In a public park in Kingston, a group of people exercise outside, lifting tires, doing squats, and working out with resistance bands. They are at the gym without being inside a gym.
These are the members of Hudson Valley Ambition, an outdoor fitness program started in 2020 by Ryan Naccarato. “Our goal was to keep people physically active,” says Naccarato, “and improve social and mental health during a period of lockdown.”
Six years later, Hudson Valley Ambition has won the Chronogram’s Readers’ Choice Award for gym for the third year running and Naccarato has won the Readers’ Choice Award for trainer for the fifth year running.
Naccarato credits his education, with a degree in physical education from SUNY Brockport, and employment history as a PE teacher, athletic director, and assistant principal with his success as a trainer. “The goal was just to get people together again out in the fresh air in nature,” says Naccarato. The gym has grown to have more than a 100 members.
“When I first started, it was just a bodyweight workout program,” says Naccarato. “Then we got our first van with some workout equipment. Now, we’re on our third van, which is the biggest and nicest in the fleet.”
Hudson Valley Ambition now offers more programs as well, including weekly mindset coaching calls via Zoom. The gym members have a Facebook group where, according to Naccarato, they talk about leadership, resilience, and overcoming adversity in a community. The gym has also started providing home workouts, in case a member is travelling or unable to come to the gym.
“Everybody can be themselves here,” says Naccarato, “it’s a judgement-free zone. It’s a community where people can really thrive, not only in our outdoor gym setting but also in their careers, relationships, and goals in life.”
Mainly servicing the Kingston community, Naccarato has plans to expand to Dutchess and Orange counties. “I’d like to make a difference in other communities of the Hudson Valley,” says Naccarato, “as part of my long-term vision to help more people.”
