, Happier

plemeljr's Flickr

Mayor Bloomberg might not be a fan of grace periods, but he is an avid supporter of running to re-fill your Muni-Meter. The Mayor, along with Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, put out a request today for "100 professional gut-busters willing to help New Yorkers get fit for free."

According to the Post, "the volunteers would supplement paid fitness instructors already providing no-cost exercise classes to 1,600 people a week at 15 recreation centers and other facilities in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods." The program is aimed at areas of the city with the highest levels of obesity and diabetes, and was formulated as an alternative for people who can't afford private health clubs, which offer, among other things, bra-snapping and bike hogs. Hopefully this strategy will work long enough for Wii-based fitness programs to overtake Gym classes across the city.

The Mayor's call-to-fitter-arms comes at a particularly poignant time, as the News reports today that the price of lettuce has increased up to 300% in the last month, due to a cold snap in California. Maybe we should re-think our crops for next season's window farming?

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By Ben Yakas in Food, News on December 9, 2009 4:55 PM

Comments [rss]

ladyjane

subway fare: $2.50 cents

personal trainer: $250...

i get it.

Chillinoncentral

As a professional trainer, it's insulting to see the city request our services for free. If the city's mayor feels this is a necessary service to provide, why not offer a viable mnetary incentive? What's next? Free firefighters? Free firefighters? How about free subways to be run by volunteer operators and otherwise unpaid transit workers?

P2H

Chillinoncentral, I think you miss Bloomberg's goal.

He's asking for volunteers. He's asking for you, a professional to volunteer your time. Do you do any volunteer work in your life? Think about it you volunteer for 1 hour of your week to help inner city kids, those who can't afford a professional trainer, to help them get fit.

Bloomberg is trying to encourage everyone to help those less fortunate, some using their talent or knowledge to help.

Other people do this. Computer experts teach free classes. Police have the Police Athletic League. People volunteer to help the homeless or elderly.

drewo

Mr. Mayor may want to make more parkland available to New Yorkers if he wants to fight obesity.

I can only think of 2-3 publicly accessible outdoor running tracks in all of Manhattan.

mrnosuch

A pig in a cage on antibiotics.

ides_of_march

The Third Reich was really big on physical fitness for the peasants too.

Kevin Walsh

When I run, I am out of breath and unhappy.

When I eat pizza, I am happy.

www.forgotten-ny.com

newport27

what an a-hole this bloomberg

verbal

don't insult radiohead by associating them with that fuckin cocksucking midget

hunter.blatherer

Fuck that, I want the mayor to be happier. Maybe then, he'd treat the rest of us better.

Think about it, he got his third term, he's the richest man in New York and supposedly has everything he wants; but he always has that dour look on his face, he picks petty fights in hopes of no perceivable benefit, and he pouts when he doesn't get his way.

Methinks our very own Golem overreached for the ring of the presidency and is doomed to spend the rest of his days wondering what could have been.

Aveais Essex

(pragmatism not idealism)

Burg

Cute kung fu kid (pic , shaolin people in the background)

Do you think free traditional kung fu lessons would contribute to this program? Sounds like something I would enjoy (teaching in poor neighborhoods)