NYC: Healthy Place to Grow Old

While New York City has also been well-known for being a financial world center, according to a recent Huffington Post article, it also has a great track record of “medical science and healthcare.”  Earlier this month, at the Merrill Lynch Offices, a Financial Wellness Symposium was held.  What was unique about it was that it brought two issues together – financial success and medical care.

With a focus on aging, the longevity economy was discussed as well as the financial health of New Yorkers within both individual and urban regions. These are important matters to address given that within the next decade, around 20 percent of New York City will be in the ‘elderly’ category.  Hence becoming increasingly ‘age-friendly’ is crucial. We must realize that our financial and personal health are “bound up in medical as well as financial institutional transformations.”

Another way of combining these two concepts is via the home sharing endeavor created by the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens. Since its inception more than 20 years ago, it has gained a reputation – nationwide – of becoming “an affordable housing opportunity that can provide financial relief as well as companionship. Both hosts and guests benefit from reduced housing costs and the possibility of companionship to offset the isolation and loneliness experienced by many living alone.”

Blink and You’ll Miss It

That is, unless you’re off to Washington Bridge’s bus terminal looking to up your fitness level.  Having just moved in, Blink Fitness recently had its grand opening ceremony to mark its newest gym, actually inside the bus terminal.  This marks Blink Fitness’ 63rd location and according to Rose Severino, club manager:

“We are very excited to open our doors to this location at GWB, bringing our Mood Above Muscle philosophy to the Washington Heights community.  We’re sure that Blink will become a healthy, happy hub of activity in the neighborhood.”

To get the youth of Washington Heights motivated, 50 lucky people associated with Fresh Youth Initiatives will be the recipient of a free one-year membership, valued at over $10,000.  The gym will have top quality strength and cardio equipment as well as spaces for training and stretching.  In addition, gym users will be able to call upon the service of certified personal trainers. This was very much welcomed by Eileen Lyons, Executive Director of Fresh Youth Initiatives who said that the non-profit was:

“excited to welcome Blink Fitness into the community, and especially appreciative that they are promoting wellness in Washington Heights.  Their generous donation of 50 memberships to Blink Fitness will enable our own staff, who work hard every day investing in youth and families, to stay fit and healthy.”

In addition, over on Fifth Avenue, NeoU just opened up.  This relatively new concept in fitness – hitting the gym as a nightclub – is really becoming popular and New Yorkers have been given the opportunity to engage in “all out dance-cardio sessions powered by fat balls and kombucha.”

Behind the scenes are Nathan Forster and Michael Alfaro are taking the whole concept to the next level with NeoU.  This “boutique setup and feel with a basement that has a garage-y, CrossFit-style vibe (Forster and Alfaro opened their first box in 2010 in Miami)—plus, three other open-space studios. Expect programming to be constantly changing, including boxing, yoga, bootcamp, and plenty of booty shaking. (The dance cardio divas of Vixen will have a residency there and famed DJ Steve Aoki curated a playlist for its kickoff classes.)”