5 Wellness Studios That Are Changing the Way People Get Fit in SF

ByAllison McCarthy

Published Jan 16, 2020

New Year’s resolutions often focus on getting our body in shape, but what about our mind? This year, we’ve resolved to work on both, so we rounded up five studios that will help us get there. From a high-tech meditation studio to a dedicated stretching lab to a new VR workout, these are worth checking out.

Courtesy of Core

Meditation: Core

Meditation is top of mind these days (see what we did there?), thanks to the thousands of mindfulness apps that have proliferated over the past several years. But if you’re anything like us, it’s hard to dedicate time to daily or weekly meditation by ourselves at home (the couch seems to have a gravitational pull after a long day of work). That’s where Core comes in. Opening on January 28, SF’s newest meditation studio will offer immersive classes featuring a proprietary rosewood meditation orb that uses vibration guidance to follow along with the class’s instructor. A corresponding app records biometric feedback and tracks your levels of focus and calm. It’s the coolest way of getting centered that we’ve come across, and you’ll leave each session feeling 100 percent relaxed.

47 O’Farrell St.;hellocore.com

Courtesy of StretchLab

Stretching: Stretch Lab

My favorite Pilates instructor always says that flexibility is a third of fitness, making regular stretching oh so important. Now, StretchLab is here to help. Designed to increase mobility and flexibility, help reduce pain, decrease muscle aches and recovery time, and improve posture, StretchLab’s assisted stretching studio offers 25- and 50-minute sessions with trained “flexologists” to help you loosen up.

Multiple locations;stretchlab.com

Weight Training: Iron + Mettle

这个重量,lifting, HIIT and circuit-training workout is for the ladies only. Founded by a woman, for women, the studio creates a female-friendly environment (complete with an Instagrammable floral mural wall) free of gym rats and meatheads. Each 55-minute class is capped at six people, so you’ll get lots of personalized attention as you plank, lift, lunge and squat your way through class. Plus, a healthy dose of aerobic exercise guarantees you’ll boost your heart rate and work up a sweat.

1360 Valencia St.;ironandmettlefitness.com

Strength & Conditioning: Rumble Training

If you’re a mega fan of Rumble Boxing, then it’s about time you tried the franchise’s latest concept, Rumble Training. Located in its very own studio in the Marina, the 45-minute, ten-round strength and conditioning workout combines treadmill sets with weight training using dumbbells and resistance bands on floor-side benches, all set to a killer playlist of hip-hop and house. It’s a little like the club meets Barry’s Bootcamp. Count us in.

3322 Fillmore St.;doyourumble.com

虚拟现实训练:黑盒虚拟现实

For any gamers or early tech adopters, this new workout is so SF. Black Box VR—the first virtual reality gym—has 14 dedicated booths where you’ll work out to win. The idea is that you’re the main player in a 30-minute game in which you’ll have to complete different sets of exercises to advance through virtual battle arenas. Chest presses, rows, squats and deadlifts earn you weapons to defeat your enemies, and the VR headset tracks your moves in real time. If you’re looking to shake up your fitness routine, Black Box is definitely worth a try.

1390 Market St.;blackbox-vr.com

Allison McCarthy

San Francisco Editor

Allison McCarthy is a writer and editor with 15 years of experience in the industry. She's currently the San Francisco editor at PureWow, where she covers the best of what's...

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