Are These Trendy NYC Workout Classes Worth The Money?
We made it to Saturday! I hope everyone had a great week. I've realized I get a lot of questions about some of the ways that I like to work out, especially because there are so many different ways to get a workout in when you live in a city like New York. From cycling classes to all different kinds of yoga, there are seemingly endless options. Here, I talk about four different types of workout classes that I've tried myself and rank them in terms of intensity, the focus on fitness, the level of fun, the cost, and how frequently I attend them. I hope you find it useful, and maybe even feel inspired to try some of these yourself!
Trapeze
I remember the first time I ever tried trapeze. I was 10 years old and I was visiting French Woods summer camp. They let me do one swing from the flying trapeze and I was totally hooked. When I found out that the Trapeze School of New York had a Williamsburg location, that was all the convincing I needed to return to it. What I love about trapeze is that the classes are small (usually eight spots per class) and it's an hour and a half, so you get lots of swings in each class. The staff is super friendly and teaches tricks on the ground before you do them in the air. As long as you're not scared of heights, you'll have no problem soaring through the air. You will build upper body strength in this class, but there is less of a focus on fitness and more on a focus on the accuracy of the tricks you learn.
Intensity: depends on how you feel about heights
Fitness Focus: 3/5
Fun: 5/5
Cost: $50-$70/class (depending on date and time)
Frequency: Once every other month
SoulCycle
There is no workout class that motivates me quite like SoulCycle. I discovered SoulCycle when I was in college because I found out my sorority could ride for free during off-peak class times. I love the sense of community, I love how strong I feel after each class, and I love the environment. I haven't tried other cycling classes yet, because I don't think I'll find anything I like as much as SoulCycle. The instructors are super clear in their instructions and they care about making sure everyone in the class feels comfortable but also that you're pushing yourself to be better than you were the last time. While they don't count out numbers and calories burned, the feeling of internal growth is more than enough for me. Riding through the dimly lit room with music blasting is my ideal workout scenario.
Intensity: 4/5
Fitness Focus: 4/5
Fun: 4/5
Cost: $34/class
Frequency: A few times a month
Aerial Yoga
I have tried yoga a few times before and always leave classes feeling relaxed. When I want to feel equally strong and relaxed, aerial yoga is the way to go. This requires a lot more strength than I originally anticipated, and it really works your core and upper body muscles. The classes are located at the Om Factory and are sorted by level of intensity, but there will always be a few people in the beginner classes who are on the border of intermediate, so don't be intimidated by them! If you're looking for a workout with a twist, you should definitely check it out.
Intensity: 4/5
Fitness Focus: 3/5
Fun: 4/5
Cost: $25/class
Frequency: Have tried it once
JumpLife
It's hard to picture something more fun than bouncing around on a trampoline and counting it as a workout. JumpLife was both hard and simultaneously not challenging. The hardest part for me wasn't the moves themselves, but the fact that the weight of my body felt magnified because of the trampoline. I felt tired after the class, but didn't really feel like I understood what parts of my body the workout had targeted. JumpLife is a fun class to check out, and to get a Boomerang of yourself jumping up and down, of course.
Intensity: 3/5
Fitness Focus: 2/5
Fun: 4/5
Cost: $20/class
Frequency: Have tried it once
There you have it! I think my main takeaway from all of this is that just because something is fun (or looks good on Instagram) doesn't mean it has the fitness focus you may be looking for, and it also doesn't mean you're going to shell out $60 three times a week to do it. Have you tried any unique workouts?
yours,
Austen