It’s cold outside, but your workout routine doesn’t have to feel frigid. One of the thingsI love most about working out (besides the end-of-class wind down) is warming up my body to focus on my breath and its movements.
All photos via Chrissy Conners Photography
Right before the new year, I wanted to mix in a new fitness class into my wellness regimen so I looked at YO BK (607 Manhattan Ave). My current routine involves loads of morning stretches, Bar Method classes 4-5 times per week, and the occasional hot yoga class as a treat.
And one class at YO BK caught my eye in particular: Inferno Hot Pilates. I knew I had to try it out, and who knows? Maybe I’d be totally hooked.
The newly opened Manhattan Avenue studio offers Bikram Yoga, Inferno Hot Pilates, and Baptiste Power Yoga classes to expand your body and mind. Bikram Yoga, known as the original hot yoga, is a therapeutic and challenging series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises done in a 105F room. Baptiste Power Yoga is an energetic and empowering vinyasa flow class practiced in 95F heat with music. And, Inferno Hot Pilates features a high-intensity, low-impact interval training class done in a 95F room with a disco ball and energetic music. These distinct and dynamic classes are great for fitness novices and seasoned wellness enthusiasts alike.
I consider myself somewhere in between, I’m no stranger to working out but I’ve only been seriously mindful of a regular fitness routine for the past two and a half years or so. Needless to say, I was more than ready for the Inferno Hot Pilates class since it’s designed for all fitness levels.
I entered the studio in my typical workout ensemble: high-waisted black leggings, sports bra, and a sweatshirt. Pro tip: Leave your sweatshirt in the locker and bring an extra towel and a water bottle. Things are going to heat up very, very quickly. The workout room is pleasant and relaxing: warm, low lighting, and ready for action. The class kicks into gear gently, with a series of floor work moves, standing exercises, and Tabata training. The dial turns up, the music heightens, and your muscles heat up.
Right from the start, I loved all of the movements. From working on my core to a series of fast-moving burpees, I felt my muscles immediately engage. The low-impact workout is challenging with high intensity. Not to mention, Inferno Hot Pilates is an express class (45 minutes), so students can expect to cycle through movements rather quickly. In short, you won’t be bored one bit.
As the class progressed, I sweated way more than I ever thought imaginable. (Don’t worry, everyone else is too). But as I completed the floor work and standing exercises, my muscles felt more ready and pliable to each brand new movement. It was a quiet and joyful realization in the middle of a challenging workout.
If you want to engage in mindful body movements, burn fat, and strengthen your muscles in under an hour, YO BK’s Inferno Hot Pilates is the ticket. As for me? I was positively hooked.
We had the so much fun with Hosh Yoga this past summer in Cuba and are so excited that they will be hosting a five-night, six- day yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico led by Hosh yoga instructors, Jen Devery and Amy Hansen. Running from February 17th to the 22nd 2018, the retreat will bring yoga enthusiasts on a Mayan adventure to relax, explore, and unwind.
They’ve got an Early Bird special until the end of the year so if you want to book a beach vacay on a budget that’ll raise your energy and consciousness, now is the time!
Devery and Hansen’s focus throughout the retreat will be on harmonizing body, mind, and spirit and helping yogis achieve a sense of greater well being. Mornings will begin with breakfast and an energetic yoga practice to set the mood for days filled with adventure, re-connection, and grounding. Evenings will feature a mindful activity, mediation, or restorative yoga practice.Continue reading →
While we all like the idea of hibernating in the winter, the beginning of Spring is just the inspiration we need to renew our commitment to fitness. But finding the right gym can be harder than it seems. Some of the more expensive gyms have state-of-the-art facilities, programs, and benefits that make them well worth the extra dough. If you want to keep it simple, though, a basic single-location membership at your nearest gym might do the trick. So how do you choose? We’ve compiled a list of local gyms so you can compare your neighborhood options at a glance.
Crunch Fitness 825 Manhattan Avenue (718) 732-8222 Open 5am to 11pm M–F; 7am to 9pm weekends Pricing: $9.95/month for Base membership; $19.95/month for Peak membership; $24.95/month for VIP membership One-day trial pass Become a member
Crunch is one of the most affordable gyms in the area, even with its VIP option, which includes benefits such as Hydromassage and tanning on top of all Peak perks. Choose the Peak membership option if you want access to any location, the ability to take group fitness classes, and extras such as a T-shirt and access to online streaming workout videos. The Base option is best if you want to keep things simple and stick with the equipment at the Greenpoint location. If you’re looking for more individualized fitness attention, you can always add personal training to any membership option. Continue reading →
Intimidated by all the bulky exercise machines and huge, mean-looking buffed bods at the big-box gyms? If so, you are definitely not alone. This is one of the main reasons (cough, cough–or excuses) from clients as to why they don’t go to the gym. Unfortunately, so many people avoid the gym because they’re either a) not sure how to use the exercise machines; b) they lack the confidence to give them a try; or c) they’re just too damn intimidated to even walk into a gym.
