Last week, I posted Part 1 of My Hip Injury and left you with a cliffhanger for this week. Oh the suspense! But then I was quoted in the NY Times article Full-Service Gyms Feel a Bit Flabby, and I really wanted to address this article while it is still fresh — and while I (hopefully) still have visitors who found me there. If you just found my blog through the article, welcome! Something you should know about me: I generally only post blogs on Tuesdays. Also, I call them blags.
While I realize I should have posted my response to this article sooner, I happen to be in the middle of the busiest three weeks I’ve ever had. Why is there so much going on in the dead of winter? I just want to go home and be warm! In the summer when I want to be outside all the time I can never find anything to do! That said, I am still flying high from being quoted in the best paper in the world and I am so excited to have had this opportunity.
For the rest of you children and puppies interested in my well-being, I will post My Hip Injury – Part 2 next week.
In the Times article, Catherine Saint Louis asks the question “Is the gym passe?” With a recent drop in membership at large full-service gyms and boutique fitness studios gaining popularity, what gives? Among the reasons discussed in the article are people being plugged in to their iPods and TVs, diminishing the social and community aspect that used to come along with gym memberships, as well as a lack of support system and not enough group fitness classes.
While these are all valid points, I believe that many people leave the gym for the same reason I did: they don’t know exactly what they are doing and they are not seeing results.
The paragraph where I was quoted says:
Dori Manela, 27, who does social-media work for a real estate company, doesn’t believe that gorgeous design helped her get fit. She quit the luxury gym at the Sports Club/LA on the Upper East Side, which she lives a door away from, after Core Fusion classes at Exhale Spa gave her muscles she’d long coveted (and the first two months free). “I was paying a lot for a pretty space,†said Ms. Manela, who found it hard to trudge next door to spin at the Sports Club, and yet now rides the subway to do Core Fusion four times a week.
Theodora, who was also quoted in the article, explained that the pretty space is exactly what draws her to spend more money on Equinox ,and she finds it a huge motivator. I agree — a pretty space does make going to exercise more enticing. My issue with Sports Club/LA was not simply that I was paying a lot for a pretty space, but that I was paying a lot for a pretty space AND getting no results. I could have been paying $100 less a month at New York Sports Club and been getting the same results. Â If I’m going to shell out my hard-earned cash, I better see exactly what my money is buying me. Walking next door and using the gym at 6:15 am felt pointless. Getting on the subway at 6:15 am and taking Core Fusion has purpose.
This is what I meant by my quote: If you are someone (like me) who doesn’t know how to exercise effectively, there aren’t many opportunities at a gym for dramatic change in your body. Yes, big gyms offer lots of classes. Some are effective, some aren’t. If you want to go to a class that produces results, you have to do it on their schedule, which might not always work with yours. The gym might offer 10 classes a day, with two being the fantastic ones that will strengthen you and burn fat all-in-one. That means you need to get to the gym at one of those two times if you want to take this class. The rest of the time might be classes that (in my opinion) are more for fun and less a true full-body workout.
That is not to say these classes aren’t great for you and get you moving, and it is not to say they do not have their own benefits. But for someone like me, I needed something that would truly challenge my muscles in new ways and at Sports Club/LA, I only found that class twice a week with Brynn’s Transfigure. Because it was only offered twice a week, I was not able to take this class enough to see any significant results.
But when I join studios like exhale Core Fusion and Refine, their entire class schedule is the results-driven class. There is no having to wait for a certain day at a certain time to take the hard class; EVERY class is the hard class. 100% of their class programming are classes designed to strengthen, tone, burn fat and change your body. The teachers are all motivating. I leave every class feeling better than when I came in. I walk out knowing I just did something amazing for myself.
