As the push to be fit grows among teenagers, students at Scarsdale High School have strayed from varsity athletics and have been drawn to local fitness classes. Barry”™s Bootcamp, Flywheel and YogaSpark, in particular, have been popular destinations for those looking to tone muscle, lose fat and improve their figure.
Barry”™s Bootcamp describes itself as the original strength and cardio interval fitness trainer combining treadmill running with weights. “Barry”™s was originally founded in West Hollywood in the late ’90s,” said Rhonda Hunt, studio and brand manager at Barry”™s first suburban location at 1142 Wilmot Road in the Golden Horseshoe. “We were the first to put a treadmill in a studio and teach a class on it.”
“There are more teens at this location than our others in more urban areas because there are more families in Scarsdale,” said Hunt. “Scarsdale is a very health-conscious town and the people appreciate a good workout.”
Ellie Bezos, a June graduate of Scarsdale High School, is a regular at Barry”™s, training there four times a week. She saves on the per-class charge of $34 by buying a 25-class package for $765.
“I take classes at Barry”™s because I genuinely enjoy it,” said Bezos. “After stopping gymnastics, I had a hard time finding a good, challenging workout that was also as fun as gymnastics.”
Hunt estimated that students account for ١٥ percent of Barry”™s local clientele. “The teenagers come in the evening while the mothers and fathers tend to come in the morning,” she said.
“SoulCycle broke it open for teenagers,” said Hunt, referring to the fitness company that offers indoor cycling classes. SoulCycle also operates a Scarsdale studio at Ù§ Popham Road. “Teenagers have been on a bike for a while and Barry”™s provides something new.”
Another teenage workout hotspot in Scarsdale is Flywheel Sports, a boutique indoor cycling studio that opened in 2014 at 828 Scarsdale Ave. “Between 20 and 30 percent of our clientele is composed of teenagers,” said Jaime Resnick, Flywheel”™s New York metro market manager. That percentage fluctuates depending on the season ”” higher in the summer and lower in the winter when teenagers are in school.
“Yesterday afternoon, out of 34 people, I had 30 teens in my class,” said Eve Bondareva, a Flywheel instructor.
“We have lots of opportunities for students to get involved here,” said Resnick. “We host charity rides for high school students to do club fundraisers, we do a college ride where everyone wears their school”™s T-shirts to class, we have music-themed classes featuring popular artists such as Drake, and we even do a prom ride called fly prom where anyone who has a code can ride for free to get in shape for prom.”
Scarsdale High School senior Sophie Fried attends afternoon Flywheel classes four times a week. “I take these classes because they are challenging and I love the competitive environment,” she said, referring to the leaderboard that ranks spinners based on their class performance. Although each Flywheel class is $30, Fried received free classes as an employee. She also attends Barry”™s Bootcamp, paying the $34 class fee.
Scarsdale teenagers are also drawn to YogaSpark in Mamaroneck as a workout destination. Since opening the yoga studio at 490 Mount Pleasant Ave. about 4 ½ years ago, owner Lauren Porat has observed “a huge Scarsdale base,” including many teenagers, in her clientele. “The percentage of teens skews higher in the summer because all the college kids are home and teens are out of school,” she said. “Any given class in the summer can be 50 percent students.”
“This style of yoga is so fun, energizing and intense,” said Porat. “The heat intensifies everything and makes our yoga more fun and a better workout.”
“I do yoga three times per day since school ended,” said Laura O”™Connor, an avid yogi and a June graduate of Scarsdale High School. “Yoga is a great complement to all the stresses of daily life and also keeps you toned.”
The $30 price she pays for a class at YogaSpark is fairly standard from studio to studio. “I also go to both Flywheel and Barry”™s Bootcamp on top of yoga,” said O”™Connor.
The workout craze is most prevalent among girls in the senior class. The Bahamas, where Scarsdale High School seniors traditionally spend their spring break, and prom night drive some to fitness studios to train and tone their bodies for swimsuit and evening gown wear.
“Before the Bahamas, I was working out every day,” said O”™Connor. “If I did not have time for a workout class, I would take long runs outside to stay in shape.”
“I take these classes because I don”™t really play any sports,” said Caitlin D”™Ambrosio, another Scarsdale High School senior. “These classes gave me something to do to stay active and helped me get into shape and lose weight for different senior events.”
Editor”™s note: A spring intern at the Business Journal and June graduate of Scarsdale High School, Kendall Bensche will attend Harvard University in the fall.
A three-time state high school champion in the high jump, she does not use fitness studios for her workouts.
