Fitness: Your Moment of Zen
In the city that never sleeps, there is always someone working out. Before work, between meetings, during lunch and on the way home, New Yorkers are adding tone and muscle whenever they can. Jesse Itzler is a case in point. The 40-year-old co-founder of Marquis Jet, a private airplane service, burns calories in an unusual but time-efficient way. Every weekday, the same rickshaw driver meets Jesse at his East Side office. The exec loosens his tie and rolls up his pinstripes, then jumps behind the handlebar and pedals the half-hour home—from his Park Avenue office across Central Park to the Upper West Side—with the driver in the back. “It takes too long to go home after work, change, get my stuff and go to the gym,” says Jesse, who even pedals throughout the winter months in order to keep his abs, glutes and legs in shape—and pays the driver $30 per day for the privilege. “By putting the rickshaw guy in the back and with me pedaling?, I kill two birds with one stone. I get home faster than a cab and I get an insane workout.”
Of course, not every work-weary New Yorker wants to kill themselves during their downtime. Some want to meditate. Or dance. And Manhattan yoga studios, gyms and fitness centers are catering to them—and A-listers like Beyoncé, Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan—with fast classes, endorphin-boosting routines and calming sessions. Catch one, grab a shower and return to your cubicle with a spring in your step. Or head to happy hour just a bit healthier.
The Office Mediator’s Yoga
For a low-key class, yoga fits the bill. The East Village’s Yoga to the People (12 St. Marks Pl., between Second and Third Aves.; 917-573-9642) is packed all day long, and its hour-long lunch class attracts college students and corporate titans, as well as Be Kind Rewind actress Melonie Diaz. “We’re here to get you connected to your breath and body in the studio and inside yourself,” says founder Greg Gumucio, who offers the class for no set fee, just a donation (although most yogis donate $10-$20). “There are no gurus here,” says Greg. “Just people who want to recenter themselves before heading back into the daily grind.” Kathi Von Koerber, 29, a filmmaker who lives in Williamsburg, breaks up her days of busy meetings with classes. “I love the connection with the breath, and the simple presentation and vibe,” she says, “I get energized.”
The Multitasker’s Workout
For a little bit of everything—yoga, Pilates, physical therapy and core conditioning—Core Fusion is the key. “It’s exercise for smart people, as it connects you physically, emotionally and intellectually,” says Elisabeth Halfpapp, co-creator of the Core Fusion fitness program at Exhale spas (150 Central Park South, between Sixth and Seventh Aves.; 980 Madison Ave., between 76th and 77th Sts.; and 68-70 Spring St., between Broadway and Lafayette St.; 212-249-3000). The hour-long class, which costs $32, emphasizes alignment and positioning, rather than repetition, to enhance the body’s structure, flexibility and joints. “You come to Core Fusion to give yourself a quick transformation. It’s about keeping you in the moment in a way that gets the blood flowing,” Elisabeth says.
At Exhale’s three locations, lawyers, doctors and real-estate brokers sweat next to celebrities like Cameron Diaz, David Duchovny and Ivanka Trump, choosing to shape up and expand their lung capacity all before 2 p.m. “You tone your arms, strengthen thigh and leg muscles, tighten your rear and work your abs in the safest, most intense way possible,” says Lizanne Rosenstein, a stay-at-home mom who has taken Core Fusion for more than two decades. “Best of all, it’s just an hour. I find ways to sneak it into my schedule because
I know it works.”
The Aggressive Boss’ Workout
For speed and adrenaline—and a good dose of masochism—Aerospace, a fitness center in the West Village, offers half-hour Aero-blast one-on-one sessions (332 W. 13th St., between Eighth Ave. and Hudson St.; 212-929-1640). No machines are involved: The full-body workout of cardio and muscle-sculpting requires just a jump rope, boxing gloves and a willing participant (and it’s not just for Aerospace members—anyone can book a $60 bout). “It’s like training for a title fight,” says former number one–ranked middleweight boxer and super-fitness instructor Michael Olajide Jr., of the routine, which tones the arms, slims the waist and pumps up the legs. “You’re feeling the power and energy that a real fighter feels, because a fighter’s training is efficient, extremely effective and always challenging.”
Keric Kenny, 33, a lawyer at a downtown bank, digs the intensity and bang for his buck at Aerospace. A new father, Keric spends a few lunch hours a week hitting the pads and working the rope so he can get home to his family in Brooklyn right after work. “I’m sweating within five minutes,” he says. “I feel great when I get back to the office, really invigorated. I want to be able to get home to see my baby before she goes to bed, so this definitely meets my needs.”
The Office Flirt’s class
Pop into Dance Times Square’s Latin Lunch (156 West 44th St., between Sixth Ave. and Broadway; 212-994-9500) and you’ll find suits shaking their hips and twirling on the dance floor. Steve Biespel, a lawyer, happened upon the Midtown studio four years ago, and he’s been sneaking off at lunchtime to boogie down ever since. “I tell my co-workers and colleagues I’m going for a mambo lesson and they don’t believe me,” says Steve, 52, a former marathon runner and swimmer. He sticks to the class for the “sheer elation on the dancers’ faces” and the physical challenge of the steps and rhythm. “It recharges my batteries,” he says.
Melanie LaPatin, co-founder of Dance Times Square and a coach on So You Think You Can Dance, has taught Susan Sarandon, Celine Dion and Pierce Brosnan her moves. She often conducts the small, sizzling class, which is popular with both creative and corporate types, including people who work at nearby Condé Nast and The New York Times, who have been known to dance in the studio’s elevators. The workout, which involves ballroom, mambo, salsa and cha-cha, tones the abs, rear and legs. “It’s a very healthy addiction,” Melanie says. “Women first come in sneakers, then as they get into the class they buy heels and the next thing you know, they’re breaking out the sequins.” As for Steve, the energy stays with him long after lunch is over. “When I get back to the office, I practice in the men’s room,” he says. “This is New York—your dance partners expect you to know what you’re doing. And if you don’t, they’ll tell you to shape up.”