I need that. I need to know I can go to Core Fusion at 6:15 am before work or Refine at 5:20 after work or Core Fusion Cardio at 8:15 after my evening doctor’s appointment. I need to know that I have all day long, from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday, to get my workout in. That means I can see my friends for brunch or dinner or shopping without having to plan my day around a single workout. I can always fit a class in because there always is a class. And, Refine and Core Fusion work. The teachers push me in ways I could never have on my own. I would never have known how to! I feel and see the improvements in my body. I did not get this from my workouts at the gym.
I am all for paying more for the prettier space — as long as the prettier space is worth it. For me, there is nothing I could get from a gym that I couldn’t get from Core Fusion and running outside, so I have no need for a gym membership.
Ms. Saint Louis wonders if the trend is veering towards a la carte classes like Core Fusion or Soul Cycle where people can pay-as-they-go. I don’t think it is about paying as they go; I think it is about results. I think people are wising up. The reason these boutique studios became so popular is because people see results.
Yes, the community aspect that Ms. Saint Louis describes plays a part in their success. Like Jess explains in the article, the teachers in these studios remember your name from your very first class and they make you feel special. When I don’t take a Core Fusion teacher’s class for awhile, they will ask me where I’ve been. I feel like I’ve been missed! Now that I am injured, my teachers always ask about my hip. Brynn at Refine Method is specifically working with me to strengthen the surrounding muscles and help me get over my injury. I get individual attention — and so does every person who attends these classes.
For example, my friend is having a trunk show at exhale this weekend for her jewelry line and I emailed her today and said:
On Saturday, Bergen’s and Erin’s classes both start at 9:30, so we will get to see them before. Catherine is teaching on Friday, she is an absolute sweetheart and I am going to email her now.
Erica responded that she loves that I know everyone. And you know what? I love that too. But even more than that, I love the results I see from their classes.
And that is what it comes down to. My money goes where the results are, and many others feel the same. To address the original question: Are gyms passe? To me, yes. I can never see the benefit for myself to ever have a gym membership again, as long as I live in a place with boutique core classes. But for the most part, no. There will always be people who know what they’re doing and people who pretend to know what they are doing and cardio junkies. Maybe gyms will have to get smaller to adapt to a different type of clientele, and they will certainly have to make some class schedule and teacher upgrades if they want to compete with targeted boutiques, but for now the gym is not (yet) out of style.
But it is a telling sign that so many of my friends who belong to gyms also purchase packages at boutique studios, and others anxiously wait for RueLaLa to offer them at a discount. Why are they all jumping to spend money on TOP of their already-expensive gym memberships? Because these classes are fun and because they work. The gyms might become passe if they aren’t willing to recognize this and adapt to the current environment in exercise. People want attention, yes. But even more, people want results. That is what will keep them coming back.
42 comments on My Response to the NY Times Article
3Pingbacks & Trackbacks on My Response to the NY Times Article
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[…] getting the most out of my workouts with dedicated, boutique fitness classes.FebruaryOn February 1, I shared my response to that NY Times article — namely that the reason people pay so much […]
Alicia at Poise in Parma
February 1, 2011 at 8:04 am (14 years ago)I was so excited to see you and Theodora both quoted in the article.
I love this quote: “If you want to go to a class that produces results, you have to do it on their schedule, which might not always work with yours.”
SO true. My favorite class at my gym is one of the main reasons why I dropped the weight I did. I stopped regularly going to it this past year and I have noticed a difference. I went this past Saturday and it did me in – and I loved every minute.
Eliz@The Sweet Life
February 1, 2011 at 8:26 am (14 years ago)Thoughtful response–I got what you were trying to say and totally agree.
Ali @ Ali on the Run
February 1, 2011 at 8:27 am (14 years ago)I liked the NYT article—and obviously loved seeing all of you wonderful ladies quoted in it! That being said, I don’t think I apply to any of the groups profiled in the piece. I love the “big box” gyms, like Crunch where I belong. The group fitness classes are high energy and fun, and my location is still small enough that I know all the instructors, front desk people and class regulars. But I also love the boutique classes, like Refine Method, where it’s more intimate. I like to mix it up and try a variety of things. For me it’s never been as much about seeing results as it as about having fun while working out. I’m pretty easy to please!
