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Your Weekly Guide to the Best Workouts in LA
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As a professional dancer for over ten years, I’ve been able to stay active for so long because I’m constantly changing it up. Not only does this make my wellness routine fun, taking on as many disciplines as possible ensures that my body will never plateau and is pushing its limits every week. For me, meetings, happy hours, events and general exhaustion take over as the week progresses—so I front load Sunday through Wednesday when my schedule is most predictable. I make it a priority to schedule recovery sessions like I’m booking a workout class. Sure you can stretch and foam roll at home, but will you?
A wealth of wellness knowledge for fitness, beauty, and wellness services, I book all my classes and services on the MINDBODY app. My fitness club, Kong Fit Club, has also put each facility to the test,—deeming it #KFCapproved.
Here’s what my weekly workout routine looks like at some of my favorite MINDBODY studios (and salons and spas for a little post-workout self-care) in LA!
MONDAY
WundaBar Pilates Los Feliz
Start the week with a calm and gentle (but super challenging) reformer Pilates class. I have been coming to WundaBar Los Feliz for years because it’s the perfect balance between endurance and classical Pilates. The instructors are true to form and function, and they won’t hold you back from getting your muscles shaking. You’re on your back, lunging, plie-ing—the movement is repetitive in the best way. Find your flow, hone in on that perfect form, and kick off Monday with a win.
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MONDAY
WundaBar Pilates Los Feliz
Start the week with a calm and gentle (but super challenging) reformer Pilates class. I have been coming to WundaBar Los Feliz for years because it’s the perfect balance between endurance and classical Pilates. The instructors are true to form and function, and they won’t hold you back from getting your muscles shaking. You’re on your back, lunging, plie-ing—the movement is repetitive in the best way. Find your flow, hone in on that perfect form, and kick off Monday with a win.
TUESDAY
The Body Los Angeles
When you visit The Body Los Angeles, you get the personal attention of a private trainer and the camaraderie of a team. The location is totally unassuming on purpose. I’ve worked out next to NFL players and pregnant women in the same class—everyone doing the same work and in it for the same reasons. There is little equipment, just an open floor that forces you to carry yourself with your own four limbs. In my opinion, owner Jenn Glysson is one of the top five trainers in LA because she doesn’t hide behind any smoke and mirrors. She focuses on solid work. You’ll lift, crawl, jump, and push yourself to head to toe sweat in just 55 minutes.
The classes I always take? Full-Body HIIT, Recess, and for an extra push: Primal.
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TUESDAY
The Body Los Angeles
When you visit The Body Los Angeles, you get the personal attention of a private trainer and the camaraderie of a team. The location is totally unassuming on purpose. I’ve worked out next to NFL players and pregnant women in the same class—everyone doing the same work and in it for the same reasons. There is little equipment, just an open floor that forces you to carry yourself with your own four limbs. In my opinion, owner Jenn Glysson is one of the top five trainers in LA because she doesn’t hide behind any smoke and mirrors. She focuses on solid work. You’ll lift, crawl, jump, and push yourself to head to toe sweat in just 55 minutes.
The classes I always take? Full-Body HIIT, Recess, and for an extra push: Primal.
WEDNESDAY
BoxUnion or Prevail Boxing
Head to one of my two favorite boxing studios because—let’s be honest—by Wednesday you’ll want to hit something. BoxUnion is a 45-minute fitness boxing class that features high-intensity cardio, muscle sculpting, and strength training at a heavy bag. The best part is, you box in unison to the beat. 5, 6, 7, 8... let’s go!
Take a class with: Jon Jon
Prevail Boxing blends boxing and HIIT for the ultimate conditioning workout. With the lights on and three trainers in the room, you really feel like you’re working on your technique. Prevail is one of the OG fitness boxing studios in LA, and I’ve always loved their no-frills attitude and clientele who are there to do the work.
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WEDNESDAY
BoxUnion or Prevail Boxing
Head to one of my two favorite boxing studios because—let’s be honest—by Wednesday you’ll want to hit something. BoxUnion is a 45-minute fitness boxing class that features high-intensity cardio, muscle sculpting, and strength training at a heavy bag. The best part is, you box in unison to the beat. 5, 6, 7, 8... let’s go!
Take a class with: Jon Jon
Prevail Boxing blends boxing and HIIT for the ultimate conditioning workout. With the lights on and three trainers in the room, you really feel like you’re working on your technique. Prevail is one of the OG fitness boxing studios in LA, and I’ve always loved their no-frills attitude and clientele who are there to do the work.
