Fitness Culture
Today, almost everyone has caught onto the world of workout classes (pilates, barre, strengthening, etc.) - and which ones are the top of their kind. By gathering information from Gotham and Harper’s Bazaar magazines as well as friends/family, I gathered a list of popular fitness programs to try out! I will be giving a descriptive and honest review of how my body reacts to the exercises and environment of these classes.
Please note that this section is constantly updated with new reviews on new workout classes (so, the classes I review in this section will increase)!
1. Orangetheory
Dear HEALTHCLASS student,
Let me start off by saying that Orangetheory is quite the experience. I am a girl who loves to feel the community of people in the class while also being able to focus on myself and how I’m moving- and Orangtheory made that possible for me. I have been 6 times now and all of the instructors encouraged me to push myself, safely, to my fullest potential. During my first time taking an Orangetheory session, the instructor privately took me into the class, before the workout, to go over how to manage all of the machines. With every time I have attended a class, the instructor had advised everyone to let them know about any concerning health conditions they had.
When the workout started, the mix of dim lights and blasting pop remixes created a HYPE vibe. You are given guidelines throughout the workout as to how fast, slow, or high you are on the treadmill. With the rowing and lifting portions of the class, you have a lot more freedom with the weights you use and the pace you go at. Personally, I find running hard, so that section kicked my butt the most. I found my heart rate rose the highest and I sweat the most in that section. For most of my classes, I was on the treadmill for 30min - which for me is a perfect amount of time to feel the burn. Since I’ve only taken the 60min classes, the rest of my 30min is a guided rotation between rowing and lifting (which doesn’t work me out as much, and is less exhausting). At the end of every class was a stretching sequence where everyone stretches their legs and arms out. This section is proven successful as I don’t feel very sore the next day.
In full honesty, when I tried Orangetheory for the first time, I left the studio not feeling my best. As some may know, throughout the workout you are wearing a wrist band that tracks the amount of “splats” you get. Splats are earned by the amount of time your heart rate is the highest (indicating the “red/orange zone”). Your heart rate, calories burned, and splats earned are displayed on a big screen for the whole class to view. This made me feel a little skeptical at first as I didn’t want my personal information being shown on the screen. The first couple classes I found myself fixated on the board and how many calories I was burning and how many splats I was earning- as if that was the point of my working out. When I left the workout knowing I hadn’t reached my ideal number of splats or calories burned, I got upset with myself and started developing a negative connotation with the term, working out. After my fifth class, I started to pep talk myself into turning my focus away from the splat screen, and to how my body was feeling throughout the workout. When I began practicing this change, I became so much happier not only in the class, but leaving the studio. I also found that I left the studio feeling so much stronger with every class, and built up endurance in a quick amount of time.
During my Orangetheory journey, I learned that working out should not be something I stress over, rather an activity I enjoy doing. I also learned that the splat system is not there to scare nor pressure me into being uncomfortable during my class. The point of working out is to sweat and exert energy in a way that after, you feel accomplished. The splats and calories burned on the screen are only there to inform you on how your body is doing and what your body can do!!
At the end of the day, you got yourself to do that workout, and that’s the coolest part of the class.
Love,
Your teen, Zade
I will also be uploading my photos and videos from Orangetheory in the future!
2. The Class by Taryn Toomey
Dear HEALTHCLASS student,
Taking The Class is a way to tap into your spirituality and meditative mindset while also feeling the fire of your body. When I initially walked into The Class’ common room, I was hit with the sent of palo santo and lavender burning on their countertops. Although I may sound like i’m joking, I immediately felt a rush of relaxation flow over me once I stepped into their studio. Everyone has their own placemats and blocks to use throughout the workout - all facing one way, to the mirror. I usually feel uneasy about looking at myself while I exercise, always finding ways to pick out something negative about myself. However, in The Class, I felt as if the mirror was used to reflect not only how strong I was for being there, but also everyone else in the room. Everyone began the class with one hand on their chest and one on their belly. This gesture was repeated throughout everyone’s movement to symbolize regathering (regathering themselves to catch their breath and prepare themselves for what comes next in the class and their day).
