If you’ve been paying attention to fitness trends, you’ve probably noticed the multitude of boutique fitness classes popping up all across the country. No matter what type of workout you’re looking for, chances are you’ll be able to find a studio dedicated solely to that activity. Multiple, even. The days of gym memberships and step aerobics classes are coming to an end. Now, there’s a ton of options…no matter how you like to sweat! I’ve been a member of ClassPass for about a month now and I’ve been loving the flexibility and motivation it has given me. (Not to mention, it has introduced me to a whole new bunch of local studios!)
Why should you give boutique fitness classes a try (and/or join me in ClassPass pretty-please-with-a-cherry-on-top)? Thank you for asking!
- You’re forced to set your schedule in advance. It’s easy to plan a trip to the gym after work…but then cancel as soon as a friend invites you to happy hour. No one will ever know, right? If you skip a class you’re signed up for, however, you’re usually charged a no-show fee, or at the least, you lose the money and/or credit for the class. When there’s money involved, you’re a little more likely to pass on the happy hour and follow through with the sweat-sesh. (Don’t skip the drinks…just get yourself some dry shampoo and show up a little late, of course!) A small price to pay for accountability, right? Plus, you can usually schedule classes for an entire month. If you treat your workouts like meetings you can’t skip, you’ll fit them in more often than not.
- You’ll feel a sense of community. When it comes to small group classes, it’s likely you’ll make new friends with common interests. Bonding with buddies while sweating definitely pumps up motivation levels and you’ll probably find yourself looking forward to your workout (and catching up with your new friends!) instead of dreading it. And this can coincide with my favorite weekend activity: post-workout brunch.
Uplift Studios gives you wine sometimes. I like that kind of community!
- No thinking. Save your brain cells for that big project at work. If you’re going to a studio, you don’t have to come up with a workout plan in advance. Just show up. Someone else will give you cues, motivate you, time you, and count every interval. Plus, it’s harder to quit when someone else is watching you. I bet you’ll end up holding that plank a little longer than normal. Bonus!
- You’ll learn new moves. I’m a girl who likes a routine. I tend to rotate through a few of my favorite exercises every time I strength train by myself. I avoid the moves I hate, even though I know that probably means I need to do them even more. Half the time, I find exercises in magazines but I just can’t figure them out on my own. Instructors, however, have a wide “inventory” of unique exercises and will teach you how to do them safely and (hopefully) change up the moves in every class.
- Less distraction = more productivity. Because classes are set to last a certain amount of time (typically an hour or so), instructors make use of every last second by combining as many movements or sequences as they safely can. What does this mean for you? An efficient workout that makes the best use of your time. (Because we don’t have enough time as it is, right?!)
So much focus.
- They’re helpful while traveling. If you’re in a new city with no gym access (or at most, crappy-hotel-gym access) it’s so easy to look up a class based around your interests and the neighborhood you’re in. Chances are you’ll find something to give you that endorphin rush in no time!
Some of my favorite New York City classes:
Uplift Studios (Fav. Class: Uplifting Strength)
FlyWheel/Soul Cycle (Still haven’t decided which studio I like best)
SoHo Strength Lab (Fav. Class: SoHo Speed)
Are you a boutique fitness fan? What’s your favorite class?
Yes! Boutique studios are the ONLY way I can get strength training in because I lack all motivation otherwise. My favorite is Refine Method, been going since they opened over 3 years ago. It’s so much fun, the instructors are awesome and the results are addicting. Nothing else is like it!
Same here! I’ve always felt like I HAVE to have a gym membership because I like all the options, but classes are definitely working much better for me these days. If I didn’t need the pool, I would have quit the gym a long time ago!
I am so not a group exercise person, but I recently found a Pilates-inspired strength class that’s less than two blocks from my house, and I LOVE it. And it’s true — I will get out of bed in the morning if I have a $20 penalty for sleeping in!
I never was either; I always liked to do my own thing. But now that there are so many different things (not just aerobics type classes) I’ve become obsessed!