This past year we’ve witnessed the nimble pivots of elephants. Within heartbeats, large and complex industries innovated methods of service to accommodate the legions of customers unable to freely move about in stores, offices, and restaurants.
Throughout this transition from “normal” to “you just can’t be serious,” we’ve raised the rallying cry: “Shop Local!” “Westport Strong!” We buy wonderful clothes and gifts from Savvy + Grace and West when we could buy whatever Amazon.com is warehousing. We order gorgeous meals from The Cottage and Kawa Ni instead of dialing up a national pizza chain. We purchase spin bikes and online classes from… Peloton?
Uhh… what?
Readers who take classes at boutique studios know this: few things create community and positivity more than a favorite exercise class. Whether it’s spin, barre, yoga, etc., we anticipate the energy, challenge, and better bodies. It’s not about the room or the view so much as the instructors who inspire us and the like-minded people to our left and right who motivate us and make us happy we came.
Two of Westport’s most beloved studios, JoyRide (JR) and Pure Barre (PB), are offering livestream options. So you can get the fun and energy of JR (with their new app, JoyRideGO) and the feel-good vibe of PB.
You know and love these instructors: the confidence-building energy of JR's Mackenzie and the positive spirit of Rhodie. The assuredness of PB’s Lydia and you-got-this manner of Lea. They know you, they tell you how to effectively adjust to varying fitness levels, and they have changed your body and minds in doing so.
As with their in-studio classes, PB and JR instructors focus on the joy and the journey with a wide variety of custom routines and exercises. One spinner noted of a popular online-only app, “The classes are so boring. They don’t do choreography and figure eights. They’re just standing and in third.” JR Method loyalists, you’ve been warned.
Of special note, a quick perusal of online fitness classes will show that many instructors equate “fitness” with “minimal clothing.” Not only is it awkward for mother to watch a 23-year old in full make-up and a micro-bra, it’s awkward for her teenaged children to watch Mom watching these nominally clad individuals. While body-positivity is an integral component of any fitness routine, these family-friendly studios stress improvement and acceptance of one’s physique rather than an uncomfortable experience. Also, our studios wear attractive yet tasteful attire.
If the “maintaining a schedule” thing isn’t working out for you, both PB and JoyRideGO will offer a library of classes, searchable in all sorts of ways.
PureBarre classes:
- Foundations
- Classic
- Empower
- Reformer
JoyRideGO classes (from 15 to 60 minutes):
- Cycle
- Cycle + Strength
- Cycle + Pilates
- Cycle + Yoga
- Abs
- Abs + Arms
- Abs + Glutes
- Pilates
- Barre