THURSDAY
MOTI
MOTI is where I rehabilitated my torn shoulder. The physical therapists are the best of the best, and everyone from professional dancers to Red Bull athletes trusts them with their injuries. Aside from great PT, MOTI offers the general public use of their Recovery Lounge. During your treatment session, you can use their three modalities that help athletic recovery—Normatec compression therapy, Compex neuromuscular stimulation therapy, and Theragun vibration therapy. While a MOTI expert will walk you through all the benefits, I like to relish the 30 minutes where I have no option but to sit still and focus on me.
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THURSDAY
MOTI
MOTI is where I rehabilitated my torn shoulder. The physical therapists are the best of the best, and everyone from professional dancers to Red Bull athletes trusts them with their injuries. Aside from great PT, MOTI offers the general public use of their Recovery Lounge. During your treatment session, you can use their three modalities that help athletic recovery—Normatec compression therapy, Compex neuromuscular stimulation therapy, and Theragun vibration therapy. While a MOTI expert will walk you through all the benefits, I like to relish the 30 minutes where I have no option but to sit still and focus on me.
FRIDAY
Rest.
Take a day to rest, relax, and let your muscles (and mind) recover for a week of work.
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FRIDAY
Rest.
Take a day to rest, relax, and let your muscles (and mind) recover for a week of work.
SATURDAY
Go outside!
Hike, walk, bike, run—whatever you’re into, breath in some fresh air and get outside.
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SATURDAY
Go outside!
Hike, walk, bike, run—whatever you’re into, breath in some fresh air and get outside.
SUNDAY FUNDAY
THE WALL or Kure Spa
Both of my favorite Sunday activities come with free mimosas, so call a friend and make a date with MINDBODY.
THE WALL’s 123 Stack gives you and your friends a little of everything: 10 minutes of abs, 20 minutes of weights, and 30 minutes of cycling. Aside from the killer full-body workout, THE WALL makes you feel like a VIP. When you transition from the weight room, there’s no need to wipe down or clean up—they take care of it for you as you waltz into the cycling room. There’s no better way to celebrate a Sunday sweating than with a team member opening the door and handing you a glass of bubbly!
The instructors I love? Tiffany Daniels & Lacey Stone!
Shower up and head to Kure Spa in Silverlake because you deserve some self-care. With comfy chairs that look like thrones, you’ll welcome your second glass of bubbly on the house. Tired body, fresh nails— that’s my kind of Sunday!
Ready to step up your weekly sweat? Download the MINDBODY app to explore everything from cycling to hot yoga or check out MINDBODY.io to book something new!
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SUNDAY FUNDAY
THE WALL or Kure Spa
Both of my favorite Sunday activities come with free mimosas, so call a friend and make a date with MINDBODY.
THE WALL’s 123 Stack gives you and your friends a little of everything: 10 minutes of abs, 20 minutes of weights, and 30 minutes of cycling. Aside from the killer full-body workout, THE WALL makes you feel like a VIP. When you transition from the weight room, there’s no need to wipe down or clean up—they take care of it for you as you waltz into the cycling room. There’s no better way to celebrate a Sunday sweating than with a team member opening the door and handing you a glass of bubbly!
The instructors I love? Tiffany Daniels & Lacey Stone!
Shower up and head to Kure Spa in Silverlake because you deserve some self-care. With comfy chairs that look like thrones, you’ll welcome your second glass of bubbly on the house. Tired body, fresh nails— that’s my kind of Sunday!
Ready to step up your weekly sweat? Download the MINDBODY app to explore everything from cycling to hot yoga or check out MINDBODY.io to book something new!
Wellness
What is Wellness?
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To say the last year and a half was tough would be an understatement. In fact, it will probably go down as one of the most difficult times for our modern generation. In one of the many social polls we conducted during the pandemic, some of you described this time as a sheer “dumpster fire” or “like stepping on a Lego.” And to be honest, I couldn’t agree more.
Luckily, we’ve been able to get back to some form of normalcy in our lives and wellness routines over the last several months. As vaccines became available to the public, wellness businesses welcomed fitness fanatics, haircut seekers, and massage lovers back to in-person wellness experiences. And thank goodness for that—my roots and horrible posture from working from my bed were both getting wildly out of control. This girl needed a good massage and cupping session stat.
