I’ve been working out at Aqua Studio NY (TriBeCa’s gorgeous aqua cycling studio that also offers on-the-bike, off-the-bike workouts and mat classes) for over two months—(last month I went 17 times!)—and it’s changed my life on both a physical and personal level. Before that, most chain gyms and fitness studios absolutely disappointed me: cliquey exercise studios, spaces that aren’t body-positive, uninspiring workouts, instructors who don’t care if you’ve got an injury, competitive ego taking precedent over personal growth—all of those icky things that make fitness an existential chore.
That’s not the case at Aqua Studio, though. Lucky for me (and for plenty of other people), I can be the urban mermaid I want to be, get a killer workout, and let the water heal me. Also lucky for me and lots of other people, Aqua Studio has introduced a brand new water workout.
This month, Aqua Studio is introducing a Rooftop Sunrise Aquacircuit (high-intensity body conditioning and resistance training with station to station water activities) at Sixty LES Hotel starting August 23. Basically, you’ll get into a pool as the sun rises—classes are at 7am and 8am—and leave feeling super alive and refreshed. I’m psyched. There’s something about waking up to the new morning sun and pushing your body to do its hardest work. You can sign up here.
In the past few months, I’ve totally changed from the inside out (and that’s an important distinction—it’s not all about the outside, is it?). With Aqua Studio, you do get the gains (I’m toned up, stronger, I’ve lost weight, and I sleep better), but I’m also a new person: I’ve become more at peace with myself, and I’m inspired to grow as a person. Endurance isn’t just physical, for example—it can be a representation of your personal, inner strength. Cycle through the water at full-speed, and you will encounter your strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities (all good things, although that’s not always obvious at first).
Another thing? Unlike traditional land spin classes, there is an element of magic at Aqua Studio. It’s not about going about faster than the person on the next bike. It’s about deriving power from the water, tapping into that extra support, learning how to move in that element—it’s almost ritual-like; gliding through the positions, using the water as a tool, pushing yourself to work hard against the water’s insane resistance, sprinting and then being comforted by plunging your body into the water. You don’t even need to know how to swim!
What I realized is that water is healing in ways we don’t even realize—water has long been a miraculous thing; for one, we’re made of it. Its healing properties are unlimited; it literally keeps us alive. And there’s something mystical about water—the tides are controlled by the moon, and its depths are unknown to mankind. There are endless enduring myths and creatures associated—Atlantis, mermaids, sirens, Poseidon—and that’s what leads me back to the water to care for my body. It literally works my bones and joints and muscles, it casts its eternal spell on me, and it washes away my stress and sorrow. And, being in any natural element will always be better than not being connected to the earth.
I’m excited to get fit in New York right now—with so many fitness options, everyone is likely to find the right workout for them. And for anyone who prefers the water to the land, wants to up their resistance, or try something inspiring, this rooftop circuit might be just the solution.