Getting Out of My Comfort Zone with Trampoline Fitness

Even though I have access to hundreds of different classes in New York City, it is easy to find classes with which I’m comfortable and schedule them on repeat. One of my goals for this year is to challenge my mind and body in new ways. In February, this meant taking four classes at Brooklyn Body Burn, a class which humbles me and leaves my entire body quivering as I do my best to complete the Mega Former class. During March and April, in partnership with the YMCA of Greater New York, I will take four different group fitness classes or workouts that I haven’t tried previously. With 24 locations throughout the boroughs of New York City, there is likely a YMCA location within a few blocks of any locals reading this post.

Dodge YMCA outside

For many people, a YMCA membership can be a great fitness option as it often provides access to childcare, aquatic facilities, group fitness classes and cardio and weight machines. They have classes that are accessible for people with any ability ranging from children focused classes to senior citizen classes and everything in between. They also pride themselves on the sense of community within each YMCA location. Many of the staff members are locals, so they can become rooted in the community, helping ensure that the branch meets the neighborhood needs. Due to the pool access, Bo and I have discussed having a membership to our local YMCA, the Dodge YMCA location, in addition to ClassPass.

Dodge YMCA
The first new to me class was Trampoline Fitness at the Dodge YMCA location. This 30-minute class, taught by Jennifer, one of their lead group fitness instructors, is offered six times each week. Each student uses a mini- trampoline and mat during the low impact aerobic workout.  This trampoline may look innocent but believe me; it will help get your heart pumping and make you sweat in a shockingly short time.

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Jennifer took us through a few moves before starting the class  to make sure we each felt comfortable on the trampoline. She also told me to think about it as rebounding versus bouncing. It wasn’t as much of a downward movement as it was an upward movement, therefore engaging more of my calf and quad muscles. Most of the class would be spent doing compound movements, to get the most out of our 30 minutes. This meant that while I was focusing my lower body on the rebounding, I’d be boxing and punching with our arms to the beat of the music.

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Que the laughter. As you guys know, coordination is not my strong suit.  Therefore I was constantly off-beat or a step behind the entire class. Luckily, Jennifer reminded me just to have fun with it and smile. I loved her supportive nature as without it I probably would have spent the class feeling defeated and embarrassed.

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We started with light jumping followed by rounds of intervals including jumping jacks, jump rope at different speeds, high kicks and sprinting. To control our bounce, we had to keep our cores engaged and focus on the small, tight, controlled movements. After the warm-up, we spent the next 15 minutes doing a series of boxing moves which included squats, punches, upper cuts and side kicks – quickly taking me back to the Tae Bo workouts I did in college. We ended the class with 5 minutes of ab work using our mat and trampoline to make common moves like planks and sit-ups more difficult.

The class was a great low-impact cardio workout that provided an effective workout without leaving me sore. Most of all, I loved the fun factor. Everyone in class, including the instructor, was smiling and laughing the entire time even during the most challenging moves.

Interested in trying this class out for yourself or visiting your local YMCA of Greater New York? Head to their website to try your local YMCA for free!

Have you ever taken a trampoline workout class? 

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

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My Thoughts on ClassPass

When I moved back to New York City last month, the team at ClassPass was kind enough to send me an email welcoming me home with a complimentary two week ClassPass membership. As you guys know, one of the things I missed most while living in Geneva was access to fitness classes. I love the inspiration, motivation and energy of group fitness classes as well as the benefit of learning from the instructors.

ClassPass launched in New York City right before our move and therefore this was my first time experiencing the site and their application. Now it is available in over 30 cities across the United States, Canada and England! You can even upgrade your membership so you can workout in different cities, perfect for someone who travels a lot.

During the two week time period I was able to squeeze in eight classes which allowed me to experience a number of different studios all across Manhattan. In order to help you guys learn more about ClassPass, in case you’ve never tried it, I summed up my thoughts below. As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you have if you leave a comment or send me an email!

Price: In NYC, the monthly membership is $125. Whether this is expensive or a deal is a very personal decision, however many boutique fitness studios in NYC are $25-35 per class. Based on this, if you go to five classes per month on ClassPass or an average of one per week, the membership pays out.  Considering that this cost gives you access to over 500 studios, it is seen by many, including myself, to be a great deal.

Studios: With over 500 studios participating in ClassPass NYC, it is a great way to discover studios which you may not have otherwise visited. Using their app or website, you can easily find classes in your area or sort them based on time,  type of class or even amenities in case you need a shower to use before heading to work.  They are frequently adding new studios to their roster. In fact, during my two week trial I received two separate emails advertising new boutique partnerships.

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Booking: Students are allowed to book at a single studio up to three times within a one month period. This motivations students to try new studios while also helping studio partners manage the number of students. You can book classes one week in advance. However, many of the popular studios or instructors often book as quickly as a Soul Cycle class. Therefore, many participants actually set a calendar invite reminding them to sign up for their favorite classes a week in advance. In fact, this is the only way I was able to get a spot in my favorite Uplift Fitness (Sculpt Fusion) class and Flywheel instructor’s  (Kara B) class. I will say, their app and website are both user-friendly, which makes signing up that much easier!

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But what happens if my schedule changes? The good news is that ClassPass allows you to cancel your class up to 12 hours in advance. If you cancel within the 12-hour window you will be charged $15 and that will count as a visit to the studio. If you don’t cancel, you’re charged $20.

