Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Today, the Times upturns the stone of affluent New York women who are currently spending around $500 a month on back-to-back classes at various gyms. The article details a breed of women who regularly travel from Barry's Bootcamp to FlyWheel Sports like it's no big deal, with some continuing on to Holly Rilinger's Training Camp for more.
And then there's this description: "A third sisterhood of traveling panters ducks out of cool-downs at SoulCycle on the Upper West Side and scuttles down three steep staircases to make a barre-method toning class at Pure Yoga next door."
Meredith Poppler of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association explains that multiple gym memberships are common in "affluent metro areas," but doing doubles at FlyWheel and SoulCycle is more "a Type-A New Yorker thing." According to the website FitMapped, there are plenty of places in the city to do just that. By their count, there are 517 gyms in Manhattan alone, which is roughly 1 for every 20 restaurants, with a new one opening weekly.
And those memberships can get pricey, if you're into the whole double- or triple-dipping gym thing. The Times spoke with Meredith Greisman, a legal assistant, who says she spends over $10,000 a year, or, her "entire social budget," on classes at Chelsea's Body and Pole, Velocity Sports Performance, and Equinox. Greisman explains, "The gym is where my friends are." Also, a good chunk of her salary.
· Workouts, Times 2 (or 3) [New York Times]
Loading comments...