By Brian McMahon

On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, Nancy Bruning, a physical trainer and health professional, instructs a fitness class in scenic Fort Tryon Park, which runs from West 192nd Street to Dyckman Street on the west side of Manhattan. The class is free, and open to men and women of all ages.

On a brisk morning last winter, Bruning led the students through the park, pausing to work at various spots, some with a view of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge, some in the shadow of the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that houses thousands of pieces of medieval art, including the world-renowned unicorn tapestries.