CINCINNATI -- Boutique fitness studios, the latest trend in the exercise industry, stretch beyond the classic, large gym tradition. This new business model features specialized classes in specific fitness disciplines to give clients a more personal, structured experience.
Athletes of all experience levels can find classes and training focused on activities such as boxing, cycling, dance, yoga and much more.
“This is not a typical gym,” said Kellie Colyer, owner of the Round9 Studio in Blue Ash, a fitness center that applies boxing techniques and skills to its workouts. “We know every one of our members — not just their fitness goals, but their joys, their challenges. We know them as people.”
Based on numbers around the nation, this level of personal connection is something customers are looking for in a fitness experience.
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Boutique fitness leads industry growth
Research shows about 54 million people in the U.S. belonged to a health club in 2014, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. About 42 percent of these people are members of a boutique fitness studio. Sometimes people are members of multiple studios.
There are several reasons people in Cincinnati and around the United States belong to these smaller fitness centers.
“Large, ‘big box’ health clubs provide plenty of options for exercise but often fail to deliver an extremely high level of service,” said Pete McCall, national fitness expert and Adjunct Faculty of Exercise Science at Mesa College San Diego. “A boutique studio is much smaller and allows people to enjoy a more intimate exercise environment. A fitting analogy is fast food vs. fine dining — the former provides basic food needs while the latter may be much more expensive, but provides a unique, hard-to-match experience.”
Convenience is key
At 3:30 on a sunny Friday afternoon, a constant stream of people strolled into Round9 Fitness in Blue Ash.
They worked out together, but not in a traditional class setting. Each member rotated through nine different stations. Every station incorporated boxing skills in some way: heavy bags, speed bags, jump ropes, kickboxing drills and more.
Within a few minutes of arriving, Lindsay Morris worked up a healthy sweat by “going a round” with trainer J.D. Springmeier.
“Jab! Let’s go!” Springmeier yelled to Morris as he held up boxing pads for Morris to hit. “Now kick. Push it!”
Morris did not need to set up an appointment for this workout or for time with the trainer. It’s all part of the Round9 business model.
“There are no class times here. You can come in whenever we’re open and do your 30-minute workout at your convenience,” Colyer said. “One of the things I never liked about regular gyms was that you’d have to wait for a certain day and time to go to a specific class. The convenience is one of the things that attracted me to Round9 from the very start.”
Colyer said the studio has never done the exact same workout sequence in the two years it has been open.
“We change it up every day to keep things interesting,” she said. “You get something new every time, and that’s important.”
Colyer and her staff meet with members to discuss their personal goals and even offer a digital health monitor system for members to get instant feedback on their workout. The system measures heart rate during the 30-minute workout to help the member maximize calorie burn.
“We monitor the members’ efforts and help them understand when to rest and when to push it during their workout,” Colyer said. “It also helps members learn more about their own body.”
‘What keeps me coming is the culture’
Karen Locke, a member at CycleBar in Liberty Township, happily admits she is not the typical gym member.
“I’m 54 years old. I’m overweight and a Type 1 diabetic,” she said. “If you’ve lived a life, your body is going to tell on you. I’m not a gym person.”
About two months ago, though, Locke decided to try CycleBar with her husband, who is an accomplished rider. She said there was fear when she started. Would she be able to do a class? Would she fit in, even though she wasn’t in shape?
While the first class was tough, something compelled her to come back.
“There are some times I can’t finish a class because of my health issues,” Locke said. “But, what keeps me coming back is the culture. There are people pouring out of the class, chattering. I knew I could find that, and there’s a level of finding your own space and finding it without judgment.”
CycleBar Liberty Township owner Justin Beck said it’s that culture that makes boutique fitness studios so popular.
“It’s all about a smaller community here,” Beck said. “It’s a place where people get together and support each other, no matter what their experience level is. We have people just starting out all the way up to triathletes. Everyone can go at their own pace and still get a workout.”
At the end of each workout, members can gather in the community room for a healthy snack provided by the owners, a water break or just to catch up.
For Locke, this level of involvement and interaction makes all the difference as she works to improve her physical health.
“When I open the door here, I have a sense of internal wellness,” she said. “I feel people are so self-centered and don’t look to create wellness on a large scale. CycleBar is about giving you an opportunity as a community of riders. It’s so amazingly unique.”
Instructors, classmates help with accountability
Near downtown Cincinnati on Madison Road, Pure Barre offers a variety of workouts that use a ballet barre, but dance experience is not a requirement. The low-impact workout combines the barre, free weights and the body’s own resistance to build strength and tone the body.
The major part of the studio’s success, though, is how everyone helps one another stay accountable, even when classes get tough.
“The owners, instructors, barre-tenders and other clients know your name and look forward to seeing you, which will help you to stay accountable to your fitness goals,” Pure Barre Cincinnati co-owner Lea Warner said. “It's different than a gym because you are working with an instructor and next to a friend or stranger that encourages you not to bail: to know you're stronger than you think.”
Larger gyms adjusting their style
The wave of specialized services and classes has not gone unnoticed by large gyms, McCall said.
“Larger clubs have been adjusting their group exercise programs to create a boutique experience in the health club environment,” he said. “They’ve also been adding better programming for cycling, yoga or high-intensity training to be competitive with the programs offered at studios. It’s been a good change. Clubs have had to adjust to focus on service and creativity which ultimately benefits the consumer.”
