As soon as the ball drops in Times Square, New Year’s Resolutions for change and self-betterment begin. One of the first and most popular goals for the New Year is fitness. It’s time to make up for all the Christmas cocktails and high-calorie canapes with some heart-thumping workouts. But fitness isn’t just physical, and many resolutions now include incorporating mental fitness into daily life with a regular meditation practice. We’ve created a list of some of New York’s top-notch fitness classes, as well as two places to try out meditation classes, and we have an awesome website that will help you stick to your new year’s goals whatever they may be.
Physical Fitness
Most of us struggle to drag ourselves to the gym for another boring treadmill workout; and that’s exactly why classes with motivating instructors, killer playlists, and friends to sweat alongside are so popular and effective! There’s nothing better than working out and pushing yourself to go a little further than you thought you could, or until you drop into a puddle of your own sweat. New York is home to an abundance of amazing workouts. We have a few here to jumpstart your fitness goals.
Tone House
This studio has won awards such as the toughest workout in New York, so arrive with mental fortitude and be prepared to SWEAT. Tone House strives to bring sports conditioning workouts to the mainstream with the philosophy that everyone should be able to train like their favorite athlete. Sessions are team-oriented, competitive, and fun. The workouts change daily with varying focuses, so there’s never a dull moment. Tone House is the brainchild of Alonso Wilson, a former professional athlete and trainer. Post-workout highs include an immense sense of accomplishment (and a puddle of sweat) after each workout.
32 E. 31st Street
New York, NY 10016
SLT
If intense cardiovascular workouts with jumps and squats aren’t your thing, there’s always Pilates-based workouts that offer maximum burn. Strengthen Lengthen Tone is a New York chain that offers slow movements and targets smaller muscles to tone the entire body using a patented MegaformerTM. At SLT teachers ascribe to the mantra: the slower, the better. They encourage slow movements to burn out muscles quickly and avoid using momentum to coast through a workout. There are studios throughout Manhattan, the one closest to the Lombardy Hotel is on 67th Street.
201 E. 67th Street, 4th fl
New York, NY 10065
Active NYC
Active NYC is New York City’s largest event directory and calendar for CrossFit events, running races, triathlons, obstacle course races, yoga events, fitness training and courses, and other active events. There’s also a workout and meet-up section of the website, which details events that are social in nature. The site lists events such as ski and snowboard trips to upstate New York, “hair of the down dog drunk yoga classes”, running races, Latin dance classes, and more. Active NYC is a great way to meet friends, try something new, and get a fantastic workout in.
Mental Fitness
If your goals for the New Year include more mindfulness, you’re not alone. More and more of us are turning to mediation to find calm in the chaos of daily life. While meditation can be daunting, there are classes in New York City that teach how to meditate and help build a lasting practice.
MNDFL
MNDFL Meditation is a great place to start if the idea of meditation sounds good but the actual act of sitting down to do it seems like an Olympic feat. MNDFL has a one-month introduction to meditation class. At MNDFL experienced instructors offer classes with themes such as ‘breath’, or ‘intention’ for those who are striving to live more consciously. Select a theme and reserve a cushion online for one of the 30, 45 or 60-minute classes. Private meditation instruction is also available. There are two MNDFL locations in New York.
Upper East Side
239 E. 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
Greenwich Village
10 E. 8th Street
New York, NY 10003
New York Open Center
The New York Open Center is home to holistically-based educational programs including breathwork training, Reiki, and meditation. For those interested in meditation, the center currently is offering a Lunchtime Sound Healing Meditation Series on Tuesdays from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm. The meditation is set to the soothing sounds of Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls, gongs, voice, flutes, and tuning forks. The series is a great way to dip into meditation for even the busiest among us.
22 E. 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
Stickk
Whatever your New Year’s resolution, the website Stickk is here to help you keep your commitments. With social accountability and financial penalties for those who don’t stick to goals, the incentive is high. Once registered on Stickk, participants define goals, sign a commitment contract, and then decide what will really hold them to the resolution at hand. Stickk’s genius is that incentives or penalties are customizable to each individual to create the maximum probability of achieving a goal. While being accountable to a social network is great for some, others are more motivated by the possibility of losing money— both are options on Stickk. This is a great tool is for those who really want to make a long-term change.
Staying in New York City – About The Lombardy Hotel
The Lombardy Hotel is just as iconic to Midtown Manhattan as many of the other historic and cultural attractions in the area. Not only are our rooms comfortable and tasteful, we provide amenities such as a full salon, coffee shop, and exercise room. We also host the American Cut Midtown steakhouse, perfect for a business lunch or dinner on a special occasion. We look forward to hosting you.
