The Community of Boutique Fitness

Fitness boutiques are everywhere and as popular as ever: spinning, barre, CrossFit, yoga, rowing, etc. The days of going to the gym, hitting the machines and working out solo are dwindling. Why? Yes, the classes offer a great workout but it's sometimes more than that. It's the feeling of belonging to something special, wanting others to push you further and holding yourself accountable. The feeling of community at fitness boutiques can be both desirable and comforting.

Experts weigh in on the craze behind boutique fitness on an NPR On Point segment last week. The episodes are 50 minutes long but the content, and Tom Ashbrook's voice, will make it worth it. 

Photo: boutique spinning at Recycle Studio | Photo in email: boutique barre at Exhale Spa

"Once, working out meant sweatpants and jumping jacks. Or running shorts and the open road. Then came Jazzercise, Zumba, hot yoga, Pilates. Today, for a growing number of Americans, fitness has gone more grueling and more glam at the same time. Boutique fitness. High-priced. Intense. Quasi-spiritual. With followers who are almost religious in the fervor. SoulCycle. Core Power. Flywheel. Barre. This hour On Point, the boutique fitness craze, and what drives it." — Tom Ashbrook