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Photograph: Courtesy Chelsea Piers

The best fitness centers to try this spring

Get toned, realigned and de-stressed at the best wellness and fitness facilities for indoor and outdoor exercises

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We get it: Baggy-sweater season is over, so the need to get back into your fitness routine has never been greater. But fitness is not about looking good in a swimsuit—it’s about feeling your personal best. We think your body is perfect just the way it is, but we understand that part of being a healthy and happy human requires physical activity, mind-body rejuvenation and sometimes therapeutic measures. Whether you’re a marathon runner or a Pilates enthusiast or a couch potato looking for a fun way to work up a sweat while enjoying the great outdoors, our roundup of fitness classes and wellness centers will give you a leg up. Raise your endorphins and get ready to feel the good kind of burn.

Ways to get fit this spring

Chelsea Piers

Chelsea Piers

This fitness club’s vast variety of classes (there are more than 150 per week) and its giant facility (the size of three football fields) makes it a top contender for anyone who’s looking to train in a space with plenty of room to breathe. With so many ways to get a workout, even fitness-phobes will find something they like. Get sporty inside the high-end gym by partaking in basketball, boxing, rock climbing, rowing, cycling or volleyball. There’s also an  indoor pool, a communal work and social space, and a café. Good news for Brooklynites: In late May, Chelsea Piers is opening a second club in Kings County. Much like the Manhattan location, the downtown Brooklyn spot features state-of-the-art training, a 75-foot-long pool, a wide range of classes and more. Pier 60 Chelsea Piers (212-336-6000); 265 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn (718-407-6400, chelseapiers.com/fitness)

Asphalt Green

Asphalt Green

Whether you’re training for a race, looking for some post-work recreation, on a mission to get fit or just need to let off some steam, Asphalt Green is your sweat-inducing oasis. With two locations in the city, each center provides more than 100 weekly group exercise classes, turfed training areas and pool access. If you want to play some b-ball and relive your high school glory days, the Battery Park facility offers an awesome hardwood-floor gymnasium. Become a member if you want dibs on the facility’s swim classes and basketball leagues. 555 E 90th St (212-369-8890); 212 North End Ave (212-298-2900, asphaltgreen.org)

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MPHC

MPHC

This fitness facility has been serving New Yorkers since the late seventies, but the offerings and the atmosphere are far from outdated—in fact, MPHC recently upgraded its digs to give it a contemporary look. This wellness center offers an array of options to work up a sweat and plenty of ways to unwind afterward. There are more than 100 classes a week, including yoga, Pilates, spinning, tai chi and hip-hop dancing. Of course, there’s a cardio mezzanine and a strength-training area for folks who prefer to plan their own workout. If you’re looking for something more adventurous, the rock-climbing gym offers top-roping and bouldering. Don’t forget your swimsuit: The 75-foot atrium pool plays host to boga boarding, aqua zumba, water aerobics and other classes. After getting up your heart rate, treat yourself to a massage or a steam or chill out in the relaxation room. 482 W 43rd St (212-563-7001, mphc.com)

Row New York
Photograph: Courtesy Claudia Loeber

Row New York

There’s a fun way to get toned while getting some much-needed vitamin D this spring: During the loveliest time of year, Row New York allows folks to row, row, row a boat on the Harlem River while taking in those gorgeous city views. The learn-to-row class ($80) will give first-timers a full-body workout. If you’re a seasoned rower, sign up for the recreational or competitive teams ($300–$760), which will keep you occupied and feeling good through the warm-weather season. Signing up for any of Row New York’s classes or offerings is certainly worth it since proceeds support its mission to teach competitive rowing to teens from underserved communities and those with disabilities. Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, 3579 Harlem River Dr (rownewyork.org/programs)

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Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices

Recreational brand Outdoor Voices is all about getting your body moving while enjoying the great outdoors, which is why the modern apparel company is motivating you with more than just cute merchandise. Get up, go out and get active by joining one of the brand’s free classes (think yoga and Pilates) outside and inside the NYC store. It pays to join Jogger’s Club this spring: Gathering at 251 Centre Street, a group takes a light sprint around Soho. Afterward, Health-Ade Kombucha, Health Warrior Bars or another participating partner provides drinks and snacks to help everybody refuel. Not only that, a $100 Outdoor Voices gift card is raffled off to one lucky jogger. Free swag for the price of making healthy choices? Sounds like a no-brainer to us.  Make sure to check the brand’s website (events.outdoorvoices.com) to see when new fitness events and classes are added. 251 Centre St (646-861-1023, outdoorvoices.com)

Yoga in Bryant Park
Photograph: Courtesy Angelito Jusay

Yoga in Bryant Park

The next time someone tells you to leave Bryant Park, just say, nah, imma-stay. In case you didn’t know, the green space hosts free outdoor yoga classes during the warmer months. If you wish to perfect your warrior pose (among others), sign up for an hour-long class led by professional instructors every Tuesday morning or Thursday evening through September. Make sure to get there early as the mats are first come, first serve, but feel free to bring your own. Bryant Park, 41 W 40th St (212-768-4242, bryantpark.org)

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Physio Logic
Photograph: Courtesy Matt Karas

Physio Logic

New Yorkers may be tough, but walking and biking around the city as well as climbing various flights of stairs a day can take a toll on your muscles and joints. Whatever physical ailements your body is going through, Physio Logic can help. The wellness center is a chiropractic and physical therapy space that uses Pilates techniques to fulfill client needs. In addition to rehab sessions for every part of the body, plus private and group Pilates and yoga classes, the facility offers acupuncture, massage therapy and sessions with a licensed nutritionist. Whether you’re training for a 5K or just tired of wandering the streets of New York in pain, these specialists have got your back—literally. 409 Fulton Street, second floor, Brooklyn (physiologicnyc.com)

Shapehouse

Shapehouse

What if we told you it’s possible to burn calories without getting physical? Enter Shapehouse. This wellness center’s mantra is “The more people sweat, the more they are at peace.” And, no, you don’t have to exercise to achieve dewy Zen. Instead, clients are offered a clean, soothing and safe detox experience. During each session, clients are wrapped like a burrito in a foil blanket, then rest on an infrared table for 55 minutes ($70). While their body heats up, clients can listen to soothing music, catch up on the latest Netflix show or take a snooze. As for the health benefits, this service is said to give your skin that sought-after healthy glow and helps you to burn calories, improve your sleep patterns and relax. Forget unwinding with a glass of wine: Your personal sweat lodge awaits! 34 W 17th St, 1316 Madison Ave, first floor (855-567-2346, theshapehouse.com)

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Dr. Phil Wellness

Dr. Phil Wellness

While cardio and weight training are great forms of exercise, these methods can be very hard on your bod. That’s where master acupuncturist Dr. Philip Trigiani comes in. Aside from alleviating pain from your overworked muscles, acupuncture is believed to reduce stress and create life-changing events. Just remind yourself to recite those aforementioned wellness perks in your head while the doctor  gently places the hairlike (and painless!) probes into your skin. Here’s some more motivation: The first 25 people to schedule an appointment before May 3 receive a free gift. 201 W 74th St (212-769-6443, drphiliptrigiani.com)

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