My workout routine + favorite exercise studios in NYC
Over the past five years living in New York City, I’ve tried out a bunch of different workout routines. They’ve shifted based on where I’ve lived, where I’ve worked, what my daily schedule looked like, how much money I was making, what I felt I needed at any given time, the season. I’ve had a few spurts of daily gym-going, but I’ve discovered I don’t really need that living here: I regularly walk, ride my bike, take the stairs, carry 20 pounds of groceries on the subway, and take 1-2 workout classes per week.
This is not based on any sort of actual research, but I do believe that New York City is capital of the world when it comes to the best boutique fitness studios. There are SO many options when it comes to pilates, barre, yoga, spin, strength training and brand-new workouts you didn’t even know existed. I’ve been using ClassPass for the past couple of years, and it’s worked really nicely into my routine. I have the five-class-per-month plan, which costs about $75 in New York City. That brings each class to about $15 a pop, which is a good deal when you stick to classes that are usually $30 or $40 each. There aren’t any great gyms or studios that I love near my apartment, and it’s harder to coordinate regularly working out near my office with a pup at home. Scheduling in general makes it tough for me to commit to more than one class a week, but this plan ensures that I absolutely get in at least one class–it forces me to be accountable without feeling overwhelmed to “make it worth it” (which is how I feel with unlimited plans). I also love taking advantage of the flex location to try out a new workout studio when I’m traveling–it’s a really nice way to stay on track, as well as try out something a little more local. So! This post is not at all sponsored by ClassPass or any of the below studios, but I wanted to share some of my favorite places for NYC locals and visitors alike.
Yoga: Skyting Yoga
I will admit that a big reason that I love Skyting Yoga is that the Chinatown location is a design dream: so much natural light, white walls, giant fiddle leaf fig trees in the corners. I always feel happier and more relaxed as soon as I walk in. Bonus that all of the vinyasa classes are challenging without being too crazy, and most are only an hour long–I feel like it’s tougher to squeeze a 1.5-hour class into my schedule. My favorite classes are the ones when owners Chloe and Krissy co-teach: they have such a good vibe together, and you get double the adjustments!
Other favorites for vinyasa-style yoga: The Shala, Bend & Bloom, Yogamaya, Dou Yoga
Pilates: New York Pilates
There is really only one workout that I will regularly travel for–in rain and snow and sleet and (extremely hot and humid) sunshine–and that is Arms Abs Ass with Rachel Cohen at New York Pilates. It is 100% without a doubt my favorite workout class in all of New York City. In general, I’m a big fan of Pilates: it’s low-impact (very important to me because I’ve had a couple of knee surgeries), not super sweaty (nice when you’re commuting to/from a workout studio), and is very challenging in small doses (as in during the class I feel like I could never do one more leg lift but then I feel very energized and not depleted at the end of the class). And I especially love the vibe at New York Pilates: great playlists, very knowledgeable and personable instructors (Rachel is the best IMO), and classes that really work you. My fingers are crossed they expand to the West Coast!
Other favorites for non-Reformer pilates: tower at A*Line Pilates, mat at East River Pilates
Barre: Pop Physique
I like Barre for many of the same reasons that I love Pilates: a big focus on working small muscle groups (usually to exhaustion, and then moving on), low-impact and a full-body workout in 55 minutes. I’ve tried out a bunch of barre studios, and I feel generally the same about all of them: I find the legs and arm workout very intense and fabulous, and hate the core work on the floor. Alas! Pop Physique is probably my favorite of the bunch: good playlists, good studio vibes.
Other barre studios I love: Exhale, Pier 60 Barre, Physique 57
Spin: Monster Cycle
To be honest, I’d almost always rather ride my actual bike several miles through the city than go to a spin class! If you love to bike, I highly recommend a CitiBike membership and/or picking up a bike of your own. That said, my favorite spin class in the city is Monster Cycle. The playlists are always on point, and they project the music videos onto the front of the dark room–it’s something nice to focus on without getting too distracted.
I go to a SoulCycle class with friends every once in a while, but the “inspirational speech” part of the class doesn’t really resonate with me in that environment so I’m not a big fan. My friends who love spin also rave about FlyWheel and Peloton.
Strength Training: ConBody
I don’t really know what category ConBody falls into, but it’s been one of my favorite discoveries in New York City. I actually heard about it on an episode of StartUp: it’s a “prison-style bootcamp” that was developed by the founder while he was in prison, and it now employs ex-cons as instructors. The workout itself kicks your ass–and it doesn’t use ANY equipment. It’s such a good reminder of how well you can exercise with just your own body: think push-ups, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc. The vibe is so upbeat and positive with lots of great hip-hop music, and I love that it employs ex-cons (especially after reading this). Overall, if you’re looking fora workout that’s going to make you sweat: go to ConBody.
Do you have a favorite workout studio in New York City?
