Where are my favorite places to workout and where do I shop for stylish fitness gear in NYC?
I get asked this question a lot by New York visitors and locals. From my experience, most out-of-towners like to check out the popular spots that have been written up or featured on tv. But what about all the great places that maintain a low profile--the fitness gems of NYC? You've got to know about these spots because there's a good chance you'll like them 5x more! Here are my favorites...
MizzFIT's TOP 5 Off The Beaten Path Fitness Finds in New York City
1. Sixth Street Pilates studio - 525 East 6th Street NYC, 212-677-5545
This pilates studio is an East Village neighborhood goodie. It's small, cozy and impossible not to get plenty of attention here. Classes here can be a bit unconventional for Pilates without feeling so far removed that you're intimidated. Definitely try the Burn, Baby, Burn! class. Co-owners Anula Maiberg and Jeremy Laverdure
take like to give their clients more of a "burn" by incorporating strength and resistance training using the wall attached equipment pictured below (I think they're called "springsboards"). I fell in love with the unpretentious hipster vibe here and consider Sixth Street Pilates one of the shiniest gems in the downtown fitness scene.
2. PedalNYC spin studio - 33 West End Avenue NYC, 212-561-5435
Unless you live on the West End near the Hudson, this studio is totally out of the way but definitely worth the schlep. Owners Mr. Ray and Tara are a couple and they run their studio with lots of love which is evident in how much they over-deliver. Every workout is like 2 workouts in 1. I highly recommend trying PedalNYC's signature class 30/30 which is 30-minutes of spinning followed by 30-minutes of TRX cardio-strength training. I couldn't believe how thorough and full-body oriented this fitness class was. I wanted to die but I generally enjoy feeling that way when exercising. They have less intense classes too but I recommend going full force.
3. Chaise23 Studio - 40 East 23rd St, 3rd Flr NYC, 212.432.6100
Chaise23 is the only workout where sitting down counts as working out. And when I say "sitting down", think about a more active version of sitting and that's what you get here. The studio is small but impecably designed and the workout caters to fitness lovers who want to tone and tighten instead of bulk. Founder Lauren Piskin is part of the show at Chaise23. She's full of energy, enthusiasm and entertainment. Her body is SICK (in a very good, lean way) and her mission for creating the Pilates chair and resistance band inspired workout was to give 50+ aged women a fun, low-impact workout. But you don't have to be 50+ to enjoy it and you'll find a very stylish and hip clientelle here.
4. Pure Flow studio - 237 West 15th St and 791 Madison Avenue NYC
I've been working out at Pure Flow for years back when it was called Station Fitness. And I hesitate to tell you all about it because classes are small and I don't want to lose my spot! But I must share how wonderful this studio is because it's totally different from anything you've tried before. Pure Flow offers vibration training group fitness classes which happen on Power Plate machines like the one you see below. Vibration levels are customized to your fitness level and exercises consist of floor routines you've done before on non-shakey ground. The vibration makes everythng harder and I'm particularly fond of the ab work classes here. Make sure to buy classes in packages of 15 to save money.
5. adidas Originals Store (Soho) - 126 Wooster Street NYC
NY tourists love Nike Town and NY locals love Paragon, but the adidas Originals boutique on Wooster Street in Soho is my personal favorite. It's not like people don't know about it...the store gets a fair amount of foot traffic. But what makes it super special is that it looks like an open garage when you walk in, there's a DJ spinning and the store staff lets you chill. Plus, this adidas boutique carries all the best artist collaborations and their funkiest designs. Of all the fitness shops in NYC, I find this one to have the best mix of fashionable and affordable sportswear that's truly transitional.
Photo credit: adidas Originals store courtesy of The Daily Bugle
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