New York City is not cheap, and working out can become a costly expense, that may or may not fit the monthly budget. As a huge workout junkie, I have used my first year in New York to check out the hottest and cheapest gyms. As a broke college student, I needed to find a way to keep those abs and thighs tight. Student discounts are great, and if you wonder which gyms offer student packages or are curious to if a specific gym has those discounts, just give them a call. CYC Studios used to offer student discounts and a single ride would cost an average of $15-$20 with the discount. Without the discount, a single class is $23 and a single class at SoulCycle is $34 plus tax. If you are not fond of spin classes, do not worry. You might want to try a barre class. Pure Barre offers a new client monthly special of unlimited classes for $149. Within that one month, you can take as many classes and see results within a short amount of time. New York City is crawling with free workouts. Stores like Lululemon offer different programs that range from yoga, running and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Lululemon transforms the store into a studio where known NYC trainers will come and teach classes. Also, the store does off sight workouts at different parks around the city. Athleta at Flatiron, another fitness, and lifestyle apparel store, offers free classes to the public. The studio offers barre, pilates, yoga, sculpt classes and cardio. You get three free classes a week and can buy a membership which means you have access to special members-only classes. The membership can a class pack of 10 for $150 plus tax or you can purchase single classes for $18 plus tax. Yoga to the People (YTTP) is a great source for receiving a free sweaty workout in NYC. The studio is a donation-based studio, meaning they accept what you give them. YTTP has multiple studios around the city and the St. Marks studio is guaranteed to offer a donation based vinyasa flow class. The other studios have offer hot yoga, which will cost a fee of around $14 -$18.
One of the best things about trying new gyms and fitness studios in NYC is that each studio is in a different location, which means after you workout you can grab a cup of coffee and explore the surrounding neighborhood. NYC may be (is) pricey, but that doesn’t mean your fitness has to come to a complete stop. We are in a city with tons of free activities waiting to be taken advantage of.