The Cost of Boutique Fitness Classes in New York

You, too, can have the ballet-dancer inspired body you’ve always wanted without spending hours in the gym.

Boutique fitness classes have been all the rage for a while now. Instead of paying a month-to-month fee, signing a contract, and heading to the gym for a solo workout, boutique fitness studios offer smaller classes, contract-free packages, and community. You sign up for classes in advance, instead of heading to the gym as you feel like it. This is a pretty nice dose of accountability!

These studios aren’t gyms. They’re life changing portals where fitness buffs and newbies alike find themselves in a dimly lit studio, working out to the beat of music that helps them transcend daily life.

New York City and Long Island are cities of overachievers, fitness buffs, and style mavens. Why should our fitness classes be any different? With the transient nature of the NYC population, it’s nice to have a place that’s a community, even if only for an hour long class a few times each week.

The community experience is addictive, but with the added physical bonus of getting into great shape. There’s no sense of community like that in a regular gym! While traditional gyms have a silver lining in that they’re often open 24 hours a day, boutique fitness studios operate on a class schedule, so aren’t available at all times. For the upscale experience, a heftier price tag is typically involved too.

Drop-in Crossfit class prices are steep - and average out around $23 per class. For a lot of people though, the routine, community, and vibe are worth it. Especially because, let’s face it, exercise can be boring, which is where these classes classes come in. Many of the classes follow a certain routine or regimen, where frequent “Flyers” (in the case of spin classes) know what to expect. Good music, good exercise, and a good time. “It can almost feel like a club,” says Jessica Margaret, 26. Jessica is a CycleStar at a new CycleBar location in North Carolina.

Unfortunately, in the comparison game against a regular gym, boutique fitness classes are much more expensive.

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NYC is the top-of-the-line expensive for different types of classes, especially barre and power yoga. A drop-in power yoga class in NYC could cost you up to $25!

People report better results, thanks to the community atmosphere and accountability. Working out in the class environment can be way more motivating, especially when the soundtrack is better than the one at your favorite bar. Besides, with a more personalized experience, teachers have time to help ensure everyone has correct form.

But if endorphins are a nice little side effect of working out, some people are happy to pay the price! While fitness classes differ in cost all around the country, many love them all the same. Monthly unlimited packages of spin, barre, and power yoga classes are the most expensive in New York, unsurprisingly. You can expect to pay around $250 per month for unlimited barre classes, there!

“There’s something about riding hard to the beat, making it a mindful experience, and breaking a sweat that is both liberating and energetic!” Jessica says, echoing the sentiments of other instructors and attendees alike. Some people go as far as saying their preferred class is “life changing”. Or soul changing, in the case of power yoga and Soul Cycle classes.

Will other boutique fitness classes like squash and megaformer Pilates start creating chains like Barre3, CrossFit and Cyclebar? The boutique fitness craze isn’t going anywhere soon, that much is for sure.