I’m a planner, and when I’m planning my trip for work or leisure, I make sure to research fitness studios around & love trying them out. (Am I normal? hope so.) This NYC trip was quite hectic, but I made sure to book in for classes earlier in the morning (You can’t go to NYC & not try out fitness classes – they have the best vibe and boutique studios!) Here are some highlights from my workouts on this trip for the Fall ’13 season.

–Flybarre
As a flybarre addict (but never actually tried the classes in NYC!) I couldn’t wait to try a NYC signature class (which was definitely more challenging as flybarre has been going on for years in New York.) I was missing Kara and Shay, who were in Dubai training the instructors that I had to book in with them. I was bummed to not find time to try the other instructors, so that is definitely at the top of my list for my next trip…

–Flywheel
I managed to pop in to two classes during this trip and wish I couldve fit a few others. I took Holly Rilinger’s class after a Flybarre session with Shay. This woman is so much fun… Energy, and great playlist (love how she added some Akon!). I love how each instructor adds something different to their class – Holly has her infamous Victory Arms! I also took a class with Kate Hickl (PS book super early… as I had to get on a waitlist even though I rushed to book!) Her energy was great, her words were inspiring, and her music was amazing. The vibe was just unreal.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahKj0edArw[/youtube]

–Figure 4 @ Pure Yoga
One of the few barre workouts that I haven’t tried. I’ve been reading so much about this, and so glad I got to fit it in this trip. As I never really stay uptown, it can be a hassle to get to, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I took a class at Pure Yoga West with Kate Albarelli, who is actually the creator of Figure 4. Kate is super sweet, and was very hands on (as someone that likes to push myself, it’s always great having someone push you to do better.) I feel like the actual workout is just as important as your instructor, so if you get a chance to book yourself in, book in for figure 4 with Kate! As I’ve tried a ton of Barre based workouts and methods, I am quite picky with the ones I like and this is definitely one I recommend. I’ve posted a little video of Kate showing some ‘at home’ moves above.

-Yoga session with Hilaria Baldwin @ Yoga Vida
I don’t practice yoga regularly, I’ll try sessions every now and then, fit a few bikram sessions in between but I’ve been wanting to try Hilaria Baldwin’s flow yoga classes for a while now (who happens to be Alec Baldwin’s wife) at downtown yoga studio, Yoga Vida. I loved how the studio was clean, relaxing but super simple (the 7am class on a Thursday at 99 University place was filled with NYU students, who were casual and brought their own mats) A class hall fits 70 students – At first, I thought that means Hilaria would just be giving names for the positions, but she was a lot more hands on than I thought. A great area, a great studio and a great class. I met Hilaria after the class,who was so down to earth, and mentioned she’d love to come down to Dubai some day.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5y2phhV7c[/youtube]

–Chaise23
Whenever I pop into NYC, I make sure to catch some classes at Chaise23. My favorite one is the cardio chair as it’s a different workout compared to what I usually do. It keeps the heart rate up, and great music. All the instructors are great, and the mother/daughter owners – Lauren & Rachel Piskin are sweethearts!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvPuSjPkopg[/youtube]

-Core fusion barre at Exhale
One of the few original barre method studios in NYC – Exhale! As a Barre lover, I’ve been meaning to try this out, especially after trying out the DVD from Virgin Megastore in Dubai. I took a class at their Central Park South branch with one of their star teachers, Bergen Wheeler – who was very hands on, and always made everyone push more, and asked us to drop one inch lower – a killer barre workout. Check out a video from their class above.

–Physique57
Whenever I’m in NYC, I make sure to catch classes with Ashley Yeater, who is so much fun. I also had the chance to pop in for a class with the beautiful Holly, who is not only gorgeous, she’s super sweet and constantly makes adjustments whilst working out. She’s known for her waterski (just incase you love your waterskis at physique…)