Amber
February 1, 2011 at 8:33 am (14 years ago)Great response! I found myself nodding in agreement the entire time I read this post. Scheduling issues at my old gym were one of the main reasons I started looking outside of the gym. There was one class that I liked, and it was on Saturday mornings, and if I missed it there was nothing else I wanted to do for the rest of the week. One week the instructor was sick and I was so upset I was fighting back tears in the locker room (I am a huge baby). Of course that is never an issue at exhale – I have more options for classes than I know what to do with.
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 11:32 am (14 years ago)That reminds me of this time I went to Brynn’s old Transfigure class at SCLA and when I got there I found out she called out and there was a pilates class instead. Even though I was all dressed to work out and got myself to the gym . . . I left! If I couldn’t take this one good class, I was not interested.
Burgess
February 1, 2011 at 8:54 am (14 years ago)Very astute comments! Congratulations on being quoted in the NY Times!
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 11:32 am (14 years ago)Thank you so much!
Jess@atasteofconfidence
February 1, 2011 at 10:08 am (14 years ago)Interesting article and thoughts! I am from somewhere with no accessible studios, so it is interesting to hear what you think. For me, gyms are still very much my thing and what people around me focus on- but I completely understand where you are coming from and would love to try core fusion, etc!
MelissaNibbles
February 1, 2011 at 10:46 am (14 years ago)Great post Dori and congratulations on being featured in the NYT! I agree that I’m willing to spend money if I’m seeing results, otherwise I’ll stick to a bare bones gym.
Sara
February 1, 2011 at 10:59 am (14 years ago)Love this. Intelligent and well written and TRUE!
xoxo
s
Theodora
February 1, 2011 at 11:20 am (14 years ago)While the inviting space of Equinox definitely gets me to the gym, like Ali, I’m not really looking for results right now–I’m just looking to maintain and keep an active lifestyle.
But you do make a good point about the classes. I work until after 6 every night, which makes it hard to get to any class that starts before 6:30; my dog is on a very set schedule in the morning, which makes it impossible to go to any class that starts after 7 and still get to work on time. That there’s a Core Fusion class at 8 sounds AMAZING. Like I said in my own response (http://losingweightinthecity.com/post/2946456113/how-much-gym-is-enough), I like that Equinox’s classes are a step above, but when I’m training for a long race, like I am now, and don’t get to many classes, it does feel a bit like a waste. A treadmill is a treadmill.
Sorry for the longest comment ever…but I liked reading your response, too!
Samantha
February 1, 2011 at 11:56 am (14 years ago)“Boutique” studios are too expensive for me, plain and simple. I can’t afford $25-$30 a class 4x a week. No matter how much I love my Pilates Reformer classes, when I realized I was spending $200+ a month on classes I had to stop going. I’m glad you found something that you like and works for you, but if I got two months of free classes I’m sure I’d be hooked too.
Bianca Valentim
February 1, 2011 at 12:53 pm (14 years ago)Great post Dori!
Congrats on being quoted on NY Times! You rock!!!
You are so right! You just made realized why I don’t find excitement to take gym classes, they don’t really work. To tell the truth the only reason I’m a member of my gym is because I need the pool – I loove to swim.
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 12:57 pm (14 years ago)As long as you love something at the gym, it’s worth it!
nuttmegs17
February 1, 2011 at 1:40 pm (14 years ago)It’s an interesting article.
