(Press release)Millennium Park and McDonald's invite Chicagoans and visitors to kick off their weekends with energizing workouts on the Great Lawn of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Workouts are open to people with all levels of experience, are 45 minutes long and will be held from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Saturday from June 6 through September 19, 2009.
Each week, instructors from Lakeshore Athletic Club--Illinois Center will lead classes in Tai Chi at 7 a.m., Yoga sessions at 8 a.m. and Pilates workouts at 9 a.m. Each month features a different type of martial art or dance aerobic workout at 10 a.m., including Body Combat™, Body Attack™ and Body Jam™ with the Les Mills Trainers; capoeira with Marisa Cordeiro of Gingarte Capoeira Chicago; samba with Shirley Vieira and Edilson Lima of Brazil via Chicago and zumba® with fitness coach Nancy Hildebrandt.
"We're proud to present these fun, free workouts on the Great Lawn again for the fifth season and to be doing our part to help Chicago become one of the healthiest cities in the United States," said Lois Weisberg, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
In 2006, McDonald's Corp. committed $5 million to Millennium Park to provide free fitness activity, as well as the McDonald's Cycle Center. "McDonald's is thrilled to sponsor the free workouts at Millennium Park as part our ongoing commitment to promote balanced, active lifestyles both in Chicago and around the globe," commented Ron Lofton, president of McDonald's Owners of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. "For the past several seasons it has been our pleasure to be involved in this great initiative, with the goal of providing inspiration and fun for adults, families and kids."
The complete workout schedule is as follows:
TAI CHI 7 a.m.
Start your day with this ancient Chinese martial art that has brought peace and discipline to its adherents for centuries.
YOGA 8 a.m.
Improve strength, balance, mental focus and flexibility through guided poses, mental imagery and breath work.
PILATES 9 a.m.
Strengthen your core muscles and lengthen your muscles while improving your balance and coordination.
MARTIAL ARTS/AEROBIC DANCE 10 a.m.
Take a fiercely energetic class inspired by martial arts, drawn from a wide array of disciplines including Karate, boxing, Taekwondo, Tai Chi and Muay Thai.
Learn the moves that combine elements of fighting with dancing, singing and musical instruments.
Dance and get fit to the Brazilian rhythms of the samba.
Feel the heat with fast and slow rhythms combined with resistance training to the Latin beat.
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. Convenient parking is located in the Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus at Monroe or Randolph) and at the Grant Park North and East Monroe Garages, all located within a short walking distance of Millennium Park.
Millennium Park, managed and programmed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor's hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture. Since its opening in July 2004, Millennium Park has welcomed more than 16 million people, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago.
For more information about Millennium Park or the Millennium Park Workouts, please visit millenniumpark.org or call 312.742.1168.
