The foodies have the New York City Wine & Food Festival, and fashionistas get to strut their stuff at Fashion’s Night Out. So recently, fitness fanatics at some of the city’s top workout studios wondered: Why not us?
Thus was born today’s first-ever Sweaty Saturday, invading 30 studios across town and offering free and discounted workouts, post-class sips and snacks, and a slew of other specials.
The fitness fest benefits HealthCorps, a charity founded by TV’s Dr. Oz to fight childhood obesity.
To help you navigate the offerings, we found eight of the best deals and steals to get you moving.
1. Gaga Center, 230 E. 93rd St.; 212-920-7884, gagacenter.com
No, this isn’t a dance workout in which you don meat dresses and croon “Poker Face.” Rather, gaga is a variation of dodgeball, and today the center is offering free one-hour classes (normally $40) throughout the day for kids pre-K through sixth grade.
“We felt like we needed more places in NYC where kids could exercise, run around and sweat,” says co-founder Marcy Singer.
2. Anderson’s Martial Arts, 394 Broadway; 212-766-6622, andersonsmartialarts.com
The day of free, intense fun at Anderson’s starts at 8 a.m. with kettlebell kickboxing, a female-only version of the hour-long workout. Afterward the group will head to Bari Studio for an optional free post-workout nutrition workshop, followed by BariBOUNCE (a class with small-trampoline exercises) and finally, a session at Yoga Vida.
3. Pure Barre, 78 Fifth Ave.; 917-675-1528, purebarre.com
Time to break out your best Olivia Newton-John outfit: Pure Barre is throwing an ’80s party. Studio instructors have curated an ’80s playlist (Madonna’s “Holiday,” anyone?) and will don neon spandex and sweatbands to set the mood. They’re hoping customers will do so, too, for a 1:15 p.m. donation-only class at its Union Square studio.
“Both of us are ’80s babies, so it definitely played into our choice,” says studio co-owner Leslie Coakley. “Plus, we like the clothes.”
4. SLT, 37 W. 57th St.; 212-355-3014, sltnyc.com
SLT’s offering free classes just for dudes, including a men-only yoga session — “BROga” — and a “MENgaformer,” a version of its intense Megaformer workout. Both sessions will focus on the upper body and other parts men tend to work more. Showoffs can partake in the plank pose contest to win free classes, too.
“The fitness folks tend to be a competitive bunch,” says SLT founder Amanda Freeman. “It was a good opportunity to come together around a cause meaningful to everybody.”
5. David Kirsch Wellness, 210 Fifth Ave.; 212-683-1836, davidkirschwellness.com
Could your tush use some tightening? You’re in luck. David Kirsch, the self-described “Master of the Ass,” is offering a rare opportunity to work out with him in person at his Butt Boot Camp ($35). The derrière is, as Kirsch says, his “area of expertise”; he’s worked with Liv Tyler, Heidi Klum and Faith Hill. Fitness freaks will tone and sculpt the lower body by doing sumo lunges, platypus walks and bent-leg deadlifts.
“It’ll be short and sweet,” he says, “and will leave participants with a few moves they can incorporate into their daily workout.”
6. Uplift Studios, 24 W. 23rd St.; 212-242-3103, upliftstudios.com
The women-only studio is offering half-price classes (normally $36) all day, including its Warrior Fight Club, a boxing-yoga hybrid taught by a female ex-Golden Gloves champion. And because Uplift is known for wet workouts such as “Cardio and Cocktails,” get juiced up after the sweat session with a free happy hour that includes mimosas, Bloody Marys and — for teetotalers — BluePrint cleanse juices.
We are “focused on empowering women and just having a lot of fun,” says co-founder Helena Wolin.
7. Exceed Fitness, 1477 Third Ave.; 212-481-5300, exceed-fitness.com
Some Sweaty Saturday events are designed for a quick pop-in, but Exceed is hoping people will stick around all day. To that end, the studio is offering gratis classes from 3 to 7 p.m. and giveaways of all sorts, like workout gear and future classes. And then it’s happy hour, with free cocktails.
“People like to come here, and they spend hours,” says founder Catherine Goodwin. “We thought it would be natural to put some music on and serve some cocktails.”
8. Flywheel, 39 W. 21st St.; 212-242-9433, flywheelsports.com
The indoor cycling studio, known for intense workouts and a cult following, is offering free rewards for your paid-for sweat. After the $32 class, try treats from Vita Coco, PopChips and — to really sweeten the deal — a free sundae bar from Soft Serve Fruit Co.
“This is one of those days where it’s a little less about what we get out of it and a little more about what we give back,” says CEO Jay Galluzzo.