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Silent Saturday Savannah Style

The Savannah weather has been perfect this trip. The highs each day are 70, the sky is blue, sun is shining bright and we’ve had a wonderful time spending time on the water with the birthday girls, my Mom and Aunt Rusty, as well as our favorite guys! What you won’t see in some of these pictures is that we were soaking wet since the white caps and waves were so large yesterday! As my aunt said, it was the most amazing 2 hour roller coaster ride, ever!

Ashley coffee

bo chilling

Three girls boat

Shrimp boat
Ryan Ashley boat
Boating fun

Fire

Birthday girls

Hope you guys are having a great weekend!

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ClassPass Month In Review: January and February

Classpass-month-in-review-jan- feb 20

It’s time for another installment of the ClassPass Month in Review. As you may remember, four months ago Bo and I decided to give ClassPass a try after hearing wonderful things about it, realizing the two of us could leverage it together and a positive month long trial back in July.  It’s crazy how much can change in such a short period of time. Back in July I tried it for the first time and now, just a few months later, I’m an official ClassPass ambassador!  I’ve taken 89 classes through ClassPass and am one of their largest advocates! Don’t believe me? Try for yourself! Use this link to get $25 off your first month

Also, my friends are taking me up on this offer already, but if you guys have ANY questions about ClassPass, even if you’re not in NYC, feel free to email me! I’m happy to help and can also reach out to the team if you have specific questions. 

As promised, each month I will provide a brief recap of our experience including the number of classes taken, average cost per class and a brief recap of the studios where we sweat that month. In addition, if you’re on CLASSPASS feel free to follow my fitness schedule here. I love meeting readers so if you see me in a class, please say hello! If you want to check out my previous monthly recaps, click here, here,  here and here.

Month 4: January 21st – February 20th 

Number of classes taken: 11

Number of studios visited: 7

Number of classes missed or late cancelled: 0

Number of cities: 1 (NYC)

Average cost per workout based on NYC rate of $125 per month: $11.36

I’m not surprised that this month was a pretty  big reduction in the number of classes I took as we had people stay with us three weekends and we traveled to Tahoe for a ski weekend. Unfortunately, by March I felt this reduction in workouts and have made it a focus of mine over the past few weeks to get back to strength training, HIIT workouts and/or bar workouts. I just feel better when I have supplement my running with these workouts. A few people, including running coaches who I respect greatly, have suggested that I can easily enjoy yoga in the evening after a morning run, in order to allow me time on other days to focus on other workouts.

Last Month’s Classes

Brooklyn BodyBurn Cobble Hill (3)

This hard and humbling class will leave even the most in-shape students trembling and shaking after just the first few minutes of class. The class takes place on Megaformer machines, which resemble a Pilates reformer machine but are so much more than that. Most classes begin with planks and ab engagement then flow through multiple complex movements which engage the entire body. The classes are small, limited to less than 10 students, so the teachers can adjust and coach throughout the class. I can’t recommend Jason’s classes enough as he is hilarious, has a great playlist and motivates me through even the hardest of moves. Also, take a friend for your first class as there is definite power and safety in numbers.

Barry’s Bootcamp Chest, Back & Abs Tribeca (2)

I first tried Barry’s Bootcamp in 2012 during a Well+Good event. It was a love at first sweat experience. Since then they have expanded throughout NYC and cities across the world but the workout hasn’t changed. Walk into the dim lit room ready to work your butt off, sweat a lot, have awesome music pumping through the speakers and instructors motivating you through a mix of yelling, inspiring and supporting. While the workout isn’t for everyone, I definitely suggest snagging a spot on ClassPass and trying it out for yourself. The classes book quickly but I was able to squeeze into a 6pm class by booking the same day. The chest, back and abs class is actually my favorite of their offerings as it feels the most like a full body workout. When you’re not sprinting or tackling hills on the treadmill, you’re on the floor moving through pushups, planks and other forms of minute long torture.

High 45 at Mile High Run Club (2)

I’ve professed my love of Mile High multiple times (full review here). Their High 45 class is a great class for runners of all abilities. As you can guess from the class name, the workout includes 45-minutes of running. The running includes a five minute warm-up and five minute cool down. In between that you’ll sweat through 35 minutes of tempo work. A typical class includes half hills and half speed with most intervals ranging from three to six minutes! My favorite teachers are Jes Woods and Deborah Woods!

Sunrise Flow Bend & Bloom Yoga (2)

This Park Slope yoga studio has two large, bright, beautiful studios and offers more than 65 classes per week.  The Sunrise Flow which is offered on Friday mornings, is taught by the lovely Christine, a fellow blogger and runner. Her class is 60 minutes of flow which often includes lots of twists, stretches and restorative poses along with a fewer higher energy poses to wake the body. I love starting my Friday with this class as it puts me in the best mood and is a great way to release tension and stress from the body as well as shake out my hips and legs before my weekend long run.  While there aren’t showers, the studio’s private bathroom is spacious and would allow for a quick wet wipe bath and dry shampoo spritz before work.