So what about places like FlyWheel which has multiple locations? The 3 class limit is for the entire brand, not each location. Therefore you can’t go to each FlyWheel location (Lincoln, Flatiron, etc) 3 times in a month. Instead you’re allowed to go to a total of 3 FlyWheel classes in a month, regardless the locations you choose.

More than just classes! In New York City and Boston, you can now register for local running races on ClassPass! It’s a great way to discover new, local races that you may otherwise miss.

It’s even more fun with friends! One of my favorite things about ClassPass is that it enables you to easily work out with friends. Whereas many gyms, such as Equinox, make it nearly impossible for you to bring guests into the gym to join in a workout class, ClassPass makes it easy to workout with friends. You can save money and book classes through ClassPass while your friends can meet you at the same studio or also register via ClassPass.

But it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. What didn’t you like? Honestly, I found it pretty hard to find things I didn’t like about ClassPass.  The biggest thing that annoyed me with ClassPass is that popular studios fill up VERY quickly AND studios don’t necessarily offer their full schedule or all their locations. For example, there was a class during a peak time at one of my favorite studios which wasn’t offered via ClassPass and Fhitting Room, which Bo and I both love, only has one of their studios on ClassPass. Unfortunately, the studio that is on ClassPass, their Upper East location, isn’t convenient for us.

y7 yoga

Where did I work out during the two week trial? Uplift (2 times), Y7 Yoga (2 times), Overthrow Underground Boxing (1 time), SkyTing Yoga (1 time), FlyWheel (2 times)

Did I join? As of now, I haven’t joined ClassPass due to our move. This month we have so much going on that I don’t have times to take a lot of classes. Whereas last month I was taking 2-3 classes per week on top of my running, this month I have averaged one strength class and one yoga class per week. Since Bo and I love Fhitting Room Flatiron’s location so much, we bought a package to the studio since we can split the package. Honestly, if I found out tomorrow that Fhitting Room Flatiron joined ClassPass there is a great chance I’d take the leap. (Updated: As of September 23rd, 2015, I have joined ClassPass!)

How about you? Have you tried ClassPass? Did you love it? 

*I am a ClassPass affiliate and thereefore this post includes ClassPass affiliate links. However, as always, all thoughts and views are my own! 

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Sky Ting Yoga

As promised guys, I have been trying lots of new studios so I can give you guys the inside scoop and I can begin to catch up on all the workout action in New York City. As you know, while I was living in Switzerland there were only two studios I visited, one was a seasonal spin studio and the other was my favorite yoga studio.

It’s so fun to be back in New York City and taking advantage of the boutique fitness scene. While it can be very expensive, I’m trying many of these studios through ClassPass or leveraging their new student specials!

It seems like every few weeks a new yoga studio opens in New York City.  Often it’s hard to understand what sets each apart from the other. On Yelp there are over 1,000 studios in the area and on ClassPass and FitReserve alone, there are over 100 studios in New York City!

But, when Well+Good, one of my favorite outlet’s for all things health and wellness, raved about Sky Ting Yoga, I knew I had to check it out!IMG_2357

Located on the edge of Chinatown, Sky Ting isn’t exactly easy to reach for most people. But, as soon as you walk through the studio, you are transported to a peaceful world filled with light, mellow music, friendly staff and an incredible yoga space. The staff was friendlier than most studios, making me feel at home and welcome even when I arrived sweaty and out of breath. Unlike many studios, Sky Ting includes mats and towels, so students don’t have to worry about lugging theirs or shelling out extra cash to rent.

Apart from the space and the friendly space, the primary thing that sets Sky Ting apart from the rest is the yoga space. After checking in you head back outside and ascend an outdoor staircase to the fifth floor studio.

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Skylights and large windows allow light to flow through and illuminate the bright white walls and wood floor. The only thing that fills the space other than light is a tall giraffe, which provides levity to any yoga class.

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The owners Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernaghan who both previously taught at Yoga Vida, teach a unique yoga style known as Katonah yoga. The method brings together traditional hatha yoga, pranayama breathing techniques and strong vinyasa sequences. This mix allowed me to go from sweating and breathless to calm within just moments when I took Chloe’s class last week. Her yoga style and epic playlist quickly helped me realize why after only two weeks, the yoga studio is filling the Monday night class to capacity.

Jones

(Image source)

The only thing I must point out, is that even though I enjoyed the class and left feeling less stressed and standing a bit taller, is that I didn’t feel that I fit in. This sounds silly as New York City is filled with all types of yogis. But, in this Monday evening class, I felt as if I was at a modeling or actress audition. The majority of women in the class were taller, slimmer and tanner than me while having a California cool persona. Don’t get me wrong, that won’t keep me from going back to Sky Ting but it’s something I do feel I should point out in case that isn’t your crowd or style.

Their schedule includes both 60 and 90 minute classes at just about any hour you could want! They have six classes Monday through Friday and three classes on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re in town on a weekend, I’ve heard that their Saturday and Sunday duo instructor classes with the founders, Krissy and Chloe, are wonderful!

Each class costs $20 though there are packages which reduce it down to $16. Make sure to take advantage of their new student special –  two weeks of unlimited classes for just $20!

Want to read more? Check out what Elle, Well + Good and Vogue had to say about Sky Ting!

Cost: $20 though packages can reduce prices to $16  Address: 55 Chrystie Street (at Canal Street) 4th Floor, New York City  What to wear: Your favorite yoga gear and a bottle of water will do just fine but don’t worry about lugging mats as they provide them!

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