Living Chicago, I am extremely active in the summer months: I bike to work (over 20 miles round trip), I run out side, train for races, play soccer, play volleyball… I do not even step food inside a gym until about December. Sometimes I run out side during the cold months, but it’s much more pleasant to run intervels indoors and catch up on epidsodes of gossip girl so that’s what I choose to do. Knowing I will only be using the treadmill for a few months gets me through…
I’ve recently become a big fan of boutique studios as you mentioned. It’s great knowing that there is an awesome class available pretty much whenever you can be there. I look forward to going which is also huge. I also like the pay as you go function b/c as much as I would like to go 4 times a week, I’m most likely only going to make it to 2 (and then I hit the treadmill on the other days) this way, I don’t feel like I’m wasting my money.
I’m most likely going to be buying packages of 10 from several boutiques: a spin studio, a core power yoga package, and the bar method package (I’ve already gotten 2 of the 3 through groupon)…this will be in addition to running and will serve as a way to keep my body guessing and keep me from being bored.
The biggest complaint I have with gyms is that you are correct, usually the majority of their classes are subpar. I hate wasting my time like that. I was so upset when the spining guy whom I loved left – no one has gotten my heart rate up adequately since! bummer. My time is valuable so I need those classes to kick butt! That’s why I only get memberships to “basic” gyms ($25-$50 p/month) I just need their weights and a treadmill – I dont want the fancy stuff…I’ll get the fancy stuff from boutique studies, thank-you-very-much 🙂
I hope that as these studios gain in popularity, their prices go down – that is the only challenge I’m running into. I have a limited income and it’s hard to justify the cost. It would actually be very bad if cheaper gyms started failing and there were only boutique studios left to choose from – a huge percentage of the population would be left out b/c they couldn’t afford it.
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 1:44 pm (14 years ago)I completely agree, the price of boutique classes is too high for many people. My hope is that big gyms start to incorporate boutique-like classes into their own programming to remain competitive.
Dori
February 2, 2011 at 12:02 pm (14 years ago)I love this post and agree with your reflection on the difference between boutiques and big box gyms. I belong to Life Time Fitness and they are starting to get the hang of incorporating boutique classes in their large gym setting. I had considered cancelling my membership last Fall and buy packages at CorePower Yoga instead, but didn’t want to lose the option of doing my own cardio/weights if I wanted to.
Life Time recently rolled out a yoga series with a dozen new classes to choose from, including various levels, heated options, sculpting, and yoga-pilates fusion. In addition, they opened a few yoga/pilate studios around the country branded Life Power. It may sound like I work for them, but I don’t.. just a big fan! 🙂
They have room to learn and grow, I think they should incorporate more spin and total conditioning classes into the same boutique-feel direction. I think they are on the right path!
Dori
February 2, 2011 at 12:09 pm (14 years ago)This is such a great example of what more gyms need to do! I am so happy you commented with this because it is so refreshing to hear that big health clubs are responding to the current fitness environment and giving their members what they want. I bet your gym will do much better than competitors unwilling to change.
P.S. Love your name!
nuttmegs17
February 1, 2011 at 2:31 pm (14 years ago)One other observatoin – and they did not explore this in the article – is that gyms have negative connotations due to their sharklike -“fees” and contracts. I pay on time etc, but when I decide to remove myself at the end of the contract, it NEVER goes well…usually I’m charged for at least another month that I don’t use. My husband had his gym close overnight and STILL was held to paying his dues through the end of his contract (they justified it b/c they said they had another studio in town, and he could just use that…however, we did not have a car and it was not near public transportation so of course he couldn’t get there).
I think that keeps a lot of people from even bothering (huge sign-up fees as well).
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 2:37 pm (14 years ago)SO true. A lot of the comments on the actual Times article get more into those points. I’ve had my share of troubles trying to quit the gym (remember the Friends episode with Chandler “I want to quit the gym!”) They make it impossible. I think it is a disgusting practice that some gyms offer contracts only and no month-to-month options. And others lie. I used to belong to Crunch and when I signed up they told me I had to sign a year contract because they don’t offer monthly. I found out later that they actually do, and blatantly lied to suck me into a contract. I would gladly pay more each month to avoid the stress of being stuck.