If there’s one thing we learned from the pandemic, it’s that our wellness routines are as personal as they are important. During shelter-at-home, those routines looked a bit different. For many, it meant taking a new approach to the “typical” wellness services we count on—I’m looking at you DIY haircuts, at-home waxing sessions (ouch!), and virtual swerking classes.
Now that we can leave our humble abodes to take advantage of in-person experiences again, the word “wellness” has seemingly taken on a new meaning.
Recently, we conducted another one of our famous social polls to see what wellness means to you, our Mindbody community, now that we're slowly but surely getting back to our regularly scheduled programming. We also tapped some of our most influential Mindbody business owners about the ever-evolving wellness landscape.
Here’s what you all had to say.
Wellness is more important to you than ever
According to our annual Mindbody Wellness Index, 60% of Americans say they’re more focused on their health and wellness since COVID. Consumers are now realizing they need to take greater care of themselves to optimize and preserve their health. When we asked you on Instagram how important wellness is, a whopping 98% said it was more important than ever. When it comes to how you’re practicing wellness, though, the answers were all over the board. Many of you pointed to journaling, practicing breathwork, and daily workout routines (cycling and yoga topped the list) as being the activities that help you keep your chill throughout the week.
I’m also happy to report that over 50% said you tend to feel more blessed than stressed on a daily basis—which is more than likely a big improvement. Let’s be honest, a year ago I would’ve bet a billion dollars that 99.9% of us knew no other feeling than anxiety—am I right? But even with the stress in our lives dwindling, many of you are still experiencing burnout at the end of a long work week (guilty!). But instead of succumbing to a bottle of wine for relief (please, that was so 2020), you’re unwinding by going to your favorite workout classes—with hot yoga, barre, and Pilates as your faves.
What wellness means to the pros
Let’s be honest, we should credit the business owners in this space for helping us reignite our spark when it comes to our wellness routines, right? Thanks to them, we’ve been inspired to prioritize the activities that help us feel our best. In turn, we thought it’d be interesting to learn what wellness means to them—and how that definition has changed over the past eighteen months.
Here’s what they had to say.
“Wellness is living in balance—mind, body, spirit. Highs and lows. It all ebbs and flows and we can navigate it a bit better when we take time to move, breath and remember who we are, and how we are connected to this big, beautiful world.” - Jess Pierno, Founder, Owner, and Chief Inspiration Officer of Yoga Heights
“Wellness is a true balancing of the mental, physical, and spiritual. It has definitely evolved over the years for me—from something that I just thought was about exercising and eating a healthy diet—to also incorporating balancing and healing internally and spiritually.” - Stefanie Patterson, Owner, Indianapolis Salt Cave and Halotherapy Center
“My sense of wellness has evolved from staying healthy and motivated, mind/body/spirit... to being more gentle with myself, less demanding. Accepting my limitations, taking time for resting, and gaining real clarity about what's important. I care less about what people think of me—difficult as a performer and as a business owner with so many demands on me—and more about getting quiet and tapping into the divine source inside of me that helps me discern my next move. In this way, I know my motives are as pure as possible and I'm not getting distracted—not that I don't make mistakes! Those are necessary, that's how we learn!” - Johanna Krynytzky, Owner, Hip Expressions Belly Dance Studio
“My studio name reminds us that we are constantly evolving. The past 18 months have certainly shown us that! Wellness to me means doing your best on any given day to make sure that you are taking care of yourself as best you can. It leads to resilience. Diet, exercise, sleep, a sense of community, and some form of faith. It all matters. Setbacks happen all the time, and every day is a chance to start again. We strive to be 'cheerleaders' for our clients when we sense that things are coming out of balance in their lives. So many have been with us for 18 years and are friends—they are our community and we all watch out for each other.” - Mo Wolfe, Owner and Founder, Evolution Pilates
Putting wellness into action
I think we can all agree that there isn’t one true definition of wellness anymore. To some of us, it means getting that hot yoga sesh in daily, and to others, it means carving out time to treat ourselves to a massage or manicure. As long as you’re actively pursuing wellness—whatever that means to you—you're on the right track.
Our MO has always been about connecting the world to wellness—a term that's seen a lot of change lately. Whether you’re fully embracing the in-person experience or still delighted by the convenience of practicing at-home wellness, the Mindbody app makes it easy for you to book experiences that help you feel like YOU again.
