Six Degrees’ community demonstrates what science has long told us: working out with a friend, partner, or family member is, well, good for your health! In our studio, we see more than a few families (even three generations!), dedicated groups of friends, and partners and spouses. It certainly seems true that making fitness a date makes fitness a habit.
Morgan tells us that she and her partner Manolo first bonded as friends with long walks on their lunch breaks. More than a year and some 230 pounds later, they began dating. Now she says one of her greatest motivators is seeing Manolo “happier and more confident” and that the two enjoy Six Degrees for its “body-positive vibe” and low-impact, strength-building classes like barre, yoga, and Pilates. For his part, Manolo says Morgan is his motivation, challenging him to try new things like barre, which he loves because it’s a “full-body workout” that he can still feel the next day.
Caty and Derek are partners, too, in life and queso! Caty says they’ve tried to work out together in the past, but never quite synced up until they started coming to Six Degrees: “I’m not sure either of us would have ventured into a Pilates studio without the safety net of trying it out together.” After a few months, the recent Twin Cities transplants tell us, “Now that we think about it, it’s actually the first place since we moved here that feels like home, feels like ours, feels like our community. Six Degrees is really inviting and welcoming, very comfortable, not your typical high pressure or judgmental workout place. It’s really accessible to any levels, any ages, and bodies.” Derek also appreciates that “while barre and Pilates aren’t necessarily seen as super-masculine spaces, he never feels like he’s out of place or invading a woman’s space when he takes a Six Degrees class.” When it comes to motivation, Caty tells us, “Sometimes I book classes in advance for both of us so we’re committed. But my favorite way to motivate is using Friday or Saturday night barre classes as date night! We’ll take a class, then stop at the grocery store on our way home so we can cook dinner together and relax.” By “dinner,” she definitely means queso.
Alex works out with her mother-in-law: “She’s invited me to workout classes, and so I’ve started doing the same.” Where Alex was nervous to try a spin class alone, she said her mother-in-law felt the same about barre. Now, they sign up together to hold each other accountable, and tell their friends to try barre because it’s fun and as hard as you want to make it. And in a quote that makes this writer grin, Alex says she tells friends their favorite teacher is Letta (what?!?): “because she’s just like us—a normal woman who happens teaches barre classes, and she makes sure to explain everything well so you’re not lost. It’s a fun, low-key class.” Of course, this highlights one thing we’re all so proud of at our studio: through a variety of classes and a variety of instructors, we truly believe there’s a workout and a teacher to fit everyone and every body’s needs!Finally, Gigi, who regularly comes to Monday night barre with four or five friends, explains that her group has been working out together for years. Making it a habit and seeing each other every week keeps them coming back. Bereft when their favorite studio closed, they finally found Six Degrees: “We were determined to keep the routine going! For me, at least, it’s all about consistency. If I like the class and the instructor, and I know my friends will be there, working out is a no-brainer.”
Arrive with a buddy… or find one here!