Why? “Gymtimidation!” It’s that voice inside your head that says “I don’t feel comfortable with my body,” “how am I going to look next to all those fitness fanatics who work out all the time?” “I don’t even know what I should be doing in the gym?” Your ‘meaning making machine’ is always at work and it creates a lot of negative views about the gym.
But gymtimidation is not a reason for not getting exercise, it’s an excuse; and a pretty lame one at that. #Sorrybutnotsorry to be so hard on you, but how else am I supposed to show you how ‘unreasonable’ our behavior can be? Know that a reason is valid and usually unavoidable — ex: “I was late because the train broke down” = reason. Whereas, an excuse is a transparent or perhaps a subtle attempt to shift responsibility away from one’s self — “I was late because I missed the train” = excuse. Continue reading →
I’ve lived in Greenpoint for eight years and have always felt a void in wellness offerings. Thankfully, that’s begun to change as juice bars, gyms, and yoga studios started blooming on almost every corner. The emergence of establishments like Lucent Yoga, Botica Apothecary, and Help Your Self is exciting. Until recently, the one thing still lacking was somewhere to buy workout gear. Not just sneakers or a jump rope, but truly functional, cutting-edge activewear. As a former apparel buyer turned full-time yoga teacher, I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into a well-made pair of leggings or running shorts. What you wear when you workout can totally change your experience, as anyone who’s suffered from inner thigh chafing or bleeding nipples can attest!
On a recent morning jog, I was intrigued by a sleek silver sign that read: “Solfire.” The storefront was a beacon of light on the once desolate stretch of Driggs Avenue from the south tip of McCarren Park to the Bedford L Train. I peeked in and saw a plethora of colorful capri pants and made a mental note to pop by during store hours. When I revisited the shop later that week, I was surprised to discover that Solfire (483 Driggs Ave.) was so much more than a clothing shop. Continue reading →
Our fitness journeys can be difficult, especially when you’re not sure how to start or how to remain consistent. A lot of us have been conditioned to develop a pretty poor relationship with food, along with many limiting beliefs about the power we have to change things. And just like any relationship that is like a turbulent roller-coaster, it typically ends up in a downward spiral. If you constantly find yourself overwhelmed on how to even get started, we totally get it.
With so many programs, information and sales pitches, it can be overwhelming to sift through it all. If you’re in that situation, then please keep reading…
[email protected] owner and health coach Dy has a program that guides people through the process of getting fit, focused and committed; as a result, it’s a lot less intimidating… and it works! Continue reading →
With the change of seasons comes a renewed time to recommit ourselves to our fitness and wellness goals. Though the spring is not the beginning of our calendar year, it’s still a new season. Besides, the summer is around the corner and who doesn’t want a beach body?
You know looking and feeling great doesn’t just happen; you do have to work for it – but you don’t have to do it alone. [email protected]’s B.E.S.T. Plan (31 Nassau Ave) takes all the guess work out of diet and exercise so that you are informed and ready to take action on your fitness goals. Continue reading →
Greenpointers Summer Market 2015 Rooftop Yoga with Hosh Yoga
While sifting through clothes at beacon’s closet or grabbing a beer and a brat at Spritzenhaus, you may have seen a procession of yoga-pantsed Greenpointers heading in and out of the unassuming grey door on the corner of Nassau and Guernsey.
A closer look at 55 Nassau will lead you to Hosh Yoga, a Greenpoint nonprofit made possible by a team of 60 volunteers and instructors, which provides donation-based classes with a mission of health and wellness as a right to life, not a luxury. Continue reading →
If you’re like me, your New Year’s resolution (if you made one at all) is already abandoned, and training for a half-marathon has been replaced with a snowy sprint to the bodega.
Never fear, my fellow hibernating, chubby, and cocooned Greenpointers! Below is a list of 5 fitness programs bizarre enough to get you out of the apartment and maybe even in shape before winter’s over, without even having to get on the subway: Continue reading →
Our fitness journeys can be difficult, especially when you’re not sure how to start or how to remain consistent. A lot of us have been conditioned to develop a pretty poor relationship with food, along with many limiting beliefs about the power we have to change things. And just like any relationship that is like a turbulent roller-coaster, it typically ends up in a downward spiral. If you constantly find yourself overwhelmed on how to even get started, we totally get it.
