CBD boutique gyms: Where to get your sweat on now that working out(side) is back on

It’s been a solid two to three months since most of us have stepped into a gym. Livestreamed fitness classes can only get us so far – especially if we didn’t feel like investing in equipment that might’ve been necessary to keep challenging our bodies. Thankfully, Phase Two has arrived, bringing with it the reopening of our favourite fitness studios and CBD boutique gyms.

While getting your sweat on in an enclosed space (regardless of whether there’s strobe lights or curated workout music) might not seem like a good idea right now, all you need is a few precautions and proper management to get in a perfectly safe workout.

Just remember that you’re going to have to plan your workout days in advance: more or less every CBD boutique gym, MMA studio or yoga centre have implemented an online booking system since reopening. You’re looking at reduced capacities, with thorough cleaning after every session. Once you’ve factored in doing your part (not coming in if you’re ill, sanitising before and after getting on the mat and social distancing), it shouldn’t be much more dangerous than, say, dining out at your favourite restaurant.

One final note: those who haven’t been exercising actively throughout the circuit breaker period shouldn’t jump back into the thick of things too quickly. Start slow and expect your first few workouts to be slightly more excruciating than usual.

Moving on, here’s our pick of Phase Two-ready boutique gyms and CBD fitness studios that have reopened.

Ritual
Ritual is all about free weights, compound movements and functional training. Don’t expect any leisurely bicep curls here: it’s all going to be packed into a frenzied 20-minute long session. You’ll be put through your paces within your ‘pod’, that contains a personal set of dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and rings (that’s cleaned between workouts) for you to heave and sweat over. Add in the requisite workout playlist, and you’re getting a quick, effective HIIT workout that feels way, way longer than it actually is. It’s also fully equipped with toilets and accompanying toiletries, so you won’t have to get back into your car sweaty. As their Raffles Place and Holland Village branches are the only branches open for now, it’s the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the emptier-than-usual CBD (or get in a workout before hitting the bars at HV; we don’t judge).

#03-01, 11 North Canal Road. Tel: 6536-7291.
Boulder Movement Singapore
Oft touted as a sport that relies on brains rather than brawn, bouldering has become popular in Singapore over recent years. That could also be due to some sort of primordial instinct on our part: why else would we enjoy scaling walls (in this case, multi-coloured plastic rocks)? Regardless, it’s a fun and effective way to work on muscular endurance of the upper body, while giving us a break from other more aerobically challenging workouts like swimming or running. Footwork and planning out your moves are where your ingenuity, flexibility and a good dose of elbow grease come in handy. Apart from around 120 sq m with more than 100 boulder problems, they’ve got a versatile training centre with specalised training equipment, as well as shower facilities and complimentary towels for members. Daily deep cleaning of the entire gym, as well as disinfectant cleaning routines between climbing sessions also go a long way in ensuring that your climb will be safe and germ-free.

#B1-03, OUE Downtown 2. Tel: 6816-6001.
The Ring Boxing Community
Think of The Ring as part old-school throwback, part love letter, to the days of “traditional” boxing training: less cardio boxing, more speedbag work and sparring in an actual ring while learning how to throw a punch. Founder Ruchdi Hajjar (who’s also a partner at SGMC Capital, a wealth and asset management firm) is looking to bring back the old, community-focused days of boxing. To that end, he organises friendly bouts and professional matches at his gym on Kim Yam Road, which has seen a slow and steady rise in spectatorship. Of course, that doesn’t mean The Ring doesn’t have your regular fitness and cardio-based lessons - it does - but its strong focus on the basics done right, as well as its fraternal camaraderie, sets it apart from other more commercialised fitness studios. It’s reopened for Phase 2 with a bevy of safe distancing and sanitation methods, including disinfecting and cleaning all high-touch surfaces between classes and maintaining a distance from those in other classes.

#01-01, 58 Kim Yam Road. Tel: 6385-1488.
Hale Yoga
Hale Yoga is a yoga studio that has exactly what it needs - white walls, lacquered parquet floors and voluminous windows to let in plenty of sun - and nothing more. Couple this with its prime location at Robinson Square, and you’ve got a recipe for success. The studio also offers an exhaustive list of different yoga styles from Hatha to Vinsaya (for laymen, think stretching-, balance- or meditative-focused classes) that can be enhanced with weights, a yoga wheel and an aerial sling for example. The final one is a tad more advanced, especially with the mix of suspended balance and inversions. All said though, all of the teachers are certified by Yoga Alliance, and the classes are tailored across multiple levels of difficulty to ensure that you’ll always be as challenged as you’d like to be.

#19-02, Robinson Square. Tel: 6581-3200.

Image courtesy of Hale Yoga.

Photo by Meghan Holmes on Unsplash.

Your favourite CBD boutique gym is never going to be this empty again. Make the most of it during Phase 2, and support Singapore’s fitness community.