If your body is a temple, then the gym is a sanctuary. It’s no longer a place to just sweat for an hour, but a third space where culture, wellness, health, physiology, fashion, science, bodies, and beauty meet. Our Working It Out package investigates modern fitness and its increasing impact on our everyday lives.
Everyone has a favorite workout studio or at-home class that they feel very passionately about. Some people live for Megaformer classes like Solidcore or SLT, while others like more traditional Pilates classes. Others want to sweat their entire body weight out in hot yoga, while some prefer the optimized selfie-friendly lighting of the Red Room at Barry’s and its difficult classes. And then there are those ELLE staffers who prefer to work out in the comfort of their homes, without worrying about cancellation fees or someone else’s sweat. Below, find all of our favorite workout classes, from the buzziest Instagram-worthy studios to the simplest at-home options.
Rumble Boxing
Multiple national locations
The class setup at Rumble Boxing.
“Something about a dimly lit room with red and blue LED lights turns me into a warrior. The speakers pumping Top 40 hits and mashups help me drown out the outside noise and the Microsoft Teams notifications waiting for me on my phone in the lockers. Each class follows a similar format: half HIIT, half boxing drills. Can I call myself a boxer? Not quite, but this girl has the hands (and the strength) of an aspiring one.”—Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor
Practice Room
New York, NY
“You will sweat at Practice Room. There’s no avoiding it—it’s a heated workout, after all. But if you’re anything like me, there is some satisfaction in leaving a class soaking wet and red in the face. Whether you’re someone who thrives on a super intense workout or you’re walking in already negotiating how many breaks you’re going to take (same), it adjusts to you. The instructors are motivating, but not in an over-the-top, yelling-at-you way, but more like they’re cheering you on. They actually pay attention, encourage you to push yourself, but are also the first to remind you that taking a break is completely fine. The cold, scented towel at the end of class is such a small thing but somehow feels like everything.”—Moriel Mizrahi Finder, editorial and social media assistant
CorePower Yoga
Multiple national locations
One of CorePower’s yoga studios.
“I don’t know if it’s the former competitive dancer in me, but I love a group exercise, especially when it tests my flexibility. Most of these heated classes follow the same general format: a couple of casual yoga flows, a few sculpt sessions to target the arms and legs, a quick cardio burst, an intense core series, plus, of course, a moment of savasana to close out the class. When you find your favorite instructor who pushes your limits, plays your favorite music, and leaves you adequately sore the following day, there’s no better feeling. Once I started both looking and feeling stronger, I learned to love the absurdly sweaty sessions. I also learned that if you sit right next to the door, you’ll get a nice gust of air every time someone leaves the room—game changer.”—Emma Aerin Becker, associate beauty commerce writer
ID Hot Yoga
New York, NY
The ID Hot Yoga Studio in the Lower East Side.
“When I was 22 and new to the city, a friend invited me to a hot yoga class she’d heard was ‘really hard.’ I mostly went because I wanted us to become better friends, but to this day, it is among the best decisions I’ve made—both because she is now one of my lifelong friends and because it is now my favorite workout studio in the city. Now, eight years later, I trek from Bed-Stuy to the Lower East Side every weekend to take Tricia’s 10 A.M. class. This studio was the first that ever convinced me to think of going to yoga as a practice. It’s taught me discipline and perseverance, and it is truly the best way I know how to unplug and touch grass. I view every class as a way to check in with myself—though the flow is the same, each class is so different based on my body and my mood, and it has been really cool to track that over the years. It works every muscle, even the smallest ones, and I leave so sweaty that it looks like I jumped in a pool. There are many different locations now, but I’ll always be loyal to the Lower East Side one. It’s bare-bones (which I personally like), and it’s less for influencers and more for people who truly love yoga. The instructors are clear and kind, they learn your name, and they only do hands-on modifications if you want them.”—Katie Berohn, beauty editor
Vital Climbing Gym
New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY
“I go to Vital Climbing Gym four to five days a week. It really wakes me up for the day. I love moving at my own pace in the morning, usually doing a mix of full-body strength training and cardio.”—Leah Romero, senior digital designer
Esquina
Brooklyn, NY
“My favorite workout studio is Esquina, a boutique studio in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, that offers classes in kettlebells, strength training, vinyasa and Katonah Yoga, Pilates, Capoeira Angola, and handstands. My favorite is the hour-long strength training class, which I take at least twice per week. I’ve learned that as we age, especially as women, it’s super important to lift weights to maintain bone density, and having this in my life has made that goal less intimidating. I’ve never been a ‘go lift in the gym’ person, but Esquina has made weightlifting approachable. The classes are a challenge, but not intimidatingly hard; the instructors are kind and encouraging, and not too intense or scary. I also love that the classes are small (no more than 15 people), so you get individualized attention. I’ve been going for over a year now and have observed tangible results, like increasing the amount of weight that I can lift. I always leave feeling strong and good about myself, and what more could you possibly ask of a workout?”—Kayla Webley Adler, deputy editor and features director
Bodycraft
Brooklyn, NY
“No bikini body talk, no strangers, and no previous dancing required. I found Bodycraft, a dance cardio studio, randomly on Google this year, and it checks a lot of boxes that I really appreciate. Every class starts with a brief sharing of names and mental check-in, and the sculpt and dance segments (which include rudimentary moves like the grapevine and kick ball chain) test my memory, coordination, and focus in a challenging but gentle way. I like that the instructors, who take the time to learn everyone’s name, refer to us collectively as “dancers!” even when I am heading left while everyone is going right. Everything is done in time with the beat, which soothes the former music student in me. I’ve always gone to semi-anonymous workout classes, but there is something special about being in an intimate setting with a community that takes a few minutes to listen to how you’re feeling about your day.”—Kathleen Hou, beauty director
Pure Barre
Multiple national locations
“Pure Barre is my absolute favorite workout to do. I like how it has the regular class (which is still quite challenging), the Define class (with heavier weights), and the Align class (for when you’re feeling like you want to take it a bit easy). Also, techniques like properly engaging your core can be applied to basically any other workout—even walking!”—Sofia Urrutia, assistant to the editor-in-chief
Avea Pilates
New York, NY
Avea Pilates in New York City.
