TRIBECA — At a new TriBeCa fitness boutique, twirling your scantily-clad body around a brass pole is a way to get your physique — and mind — into shape.
City Pole, a small studio on Beach Street that opened this month, is putting a meditative spin on “pole fitness” — a workout inspired by strip club moves, that’s increasingly become a mainstream form of exercise.
The goal at City Pole, which caps its class size at five people, is leading an intense, full-body workout, with a focus on “mindful” confidence building, said owner Kylee Sallak.
“Pole fitness is very athletic and fun, but it can also leave you feeling a lot more vulnerable than a run on a treadmill or lifting weights,” said Sallak, a longtime dancer. “All of our classes are centered around growing your confidence, with a focused intention in all our movements — we say that you’ll exercise from the inside out.”
Sallak, also a devotee of meditation, has taken that mindfulness component a step further in the studio, adding a dedicated “rejuvenation room.”
Before or after classes, clients can take up to 60 minutes to meditate in the room, which also displays some guidelines and tools for releasing anxieties.
Some suggested activities for letting go of frustrations include pummeling a punching bag (white bag and pink boxing clubs provided), stomping on some bubble wrap, and, eventually, writing down those things that trouble you, and placing them into a small tub of water in the room. The paper quickly dissolves, so you can “ceremoniously watch your mental blocks melt away,” Sallak said.
A City Pole instructor uses the rejuvenation room. Courtesy of City Pole.
The studio also offers a daily group meditation classes at 8:45 a.m.
Infusing a strong sense of mindfulness into her classes is a way for Sallak to elevate the way people see and use pole fitness, she said. That's also why the courses are kept small — giving each participant their own pole, and individualized attention.
Sallack, in white, is surrounded by her instructors in their new beach street studio. Courtesy of City Pole.
The studio offers several classes throughout the day, which usually run 70 minutes and cost $80. The price is steeper than most pole fitness classes, but Sallak said that at a regular pole class, participants are not getting use of their own pole and getting the personalized instruction for the whole time.
The studio also has two showers for client use.
Eventually, the studio will add class packages and offer studio memberships, Sallak said.
"I think there's a lot of room for growth in the pole fitness industry," Sallak said. "Sometimes classes are packed and you don't appreciate the incredible workout you can get from the pole — we're trying to change that. "
City Pole, at 8 Beach Street, 2nd floor, is open 8:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. For more information, check out the website.
