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Cate Cox (pictured above)
Travel adviser, West Village<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the workout scene in the West Village right now?
Pilates is definitely very hot.<\/p>\n
First impressions of this class?
I\u2019m not going to lie: I am a traditional Pilates and yoga girl, and when I saw the ski poles, at first I was like, Oh my God, what have I gotten myself into here? But it is one of the best workouts I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n
Why do you think Pilates and sculpt classes are so popular?
I see a lot of information on TikTok and Instagram that\u2019s anti\u2013HIIT workout and more about strength training, getting your steps in, and how, especially for women, that\u2019s better for your hormones and lowering adrenaline and stress. And New Yorkers are good at being stressed out.<\/p>\n
Bianca Day<\/p>\n
Marketer and events producer, Greenpoint<\/p>\n
Gabrielle Savary<\/p>\n
Fitness coach, Canarsie<\/p>\n
What kind of feedback do you get from first-time students in your class?<\/p>\n
That it\u2019s hard. They\u2019re a little shocked with how much of a full-body workout it is. That\u2019s music to my ears.<\/p>\n
Jessica Clavin<\/p>\n
Designer, Bay Ridge<\/p>\n
Abigail Olshavsky\ufeff<\/p>\n
Marketing manager and fitness instructor, Park Slope<\/p>\n
What\u2019s something folks might not know about being a group fitness instructor?<\/p>\n
People don\u2019t realize the playlist takes the longest. You\u2019re trying to find music that fits the vibe of the moves. When you\u2019re halfway through class, everyone\u2019s kind of over it. That\u2019s where I put a lot of those \u201990s and early-aughts songs.<\/p>\n
Brenna Connolly<\/p>\n
Marketing manager, Park Slope<\/p>\n
Masen Fridkin<\/p>\n
Merchandiser, West Village<\/p>\n
Laura Grasso<\/p>\n
Assistant costume designer, Clinton Hill<\/p>\n
Paris Colopy<\/p>\n
Account manager, Williamsburg<\/p>\n
Any New Year\u2019s resolutions?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not clear on my big-picture resolutions yet, but I\u2019m making activity bucket lists of things I want to do in the year. One is to walk the length of Manhattan, starting in Inwood and walking down to the Battery, all on Broadway.<\/p>\n
Lizzie Grubman<\/p>\n
Marketing analyst, Chelsea<\/p>\n
Margot Schumacher<\/p>\n
Ski instructor and tech founder, Crown Heights<\/p>\n
Alex Cooley<\/p>\n
Fitness instructor, Chelsea<\/p>\n
Do you ski?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t. My friends took me to Telluride, and I had never had a ski lesson in my life. I was waiting for the ski lift to stop, and they let me know that it does not stop; you just have to get off. So the next day, I stayed at the lodge. I had a beer and read my Kindle.<\/p>\n
Carly Rosenthal<\/p>\n
Financial-services sales executive, Greenwich Village\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hannah Ginsky<\/p>\n
Vice-president of strategy, Greenwich Village<\/p>\n
Penelope Hinds<\/p>\n
Actress, Harlem<\/p>\n
Is there a crossover between workout classes and acting?<\/p>\n
A lot of people I know did musical theater and acted in college but didn\u2019t continue acting and went to teach group fitness instead. I think it\u2019s a great way to get that acting bug out. People have almost different personas on the mic.<\/p>\n
Nicoline Roth<\/p>\n
CEO of Nrthrn Strong, Flatiron District<\/p>\n
Rachel Brown<\/p>\n
Economic strategist, Williamsburg<\/p>\n
Evan Schaad<\/p>\n
Sports psychologist and ops director, Greenpoint<\/p>\n
You mentioned you\u2019ve run a lot of races.\ufeff<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve run eight marathons. I have one drink and I\u2019ll sign up for a race. For my first Ironman, I woke up with a thousand-dollar charge on my credit card and was like, Damn, I had a good night out. And then I looked, and the charge was to ironman.com.<\/p>\n
Shira Lev<\/p>\n
Engineer, Tel Aviv, Israel<\/p>\n
\n Photographs by Frankie Alduino\n <\/p>\n
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\n If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the January 12, 2026, issue of
\n New York\u00a0Magazine.<\/p>\n
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