My Workout Routine - Top 5 Workouts in the Bay

Today I am sharing my top 5 favorite workouts in the Bay Area–my tried and true go-to’s–the places you are most likely to find me on any given day of the week. To know me is to know that I am a fitness junkie. I have been working out consistently since I was 15 years old; crazy, right? But that’s because fitness is more than just the physical aspect (though a toned and strong body is the byproduct of that hard work); fitness is the key to my mental well-being. In fact, if I don’t get a morning workout in, then the rest of my day just isn’t great. Anyhow, the Bay Area is full of boutique fitness studios–it is a fitness mecca. But alas, I am a creature of habit and when I find something I love, I stick to it, until I am ready to switch up my routine. So for now, here are the 5 spots I am loving!

Barry’s

Here is the tea on Barry’s. Barry’s is a HIIT style workout that’s been around for over a decade. In fact, I remember the day (like 20+ years ago) when Barry Jay himself was teaching classes and it was, in fact, a bootcamp. These days, the studios are run by seasoned instructors that push you through a class that is partly sprinting on the treadmill and partly weights driven.

These days I skip the treadmill all together. One, I don’t like running, but my most recent bloodwork indicated that my cortisol levels were through the roof (high). So I have been on a mission to lower my cortisol levels by doing exercises that are less taxing on my body. At Barry’s, I sign up for a “double floor” spot, so that I can do the weights portion of the class the entire time, and if those are all booked, I simply walk on the treadmill while everyone else is sprinting their faces off lol. This one change to my fitness routine (opting for lower intensity workouts) made me lose a few pounds this past year (I was not trying) and lessen the inflammation in my body.

Congrats to me, I just celebrated my 900th class at Barry’s this past week. WOO HOO!!!!

Hot 8 Yoga

I am not new to Hot 8 Yoga. This is another fitness studio that has been around for a long time and when I lived in LA, I would go there often. They recently opened in San Francisco (I go to the location on Fillmore in the Marina) and you can find me there 1-2x/week. I go there for the Power classes and the Barre classes. The room is hot - like very very hot - so if you don’t like the heat, then this is not the place for you. The power class is a heated vinyasa yoga class and the barre class (new new favorite) is done with light weights and partly done on the ballet barre. Not only do you get a great sweat in all the classes, the barre class makes you use those tiny muscles that we don’t often use on a daily basis (hello burn & hello results!).

Red Dragon Yoga

I hope the owners of Red Dragon don’t read this 😂, but I’m just going to say it — the studios are totally dumpy and leave much to be desired in terms of the aesthetic. So I don’t go to Red Dragon for the beauty of the studios, I go strictly for the hot yoga and the workout. The hot yoga classes are FANTASTIC. The rooms are heated and humidity is high, but the rooms are not unbearably hot. I leave Red Dragon feeling like I just detoxed my entire life, strong and happy. So if you are in the North Bay (Mill Valley & San Rafael), be sure to check out Red Dragon. Just be sure to shower at home after bc the locker rooms are a little dingy :)

Solidcore

Of all of these workouts, I am newest to Solidcore. I just took my first Solidcore class two weeks ago and was instantly hooked! The studio itself is a total vibe, with blue lighting and killer music. Solidcore is NOT traditional reformer pilates. It is a pilates-inspired workout in a small group setting. While they do use reformer machines, the workout itself is higher intensity than traditional pilates and I worked up a sweat so much quicker. The music and instructors keep me motivated for the entire 50 minute workout and there’s never a moment to be bored or look at my phone to take selfies haha. I am going here once a week!

MNT Studios

MNT is a pilates studio but it is SO much more than that. It is SF’s first Wellness Social Club, located in the Marina, with saunas and a beautiful co-working area. The space is absolutely stunning, which I find super motivating! I got my ass handed back to me in Pilates last week and I joined for a month to experience the rest of the amenities and build my A S S 🍑. These pilates classes are low intensity but hard af, which is right up my alley.

And top secret 🤫 — be on the lookout for a fun event in the next month or two, I will be hosting my first SF meet up at MNT!

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