WeFlowHard Vinyasa Yoga at Y7 

This studio isn’t for everyone, but man do I love it. Each class is a bit different but in the WeFlowHard classes, students should come prepared to sweat – a lot. The infared heated room is darkened so that students can focus on their flow versus watching others or feeling self conscious. The music is often rap or top 40 music which creates a very different vibe than you have at most yoga studios. Throughout the class there is time for free flow which allows students to complete a sequence at their own rhythm and pace.  The Flatiron location doesn’t have showers but both locations feature a “refresh bar” where students can blow dry hair, freshen up and apply makeup. If you want to read more about Y7 you can read my full studio review here.

Dash 28 at Mile High Run Club

If you’re newer to Mile High or running, this class is a great option for you! The 45-minute class includes 28 minutes of treadmill running followed by 10 minutes of strength training using body weight and kettle bells. The running portion includes a mix of hills and speed work, similar to the distance class, but due to the short duration, flies by quickly. I highly recommend Andia Wilson and Corinne!

Power Flow 60 Tangerine Hot Power Yoga

There is a reason this studios classes quickly sell out, especially evening and weekends when Brooklyn locals and Manattanites flock to Tangerine Yoga. The 60-minute class isn’t for the weak as it is a heated strong, power yoga class. But, don’t fear, instructors provide lots of adjustments and guidance to ensure everyone has the best session possible. The studio provides complimentary yoga mats and towels as well as selling juices and coconut water in the small boutique and lounge area. I’ve now taken five classes at this studio and grow more in love with it each class. They develop a great sense of community and each instructor is more supportive than the next. So far, my favorite instructors are Emily and Tamara.

Your turn: If you’re a NYC local, what are your favorite studios? Where should I sweat next? 

This post is not compensated nor requested of me via CLASSPASS. While it does contain affiliate links, as a CLASSPASS affiliate, I only receive a small compensation if you choose to purchase a CLASSPASS membership.

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A Workout for All Abilities

Thanks to the YMCA of Greater New York for sponsoring this post.

When I was young, I spent a great deal of time at my grandparents house as my parents did their best to balance staring a family business and working full time. Most Summer mornings, my grandmother would don her favorite floral swimsuit and swim cap, force me into my swimsuit, lather me down in just a little too much sunscreen and drive us to the neighborhood pool. For the next hour I would dance on the pool’s ledge to the music as she and twenty of her friends took a water aerobics class. This class served as social hour for the women, providing them the chance to catch up on the local gossip, while also allowing them to get their heart rate up in a low impact environment.  Oh how I wish I had pictures from these morning workouts as the memories are wonderful.

Therefore, when the YMCA suggested that I try one of their aqua exercise classes, as part of my partnership, I was excited to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps and give her favorite workout a try. Even though it’d been more than nine months since I slide into my favorite TYR swimsuit and donned my aqua swim cap, I was excited to get in the pool last night after a long week.

mcburney ymca

Source

I arrived at the McBurney YMCA, commonly known to locals as the Union Square YMCA, at 6pm allowing myself plenty of time to explore the space and change before the 6:30pm class.  The building was bustling and packed with teenagers joining the weekly basketball game or the swim practice.  There are multiple floors and spaces including studios for group fitness, basketball courts, a large weight room, massage rooms, steam room, sauna and of course a pool.  I headed to the locker room where I was able to change into my swimsuit and rinse off before class.

 

aqua exercise

As soon as I exited the locker room the instructor, Val, kindly introduced herself and gave me a quick overview of the class.  She teaches aqua bootcamp multiple times per week at the YMCA and each class is a little different depending on the crowd. Last night’s class had twelve women of all shapes and sizes. For the past ten years she has loved teaching aqua boot camp as it allows her to bring fitness to people of all abilities as the workout is low impact but the water and foam weights provide resistance.

aqua exercise 3

I eased myself into the water, introducing myself to the other students. There were a few first timers, a mother in her third trimester and then some groupies who follow Val throughout the city for her classes.  Positioned in the deep end of the pool, I was ready to give this class a try.

The aqua boot camp class is broken into segments, which Val led both from the pool ledge and then in the water with us.

  • Warm-up
    • This portion was a blissful mix of deep stretching and yoga moves. 
  • Cardio
    • In order to get your heart rate up it’s suggested that you do this portion in the deep end, if possible. We spent 20 minutes doing different calesthic moves like running in place, jumping jacks, butt kicks, tuck jumps, lateral jumps, and cross country skiing.  This portion was harder than I expected and within five minutes I could feel my heart rate increasing and by the end of the twenty minutes I was short of breath. Now I know why people can use deep-water pool running while training! 
  • Strength
    • We used foam weights for the strength portion of the class, doing typical moves like lateral raises, bicep curls and hammer curls. The resistance of the water combined with the weight made the moves harder than normal. In order to keep our heart rate up we’d include cardio bursts after each move such as sprinting in place. 
  • Cool Down

For me, the class served as a great way to shake out my muscles after a long week and a few tough workouts while also enjoying the water’s relaxing effects.  I would highly recommend this class for anyone who is new to fitness, needs to keep things low resistance due to injury or is looking for a change.

Have you tried water aerobics or pool running before? 

Live in NYC and want to see what your local branch offers? Check out the YMCA website.

Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York.

Other posts in this series:

 

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