June Studio Tour: Week 4, The Jersey Shore
It’s been a goal of mine to tour the shore. So many Main Liners flock to the Jersey Shore May through August, and I know you fit babes are exercising while you’re there. Since I was already on a studio tour, I grabbed the kids and headed down the shore for a few days to do what I do best. I had five days to visit as many shore towns and do as many workouts there as I could. And while I only started to scratch the ocean’s surface of what the shore has to offer, I decided to make a shore week part of the tour again next year.
This year, I started at the southern most point that I was visiting, at Wildwood Crest. From there, I worked my way up to Stone Harbor, Avalon and then Margate and Ventnor.
Day 10: BESOUL. 6101 New Jersey Ave, Wildwood Crest. I had never been to Wildwood so this was the perfect town to begin. Plus, there is a new yoga studio in town that I had heard quite a few things about from my yoga teachers at home. BESOUL has only been open a few months and is currently in its first summer season at Wildwood Crest. I got such a good vibe the moment I stepped foot onto the front porch of the studio. The instructor welcomed me right away, and I got settled into the nice size, slightly warm room.
I took Movement is Medicine which is similar to vinyasa but with more meditative and restorative elements and an overall theme to the class. We moved through the 7 main chakras. We began by grounding down in Shavasana, followed by rocking through Happy Baby, which set the tone for the next sixty minutes. I loved being absorbed by the instructors words while moving through the poses. It was a beautiful practice and a great way to start the day. I left feeling refreshed in body and mind.
BESOUL offers all sorts of healing services like reiki, meditation, tarot card reading, sound therapy and lifestyle coaching. It was truly a delight to do yoga there. I have a feeling BESOUL will make a wonderful impact on the shore for many years to come.
Day 11: STONE HARBOR BOOT CAMP. 8100 2nd Avenue, Stone Harbor. I love this bootcamp that Nick Elisano has been running at the Stone Harbor Recreaction Center for sixteen years. It was awesome to see how many people come out for this workout, Friday through Monday and Wednesday, at 8 and 9 am. In the height of the summer, SHBC can get close to 200 people! And while it sounds like a heck of a lot of people to be in one class, if anyone can handle it, it’s Nick.
Here is what made this bootcamp so enjoyable for me, someone who usually doesn’t love the bootcamp style classes. First off, the energy is very welcoming and accepting. You can tell the people who come here have been frequenting this workout for a while. They bring their spouse, their friend, their kids or their neighbor to join them for a workout. They know each other and they know Nick, but there is no ego or air about this fitness community. So don’t be surprised if you leave with a new friend or two after the hour class is over. Second, I love the variety of exercises and equipment used. This ain’t no burpee-plank-lap-running-only style bootcamp which can get boring. Each exercise was performed for just 45 seconds before we moved on, so I was never bored. We ran through all 18 stations twice with some cardio “games” in between. Third, this workout doesn't require much planning. The shore can be overwhelming with the crowds in July and August, and the same goes for the workouts, which fill up quickly. With SHBC you can sign up ahead of time using Mind Body, but I also saw people just show up. I prefer that laid back approach to scheduling when I am on vacation. And lastly, the workout is quick and effective. It’s cardio. Its strength. It’s full body. It’s sweaty, but not the sticky sandy kind of sweat, so that’s good by me.
Day 12: SURFSIDE FITNESS. 2109 Dune Drive, Avalon. This is a special one for me. The owner of Surfside Fitness was the first trainer that I ever worked with. It was probably in college (maybe earlier) when I met Cheryl Herzog. Back then there was nothing like a “Cheryl workout”, and today, I can now say there is still nothing like a “Cheryl workout.” She is just so good at effectively and efficiently achieving the goals of her clients. So I was thrilled to learn that she would be teaching the class I had signed up for at Surfside Fitness (she wasn’t originally on the schedule).
Cheryl’s gym (I visited the Avalon one. She also has one in Sea Isle City) is absolutely beautiful, as far as gyms go. It’s boutiquey with dark walls and wood trim but enough about the decor… she has all the equipment I would want in a gym and a nice sprinkling of group fitness classes that mostly incorporate strength training of some sort. I took SWEAT, which is Surfside’s signature class. It’s endurance and anaerobic based strength incorporating weights, kettlebells and sometimes TRX, though the class I took didn’t use the TRX straps. The class was great. The gym is great and if I was down the shore all summer, I’d become a member at Surfside Fitness for shore. That sounds like an award…
Day 13: REVEL RIDE. 9205 Ventnor Avenue, Margate City. Philly’s successful spin powerhouse, Revel Ride, is officially open and selling out classes at their new location in Margate City. If spinning is your thing, this is the place to do it at the shore. The dark room and loud beats motivate the group for 45 minutes of an all out sweat session that is a musically driven ride. Revel’s bikes are unique to their studio. They are made to resemble an outdoor bike for those riders that don’t feel like dancing on the bike. My favorite feature is the gear shift that automatically takes you 1 or 3 full turns with just a simple click.
No need to bring your spin shoes to the shore. Every rider gets a pair of spinning shoes and a towel. The only thing you need to bring is water and those powerful legs of yours. Revel is currently offering the first class for just $20. And classes are already filling up so plan ahead to get on a bike this summer.
Day 14: ZEN DEN. 7817 Ventnor Avenue, Margate. Zen Den is a staple in Margate and has been going strong for a while. The studio holds yoga, sculpt and barre classes regularly year round. The whole vibe of this place is just right. Even the names of the classes are cool (i.e. Zen AF). And that’s why shore goers have been flocking to this tiny studio for decades. I signed up for Fo’ Chisel, which was my virtual jam in 2020-2021. During the pandemic, I live-streamed owner, Arianne’s class once a week from her studio in Margate. I loved everything about this fast-paced, yoga-inspired, sculpting class set to 90’s hip hop. It’s a unique routine that repeats every week but no matter how many times you do it, it’s still hard as sh*t. And that’s Fo’ Shore.
I was sure I would have loved the heated studio at Zen Den because hot classes are my thing. I find them motivating and invigorating. But it was hard to focus on the workout because it was just so crowded in that room. Fo ‘Chisel requires a lot of dynamic movement. So to be that hot in such close proximity to so many people isn’t my thing- especially when sweat is making its way onto my mat. Sweat that isn’t mine. I was so excited to close out my tour with this class, but I nearly didn’t make it. My body was tired. And it wasn’t just me. Almost everyone in that room (at least the people around me in the back) lost steam during the last few songs. I’m totally bummed about my experience, but like all things at the shore, the crowd just got to me!
The best part of the shore tour for me — getting to experience it with my family. As soon as my workout for the day was done, me and the kids got to take in the sun, the sand and the fun of the Jersey Shore.
June always goes so fast. While I didn’t do the 30 workouts that I typically do this month, using the time to travel to two different locations beyond the Main Line was worth the change. Don’t forget to tune in to my Instagram this week for all of the awards from the entire month.