That is so disgusting what they did to your husband. Totally unfair. A lot of gyms incorporate the “25 mile” rule into the contract, meaning you have to prove you move at least 25 miles away to be able to quit. That is a far distance to travel for a gym even if you did have a car.
Alina @ Duty Free Foodie
February 1, 2011 at 3:12 pm (14 years ago)I really agree with you about results! I live in Ottawa where my chain of gyms does offer a few effective classes (GoodLife Fitness), on top of which I take dance classes, have a second membership at work (which includes TRX and Kettlebells, which my other gym makes you buy personal training to use), and a couple of yoga studio cards.
That’s actually pretty crazy! I mean, the dance is pretty separate from everything else, and the yoga is too … but gyms really need to step it up with their programming!
Brynn at Refine Method
February 1, 2011 at 4:59 pm (14 years ago)It boils down to results. People will do what it takes for results and are willing to pay up or travel or let go of nice amenities if it means they see a change. I think that is what we are seeing now, people demanding more from their workouts.
Very good blog!
Angela (the diet book junkie)
February 1, 2011 at 6:23 pm (14 years ago)congratulations on your quote, that’s awesome!
i guess that’s the thing with any exercise regime or diet plan. might be great in theory, but if it doesn’t work into your life, you’re not gonna stick with it and you’re not gonna see results. (and results is what keeps us coming back, amen?)
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 9:17 pm (14 years ago)Amen!
Missy Maintains
February 1, 2011 at 10:39 pm (14 years ago)Love this post! Completely agree even if I do still belong to a fancy gym! I would totally belong to Core Fusion by now if intenSati did not exist! I would also go to Refine every day if it was closer of course. I am all about seeing the results! I just love going to intenSati knowing that I will have a fun workout, have friends in the class, know every teacher, and get practice to teach the class on my own. Yeah Equinox is beautiful but that doesn’t even matter at this point. My 2 years at NYSC was a total waste!!! Enjoying the workout and seeing results is the most important thing to me.
Dori
February 1, 2011 at 10:43 pm (14 years ago)And you GET those results from Intensati, so your gym membership is worth it. More gyms need programming exactly like that.
Missy Maintains
February 1, 2011 at 10:40 pm (14 years ago)**Are the most important things to me** Excuse my grammar..ahem…margaritas.
Allie
February 2, 2011 at 12:37 pm (14 years ago)I agree with you – I’m all about results driven classes. Now, I just need to find some good ones in my area.
diana@mymarblerye
February 3, 2011 at 8:52 am (14 years ago)people should spend money and time on what makes them feel good! 1 month gym membership or member at your classes can sometimes just be the cost of ONE weekend meal! I recently left my regular gym for a gym that offers JUST CLASSES (trx, yoga, etc). LOVE IT. Congrats on the article…still can’t get over that you love core fusion so much that you ride a subway in this cold to get there!! But after doing the dvd…I know why! 🙂
melissa
February 4, 2011 at 10:11 am (14 years ago)Good points. While I think that places like Exhale and Physique (the later in particular) are more expensive than most monthly gym memberships, they are focused on results and you never have a throw away workout. On the other hand, there are days I go to the gym to throw on my ipod and zone out on the elliptical, while I completely agree this is getting me nowhere body shape wise, it does destress me in a way that has value. If I could put down an extra few hundred a month to join exhale or physique rather than NYHRC would I maybe, almost definitely in the summer when running was also an option. Wow, this may be my longest comment ever!
Cynthia
February 4, 2011 at 2:39 pm (14 years ago)Excellent insights, Dori. Like you I’m a former member of Sports Club, but I quit. It was fine for cardio machines, but for strength-training and toning, I found the weight area intimidating. Despite the huge offering of classes, the ones I wanted to take the most were not offered with enough frequency. I asked the group exercise manager if they might ever offer barre classes but at the location that I go to, they couldn’t offer them because they didn’t have barres installed. After I quit SC/LA, I checked out Equinox–they had a barre class only once a week in the middle of the day on a Wednesday! Um, hello? I didn’t even use the one-week trial that they gave me. Sigh.