“My favorite workout studio in the city is Avea Pilates, a contemporary Pilates reformer-based studio (not a Megaformer, don’t get it twisted). I have been going to this studio for a little over seven years now and find myself here multiple times a week. I love how each instructor brings their own style to the class, I know exactly who to go to when I want an intense challenge, and who to see when I want a little bit more of a laid-back class. I live, laugh, love Avea Pilates.”—Laura Hacker, supervising producer, fashion and luxury
GGStudio
Virtual
“Gabby George’s at-home workouts—especially her five-minute arm series—are one of those things that sound almost too good to be true, but are really that good. Five minutes feels doable no matter how busy you are. The best part is, they actually work. Your arms burn in that short window. It’s the kind of win that makes you feel like you showed up for yourself, even on the most chaotic mornings. It’s low effort in terms of time, high reward in how you feel after. And once you start, it’s very easy to keep coming back to.”—MMF
“Lately, I’ve also been incorporating Gabby George’s bridal arm YouTube workout series, either at home or at the gym. I’ve been consistent for the past four months, and the difference in my shoulders and arms is noticeable.”—LR
Peloton
Virtual
“Ever since I got a Peloton during COVID, my life has changed for the better. It’s wildly efficient and saves me so much time and energy schlepping to and from the studio. It’s become my own personal form of therapy.”—Claire Stern Milch, senior digital director
Bōde NYC
New York, NY
“I love Bōde on the Upper East Side. I do the Bikram 60-minute class, which I find is the perfect amount of time. Ninety minutes can feel like unnecessary torture, as if you’re being boiled while balancing on one leg and squatting down, especially when you have yet another 30 minutes to go. The room is hot and the class is tough—I’ve had to pause in the middle, as many people do, to prevent myself from passing out. If you are up for a challenge, it’s a great way to exercise discipline without additional equipment, and you’ll leave class blissed out and satisfied. I’m typically wet with sweat in the first five minutes of class, which is obviously uncomfortable, but a good reminder of all the distractions present in daily life that one has to ignore in service of what must be done.”—Darnell Henderson, designer
Barry’s
Multiple national locations
“It took me a minute, but about a year ago, I became obsessed with Barry’s. The workout class is not for beginners. It moves quickly and, in my opinion, requires a base understanding of various exercises; however, once you get it down, it’s the perfect pump. With half weight training and half running, the cardio and strength training combo gets the adrenaline high. Often, too, the instructor has a killer playlist where you’re running at 10 miles per hour to a Lady Gaga song or an EDM classic.”—Samuel Maude, content strategy manager, video and social
Bodyrok
Multiple national locations
Bodyrok’s newest studio in Coral Gables, Florida.
“When I first started going to classes again after the pandemic, I was going to Bodyrok all the time. It is one of the hardest workouts I’ve done—it keeps you on the ‘heavy springs’ on its proprietary reformers. You often do moves ‘on the back,’ which is a nice way of saying that they are extra hard and feel nearly impossible. It’s the one reformer class where I consistently leave a puddle of sweat behind (TMI?) and that leaves me feeling sore for days after. When I consistently go to Bodyrok, I can actually see my obliques, so it’s worth it even if the classes feel a little like voluntary torture.”—KB
DanceBody
Virtual
“I like workouts that can get my ponytail bouncing and make me forget how much time is left. These classes are dynamic—the dance routines will make you feel like a Knicks City Dancer and change every few weeks, so you have time to perfect them, while the sculpt moves are different with each class. There is a robust selection of streaming classes available on demand, and I used to do the dance cardio routines so spiritedly during COVID that my downstairs neighbor complained about ‘some sort of racket.’”—KH
Ethēa
New York, NY
“Ethēa hot sculpt classes are heated at the perfect temperature, the workout itself is challenging but manageable, and the space is beautiful. Classes are bathed in a sunset orange light that makes me feel like I’m working out inside of my Hatch alarm clock. I like that the studio incorporates heavier weights to help you get stronger, rather than just two- or three-pound options. As a Greek-inspired studio, the showers are stocked with Korres, Nécessaire’s Rosemary Shampoo and Conditioner, and even sculptural perfumes to spritz on before you leave.”—KB
