Updated: Aug. 22, 2014 at 12:57 p.m.
From high intensity interval training to ashtanga yoga, the Lerner Health and Wellness Center holds classes that fit many students’ interests. Plus, the $90 full fitness pass gives you access to all group exercise classes each semester. While that’s a steal in pricey D.C., you can grow bored of the same exercise routine if you only go to HelWell, and you risk seeing familiar faces in your sweatiest state if you stay on campus. Change up your workout by trying these local alternatives.
For the traditional gym rat:
SoulCycle DC – 2301 M Street NW
SoulCycle, the high-intensity, high-profile cycling studio made popular in NYC and Los Angeles from celebrities including Katie Holmes and Lena Dunham, just opened its first D.C. studio in July. Although the classes are a little pricey – $34 a piece – get off the sweaty HelWell bikes and into the state-of-the-art studio. In addition to cycling, the 45-minute classes incorporate choreography and hand weights. Follow their Spotify account to prepare yourself with the SoulTunes of the month – these high-energy songs are featured in the classes to get your blood pumping.
Balance Gym – 2401 M St. NW
This gym has a no-nonsense attitude about fitness. It offers classes like Abs Blast, Boxing 101 and boot camps designed to pushed participants to their physical limits. The gym also runs a CrossFit program with five to six high-intensity classes each weekday. Members with a year-long contract pay $89 a month, plus an optional one-time payment of $50 for their “right start training package,” which includes an assessment to prevent injury and three personal training sessions. For schedules and to pre-register, check out the gym’s website.
Gold’s Gym – 19th and L streets NW
Gold’s is a fitness buff’s dream with special resistance machines, nutrition counseling and between six and eight fitness classes on weekdays. It is only a five-minute walk from campus, but the steam/sauna room will have you staying at least an hour. Gold’s is open until 11 p.m., so even the busiest students can squeeze in a workout. The payment plan is $17.99 every two weeks. Students with a little extra cash from summer jobs should invest by paying $500 in full for a 12-month membership – or $44 per month.
For the avant-garde exercise:
Jordin’s Paradise – 1215 Connecticut Ave. NW, Fourth Floor
If the monotony of the treadmill doesn’t motivate you anymore, why not burn 300 calories an hour by pole dancing? You can try the risqué workout and even “Stripper’s Bootcamp” at Jordin’s Paradise, which is an about 15-minute walk from Foggy Bottom. Other classes include salsa for body balance and coordination, ballet for flexibility, Doonya Dance for a workout to Bollywood music and “laughing yoga” for relief from a stressful day. Walk-in classes are $25 each. For the best deal, buy the health guru membership ($99 for 10 classes/month) or purchase unlimited classes per month for $149.
Yoga District – 1922 I St. NW, Second and Third Floors
The highest-rated D.C. yoga studio on yelp.com, Yoga District was also voted “best yoga studio” three years in a row by Washington City Paper. It boasts six locations in D.C. and offers about a dozen types of yoga classes every day. The studio rents eco-friendly, non-toxic PVC mats for $2 each class. Newcomers to downward dog will find plenty of manageable sessions, while more advanced yogis can test themselves with level four Dharma Flow or level two Pranayama. Yoga District sells two classes for the price of one for new students at $11, and unlimited monthly passes cost $85.
This post was updated to reflect the following correction:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that Gold’s Gym’s payment plan was $17.99 twice a week. It is that amount twice a month. We regret this error.
