Two New Free Fitness Series Are Launching Soon

Memorial Day is two months away.

That statement should be met with cheers, after the record breaking snow we’ve had—and there’s still more to come—so knowing that this colossal winter will finally end is thrilling. But there’s another emotion that comes with knowing bathing suit season is nigh: dread.

That’s right, with bikini season comes bikini shopping. The harsh lighting in dressing rooms will be sure to cast shadows in all the wrong places, revealing a post-winter body that hasn’t seen the sun or been exposed to fresh air in six months. Sure, we should love our bodies as is, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with recognizing the need to get in shape. And STAT.

Fortunately, there’s two new—and free—fitness programs in town to help you jump start your way to summer.

The Shops at Prudential Center is launching “FIT on the Garden” this spring, which will offer eight free classes hosted by the mall’s fitness tenants: Boston Sports Clubs, FlyBarre, and Lululemon. Beginning May 6 and going through June 24, the Wednesday early evening classes will be hosted on the South Garden. The workouts will be anywhere from 45- to 60-minutes and will vary in intensity and format. But you can expect barre classes, yoga sessions, and some sort of bootcamp/strength training workouts.

The only downside is that this series begins at 5:30 p.m. I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to even be able to make a 6 p.m. class after work. Signups will be through Eventbrite beginning in April. Walk-ins are welcome, but priority will be given to ticketed participants.

Begins May 6; 800 Boylston Street, South Garden, prudentialcenter.com

Just a mile away, the new Ink Block development—built on the Herald‘s old grounds—is launching a four class free series in its lobby at 300 Harrison Ave. The Saturday morning series starts at 10 a.m. and the classes will run about 60 minutes. Even better, the program will move to the pool deck if the weather actually warms up before June—here’s hoping. So far, the program has four dates, beginning this Saturday, March 21 and running through April 11. They are calling the class a Pilates bootcamp, and it will be lead by three popular instructors: Lauren Hefez, Eliza Shirazi, and Meagan Fitzgerald.

You don’t have to sign-up, but you do need to bring your own yoga mat. These all-levels classes are also sponsored by Milk + Honey, the sparkling new Whole Foods’ in-house spa, which will be giving away free treatments during the events.

Begins March 21; 300 Harrison Ave., inkblockboston.com