Healthy Habits program offering free workouts at some LA parks this summer

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center developed a Healthy Habits program that offers free workouts to the community at some Los Angeles parks this summer.

It was already warm at 8:30 a.m., but a group at Westside Neighborhood Park was heating things up with a high-intensity interval workout, compliments of Cedar-Sinai.

"We're just out here trying to promote a healthy lifestyle and help for the community," said Adriana Avila of Healthy Habits.

Avila said this is the fifth year for the Healthy Habits program, and it's growing strong.

"We have about 50 participants coming up -- motivated, engaged, dedicated group," Avila said.

Some of the participants include mother-daughter team Vanessa and Lorena Fuentez.

"You feel energetic and calm when you do exercise here, and you feel happy," Vanessa interpreted for her mother.

Vanessa enjoys the dancing.

Most of the staff is bilingual, so English and Spanish is spoken in class.

"What we hear the most is 'Can you do this all year long? Can you do it longer?"' said Associate Director of Healthy Habits Carolyn Buenaflor.

Buenaflor said they teach at Vineyard Recreation Center near La Brea and Jefferson on alternating days.

The program runs eight weeks Monday through Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at two different parks. During the school year they run nutrition and physical education at the schools.

The program plans to go into 21 elementary schools next year.

"We also do walking groups during the school year within our schools, we also do teacher trainings," Buenaflor said.

It appears there's plenty of time to get your "healthy habits" going.