With the mix of cardio-pilate movements and a slightly heated room, The Class has never failed to make me feel a burn, and sweat out a river. However, just when you feel you’re ready to give up, the instructors have always motivated me to continue my movement to the fullest extent. The instructors also encourage the class to let out their exhaustion and emotions throughout the session; hence, everyone yelled and huffed when they were tired and burned up. These expressions only fueled the class even more as we then felt how powerful we are and what we are capable of. At the end of the workout, the instructor guided a quick meditation to calm the mind. I appreciated this moment as I felt that I could finally catch my breath and relax after exhausting my body.
Throughout my workout, I felt free to modify what I needed, and still experienced the burn I wanted; in the end, leaving me with a toned and leaner body figure. Not only did I see results on my body from The Class, but I mentally felt stronger and more capable of tackling on the future….. because at the end of the day….. YOU ARE DOING THIS WORKOUT FOR YOU!
Love,
Your teen, Zade
I will also be uploading my photos and videos from The Class in the future!
Outside Walks with Charlotte Moore
Dear HEALTHCLASS Student,
When I first started going on daily walks outside I wasn’t conscious that there were any positive effects associated with the practice. However, little did I know that my daily mood, sleep, and even my workouts improved—all obtained from a simple 20 minutes a day outdoors.
These walks started with being graciously granted a lot more free time in my schedule (due to a LOT of free periods at school) as well as overall not being in the best headspace. I was in an environment that I felt somewhat uncomfortable in and that was exacerbated by having very little to do. I am not sure how it dawned on me to try going on a walk while I had free time, but looking back I am beyond grateful I had the idea. Living in New York City, there aren’t many opportunities to be outside—apart from walking to the subway. Fortunately, I am located a mere 2 blocks away from Central Park, making getting out in nature very accessible. On my first walk, I was amazed by the instant dopamine I was hit with. I have been on walks before but this was the first time it felt purposeful; each tree’s leaves seemed to shimmer in the sun and the ducks seemed to fully embody peace as they glided across the reservoir in the center of Central Park. The rest of the day I felt I had a pep in my step, thrilled to tell everyone I knew about my “discovered” mental health walks.
Of course, this is easily the type of thing that lasts 2 days—maybe 3— if I was lucky. But surprisingly, I sustained this. Each day I crave the time I would have outdoors, the time I have to walk alone appreciating nature, as nature-y as Central Park is, while listening to music, a podcast, an audiobook, or sometimes even the whistling sound of the wind. Each day I made sure to get at least 20 minutes of walking time and up to an hour or more if I had the time. After a few weeks, I began to notice a few changes in my day-to-day life.
Firstly, my daily mood improved immensely. Actions and incidents that usually bothered me become so miniscule and unimportant: missing my subway, or slow walkers. My perspective has altered. I wonder if my mood lightening is just me or if it is a common side effect of walking. I found that studies have countlessly shown that walking pushes your brain to release endorphins, which in turn leave one feeling happier.
In addition, I’m also starting to wake up feeling more rested and fall asleep easier—something that was previously hard for me. Perhaps it's the increase of sunlight I am getting or me being more tired at night from the extra energy I exert from my walks, but walking outside consistently can help one sleep better.
Lastly, my daily walks assisted in me feeling stronger during my workouts. Walking for me is a great cardiovascular exercise as going up a hill or increasing my speed gets my heart rate up. Walking also serves as a good active recovery for my muscles when they are sore!!
The positive effects of walking outside every day are countless. Outside of the 3 that I mentioned, the 20 minutes to an hour that I have alone also gives me time to reflect and think more deeply about things I otherwise wouldn't. It is safe to say that I will continue walking for the foreseeable future. I 100% recommend the habit for anyone looking to improve their day-to-day life and feel happier overall.
Love,
Your guest teen, Charlotte Moore, and Zade!