Slim Gyms

Boutique studios combine fitness and community in Baltimore.

- Lauren Bell

It’s January and the promise of a healthy new year focused on fitness and self-care awaits you. You’ve done everything right—bought the fancy gym membership, ditched the junk food, and gotten your hands on the latest Under Armour gear. Then, a few weeks go by, you lose some steam, and the call of the elliptical machine and freeweights grows fainter. But what if you had a class of friends waiting for you? A group of people who encourage you and hold you accountable? That’s the idea behind boutique fitness, the latest craze to hit the workout circuit. These specialty gyms offer a more personalized approach to exercise in a more intimate setting. Classes are small and range from more familiar activities like barre, yoga, and spin, to niche routines like belly dancing, surfboard workouts, and Krav Maga. Once you’ve figured out which classes work best for you, the social aspect of these specialty spaces is undeniable—your workouts become less about burning calories and more about building relationships. “Boutique fitness speaks to the way our society is going,” says Kate Rowe, an instructor at Beachfit. “People want something that speaks to them specifically. The big-box gyms are great because they offer a ton of options, but smaller places offer you an opportunity to find that one thing you really love and hone in on it.” Here are 20 boutique fitness studios worth exploring.

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