This week in New York City I’ve done my best not to burn the candle at both ends, waking up early and staying out too late. The last thing I want to happen is that I land back in Geneva on Monday sick and feeling lethargic. So while I haven’t stayed out a single night thus far, I’ve found myself working out with friends every single morning. It’s been fabulous and provided me the chance to try lots of new workout classes and studios!

I headed down to Union Square bright and early this morning to meet Melissa for a workout at CityRow.  As the studio is conveniently located by one of my favorite healthy food spots in New York City, Hu Kitchen, I was able to dash into Hu and treat myself to a green juice (Organic Demi-Vert) before class!

The studio is located on the 15th floor of 80 Fifth Avenue in a small space which includes an entry area where guests can check-in for class and get water along with a large, airy studio space where the classes take place. The friendly staff greeted me upon arrival offering to check me in for class, fill up my water bottle and answer any questions. She also let me know that while there are no showers, there is a bathroom which studio guests may use. The bathroom is down the hall and is plenty spacious in case you need to change clothes or want to wash your face and freshen up after class.

The space is very airy due to the clean lines, multiple windows, bright white paint and wood floors. In fact, the space is spotless, looking as it has been open a day instead of a year! In the studio itself there are about 20 WaterRower machines, yoga mats and towels along with a nook in the corner with cubby holes for purses and bags.

Beth, our instructor, welcomed everyone to the Row+Flow class which combines 15 minutes of intense rowing with 30 minutes of power yoga.  She did a great job catering to the new clients, such as me, ensuring that we were properly set up on our rowing machines and knew how to flow through the movements.

Row+Flow is a perfect CityRow class for someone who may be intimidated by CityRow’s more rowing based workouts such as Signature Row or SignatureX, even though I’ve been reassured that even those classes rarely include more than 5-10 minutes of rowing before mixing things up with another workout.

The 15 minute portion included a mix of sprints, power pulls, pausing drills, and oblique rowing drills. The soundtrack was fun and uplifting, helping each of us push just a bit harder at 7:30am. She often asked us to keep a watch on our pace, pushing us to stay below certain splits but understanding that everyone’s ability is different. She walked around adjusting students, similar to a yoga instructor, ensuring that everyone used proper form. Many people use the rowing machine incorrectly so as a past rower I appreciated her careful coaching!

    

After 15 minutes we moved to the mats for 30 minutes of power flowing yoga that focused a lot on core work, which I loved! I loved that the power yoga moves kept us on our toes and each of the students continued to sweat until the final pose. My favorite move was dolphin, which she broke down into segments before making us do it four or five times.

I really enjoyed the class and the instructors supportive attitude and would make it a weekly addition to my schedule if I still lived in New York City. I hope to try one of their other class offerings when I’m back in January!

Cost: $32 though packages can reduce prices – Address: 80 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor, New York City – What to wear: Stick with crops or leggings versus booty shorts, a breathable tank or top and you favorite sneakers

If you’re in NYC you can check out RowHouse, CityRow, or Brooklyn Crew or check out this 20 minute rowing workout you can do on your own at the gym! 

Your turn! Have you ever tried a rowing class or used the rowing machine at your gym?