By contrast, I am really enjoying the barre classes that I have just started talking at various studios here in Los Angeles. (I bought a handful of class package deals on Groupon, RueLaLa and other social purchasing sites). For the hour that I am in class, I am focused on working out. I don’t know why, but I notice I am way MORE focused when I am doing barre class than at a class in the gym. Core Fusion is so far my favorite (I credit your blog with getting me to check them out and buy the RueLaLa deal), so once I use up all the various class packages I bought at the various studios, I think I will probably sign up for a series or monthly unlimited at Exhale in Santa Monica.
Burr Leonard made an astute comment on her Bar Method blog about how she visited a gym chain and worked out on a bike and how she sort of just zoned out while she did her cardio and wasn’t particularly focused.
When I go to Core Fusion classes, even though I’ve only been going a few weeks now, I already recognize some of the faces of the other students. They are friendly. The instructors learned my name and recognize me. Somehow they manage to adjust my form and give me personalized attention while at the same time doing the same for all the other class participants. It really does feel like I am getting the benefits of a personal trainer without the high cost. Granted, barre classes aren’t cheap, but from my research and cost analysis, Exhale is the best value in my local area of all the places offering barre. (That includes Bar Method, Physique 57, Pure Barre, as well as some locally owned non-chain studios). Yeah, the cost of Exhale monthly unlimited is not THAT much cheaper than the monthly rate at Sports Club, but I feel that even though Exhale has much less variety than SC/LA, I feel that I am getting a more focused and personalized workout.
Dori
February 4, 2011 at 2:53 pm (14 years ago)Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. SCLA really needs to shape up if they want to keep members like us. With the cost of their membership fees, they can definitely afford to install a barre if they wanted! I did try an Equinox class called Rockin Models that used a body bar like a pole in place of an actual barre and found it was pretty good. But classes like that are simply not offered with enough frequency anyway.
I completely agree about being focused in that one hour. There is something about having the teacher there and the environment of the class that just consumes you. I think of little else other than what I am doing in that moment while I am in class. It is amazing to have that hour to really be selfish and accomplished.
The teachers at exhale all go through a rigorous 16-week training program, where I assume they are taught how to give everyone individual attention as well as the basic moves. You will never find that at a big-gym class because their instructors don’t know these methods, and I find that so important. I also agree that these classes are like having a personal trainer; that is how I justify the cost. Yes, it costs more than a class at a gym, but it costs a whole lot less than a personal training session — and THOSE are the results I am getting.
Exhale in NYC is also the best value of the group, which is amazing because they offer the largest variety of classes and have the most locations! Although here in NYC, exhale monthly is about $100 more than I paid per month at SCLA, it is so worth it. And now I never waste my time on pointless workouts, my time is valuable!
It makes me so happy to hear that I helped you get into Core Fusion. I promote it so much because I truly love and believe in it, and I want everyone to get the same benefits and feel the same way as I do. So getting comments like yours truly brightens my day and makes me so happy to be blogging about my experience
Nicole
February 9, 2011 at 5:09 pm (14 years ago)I just found you through Rachel Wilkerson and I found myself nodding in agreeance with you and your opinion about gyms. However, I just re-joined a shiny new gym because I needed options other than just running, since that’s all I really do.
However I am kicking myself for it because I have been struggling to make it to the classes that I really want to go to (Body Pump is either at 5:30,which is when I get out of work, or at 7:30, which is when I want to already be done with my workout) It’s hard living an hour away from work too, even though there’s a gym next to both home and work. I wanted to join a yoga studio but I felt it was better to join the gym where i could still do yoga and take spin if i felt like it. I’m in the DC metro area and I would love to have a Core Fusion studio near me. maybe I will start a petition…
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