New Year, New Workouts: Which Fitness Studio is Right for You?

Never have a boring workout again! Contributor Madeline Simonds takes us on a tour of some of the best places in the city to break a sweat.

December was full of traveling, crazy schedules, big family meals, and a lot of overindulging... Anyone else guilty? But the start of the new year always feels like a blank slate and the perfect starting point for change. So let’s start with changing up that fitness routine! I toured some the hippest and most fun fitness studios in KC to find a wide range of workouts no matter what you’re looking for.

If you want to turn up: Health House

3924 W 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, KS 66208

This is one of my favorite workouts out there! Health House is a rowing studio that will blow your mind. Sign up for the rip and row class. Half is on the rower and the other half is strength training that focuses on specific muscle groups. It’s a high intensity workout with blasting music. It’s like being at the club, but better.

If you need to find your center: Powerlife

4800 Main St Suite G003, Kansas City, MO 64112

Powerlife studios offer yoga, barre and other fitness classes, all in a heated environment. I love them all! The teachers are some of the most positive and uplifting people you’ll ever meet. You’ll leave feeling strong and encouraged (and pretty sweaty too).

If you want to harness your inner JLo: Dance Fit Flow

1700 Locust St #300, Kansas City, MO 64108

Looking to burn though calories by shaking your hips? This is the place! From hip-hop to barre, this fitness dance studio is designed to make you feel strong and empowered. All levels of dance experience are welcome. So this really is a class for anyone looking to shake it up and have fun with exercising.

If you want to feel refreshed: Sweatheory

170 E 19th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Nothing is better in the middle of January than walking into a 150 degree sauna! Sweatheory offers infrared sausas and yoga classes that will melt the troubles of your day away. With cedar walls, a pink Himalayan salt wall and the smell palo Santo burning when you walk in the door, this place will be your winter sanctuary.

If you want to feel graceful and toned: Barre3

18 W 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64113

This is one of those classes that may look easy, but it will kick your butt. This Brookside studio is bright and airy and the classes will build your strength and balance and make you feel confident while doing it. Not to mention, it’s a killer booty workout. You may leave with jello legs, but you’ll build that summer bod before you know it.

If you’re feeling adventurous: RoKC

1501 Howell Street, North Kansas City, MO 64116 & 3150 Mercier St. Suite 641A, Kansas City, MO 64111

This not-so-traditional workout is a great way to build strength and create a new hobby while you’re at it! With crazy cool locations, this place is great for beginner to experts. It’s also perfect for bring a workout buddy. You’ll have such a good time that you’ll forget you’re getting in a workout. They also offer yoga and other fitness classes!

If you want a full body burn: Orangetheory

Multiple locations

This unique workout is great for that full body burnout. They give you their technology to measure your heart rate and performance, which is a useful and fun way to help set and work towards new goals. The workout is broken down into five heart rate zones to really get your blood pumping and get you the most effective workout. And another great thing about Orangetheory... they now have 13 locations around the KC metro! Making it very easy for everyone to try it out for themselves.

If you want to feel like a badass: Freight House Fitness

1618 Wyoming St., Kansas City, MO 64102 & 1106 E 30th St. Ste. A, Kansas City, MO 64109

Classes at Freight House Fitness are bootcamp style and designed to whip you into shape! They combine weight training and HITT to provide a killer 30-minute session. They also aim to make it as personal as possible. Every member is assigned to a personal accountability couch who helps with your goals along your whole journey.

If you want to step up your leg day: Mojo Cycling

4722 Broadway Blvd #220, Kansas City, MO 64112

These cycling classes take a leg workout to a whole new level! Mojo combines cycling, weighted exercises and yoga inspired stretching to give you a full body burn and great sweat. They offer classes designed for all experience levels and make everyone feel welcome and motivated. One of my favorite classes is the theme ride that are themed to a music genre or artist. Because 45 minutes of kicking it to early 2000’s hip-hop can really turn your day around.

If you want to strength your core: The Body Lab

4217 W 119th St, Leawood, KS 66209

This class will burn ab muscles that you didn’t even know you had. Using pilates style equipment, these full body workouts use slow and controlled movements with constant tension to work every muscle fiber. With their compound movements, at the end of the 50-minute class, you will have toned everything from your arms, to abs to legs. And you’ll feel it the next day!

With all of these great fitness options listed here, also know that there are so many more incredible places not listed too! This city is full of unique workouts that make it hard to get bored. Whether you’re starting up a new fitness journey, or just looking to change it up and try something new, there something out there for everyone. So let’s hit the ground running and make it the healthiest year yet!