By Sarah Stiefvater PureWow

In-person exercise classes are popping up around New York City for you to get active and some fresh air. While our Zoom classes have been amazing keeping us active indoors and mentally sane, many of us still miss being able to go to our favorite studios and work out in person with others. Luckily, many studios have adapted to the outdoors and some indoor gyms are even getting ready to welcome their members back at limited capacity. If you are looking to get out for some exercise, browse through our roundup of outdoor exercise classes.

**Please check the website for updates before heading to a class.**
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​When leg day rolls around, it can be tempting to play it safe and stick to what you know. Squat, lunge, press, repeat. But there are a ton of other moves out there that are equally beneficial and, arguably, way more fun. Plus, we all know that a workout routine is only as good as it is varied. To really challenge our bodies and bring about change, it’s imperative that we switch things up both in the gym and at home. (It’ll also help you avoid injuries, as well as the dreaded workout boredom.) So, if you’re in need of a little inspiration, we’re happy to oblige. Here are 34 lower body exercises you can try right now. Choose a handful you love and let’s get moving.
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​One of the best low-impact ways to fire up your glutes for a tight, toned booty is barre, which not only targets your butt muscles with smaller movements so you really feel the burn but also improves balance, range of motion, posture, strength and endurance without straining your joints.

​"Because barre focuses on small, isometric movements, we're able to target and fatigue small deep muscle groups more intensely," says barre instructor Briana Milton.

And incorporating compound movements that target multiple muscle groups at once allows you to target all muscles in and around your seat, rather than just doing one at a time through isolation work. That makes each move — and the workout in general — more efficient, too.

Try this barre workout designed by Milton, which hits your gluteus medius, maximus, minimus, hamstrings and adductors (inner thigh muscles) for a major booty burn. And the best part? It's just 20 minutes long and can be done anywhere.

This 20-minute workout, designed by Eric Fleishman (aka Eric the Trainer), celebrity trainer and creator of the Sleek Ninja Fitness Program, "is designed to transform your body efficiently and effectively using minimal equipment and resulting in a slimmed down, sleek, toned muscularity."
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Pick either the left or right workout. 30 sec x 3

1. BYKlyn Cycle's pop-up outdoor studio near the Barclays Center, and BK Fit Studio's outdoor gym at 421 Dean Street

2. BK Fit's outdoor curbside classes are currently available at its three locations, and its outdoor facility at East Williamsburg will be joined by a second one soon

3. Yoga Agora's has taken his classes outside at Astoria Park, and on one of the Open Streets in Astoria, since the outdoors have been deemed safe

4. Salsa In Queens, while not a gym, has also aimed to provide a much-missed physical experience by taking its classes to the street. On Saturdays, it teams up with gastropub Katch Astoria for a sort of block party on Newtown Avenue.

5. ​Tamara Jackson, a longtime fitness trainer at the New York Sports Club in Harlem was without a job when the shutdown occurred and switched over to Zoom classes. She went from 26 classes every week to three live, in-person boot camp-style classes and seven online. Now, after getting 15 bikes, she's able to do multiple classes a day at the corner of 131st Street and Fifth Avenue.

Finding the motivation to work out when isolating at home can be hard, but adding a buddy to the mix just might get you out of that slump.

By Sarah Stiefvater PureWow

Most people go to TikTok for viral coffee recipes, difficult-to-impossible dances and fun challenges like ‘Flip the Switch.’ But did you know it’s actually a great place to find workouts? From a full-body circuit to a stretch routine for splits, here are seven of our favorite fitness videos on the app.​
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​This 20-minute workout, designed by Eric Fleishman (aka Eric the Trainer), celebrity trainer and creator of the Sleek Ninja Fitness Program, "is designed to transform your body efficiently and effectively using minimal equipment and resulting in a slimmed down, sleek, toned muscularity."
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Warm-Up
Do: both of the moves listed and repeat the circuit 3 times through

Move 1: Imaginary Jump Rope

1. Stand with your hands out to the side as if you were holding a jump rope.
2. Begin gently hopping up and down, moving your arms in a circular fashion.

Reps: 50 jumps

Move 2: Body-Weight Squat

1. With your feet hip-width apart, lower yourself down as if you were sitting in a chair, shooting your glutes backward.
2. Stop when your knees reach a 90-degrees angle. Make sure they don't extend beyond your toes.
3. Return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Reps: 20


The Main Workout
Move 1: Fire Hydrant

1. Start on all fours on a mat.
2. Lift and open one leg out to the side, keeping your knee bent.
3. Bring it slowly back to the original position.

Reps: 3 sets of 25 per side, with a 30-second rest after doing both sides in a set

Move 2: Kick Up

1. Start on all fours on a mat.
2. Shoot your leg up toward the ceiling with your toe pointed, as if you were trying to press an elevator button that is on the ceiling directly above you.
3. Bend your knee as you lower your leg back down.

Reps: 3 sets of 25 per side, with a 30-second rest after doing both sides in a set

Move 3: Reverse Lunge

1. Stand up tall, then take a large step backward with your left leg.
2. Lower down into a lunge until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Your left knee should be close to the floor but not touching it.
3. Step your left foot forward as you press through your right heel to return to standing.
4. Repeat, this time stepping backward with your right leg.

Reps: 3 sets of 30 (15 on each leg), with a 30-second rest in between

Cooldown
Move 1: Lower Down

1. Begin on all fours on a mat.
2. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly lower yourself down to the mat so that your chest and hips touch the ground at the same time. This should take 10 seconds.
3. Press back up.

Reps: 4

Move 2: Figure 4 Stretch

1. Lie on your back on the floor with both knees bent and feet planted flat.
2. Cross your right ankle over the knee of your left leg.
3. Take your right arm and slide it through the space between your right and left legs. Grab the front of your left knee with that hand.
4. Reach around your left leg with your left hand and grab the front of your left knee.
5. Gently pull your left knee in toward your chest. You should feel this stretch along the side of your right leg and in your right glute.

Reps: hold for 30 seconds on each side