One of the trendiest new fitness plans doesn’t even require you to leave your house: obé fitness. Online fitness has proven to be quite the competition for fitness studios and gyms, bringing boutique fitness right into your living room, often with little-to-no equipment required. While on-demand fitness is changing the way we sweat, many online offerings are taking it even further and offering live classes that turn your house into a studio. Obé is one such program, garnering attention for giving users 14 chances a day to work out with its cotton-candy colored studio and trendy NYC trainers live, anywhere in the world.
What is obé fitness?
Obé is an acronym for “our body electric,” and if you’ve been dying to take an NYC fitness class without being in NYC—or the hefty price tag that often is attached—then obé fitness is for you. The fitness platform offers 14 live classes per day (and has over 4,000 on-demand classes available for replay) ranging from barre to pilates and more. Not only does this mean you can easily make your favorite workout a part of your day, but you can try new ones, too.
“We are all about keeping things fresh and exciting so that our members can just enjoy getting fit—not bored,” explains Ashley Mills, co-founder with Mark Mullett of obé fitness. “We offer over 10 class types like Sculpt, Yoga, HIIT, Dance Cardio, Pilates, Barre, Cardio Boxing … and we are always introducing new ones to surprise our community.”
How much does obé fitness cost?
Obé costs $27 per month for unlimited live and on-demand classes (or a $199 annual subscription). Compared to other live and on-demand programs on the market that require deposits and payment plans (we are thinking of a certain fitness bike that dominated holiday gift-giving commercials), obé fitness aims to be super accessible. “The monthly fee is less than the cost of one spin class here in New York City,” says Mills.
How is obé fitness different from other online fitness programs?
Mullett and Mills have designed a truly social experience, which is what helps set their program apart. Thanks to a private Facebook Group and local meetups that take place across the country and even a live retreat at their headquarters, obé fitness still wants to give users that studio-like camaraderie with the convenience of working out anywhere. You can still get one-on-one with obé trainers and share your favorite workouts with users in your city, while making sure the timing of your workout is compatible with your schedule.
“Obé fitness is a total game changer; it is more than just a fitness program [and] more than the average home workout video,” shares Shauna Henderson, a user based in Alabama. “The trainers interact with you through live workouts and social media. They take time to listen to your wants/needs and answer any questions, along with making even burpees FUN. Everyone is positive, uplifting, motivating and real.”
What equipment does obé fitness require?
You don’t have to have unlimited equipment at your fingertips to get a good workout in—you can get a great sweat session using just bodyweight. That’s why a majority of the classes on obé fitness don’t require any equipment. This is another reason the program is ideal for beginners; not only does it make fitness accessible no matter the time or place, but it also means you don’t have to have much experience or special gear.
Should you want to level up your workout as an intermediate or advanced user, you can use hand weights, ankle weights, Pilates sliders or exercise balls. Though these are by no means necessary, they are easy to find (obé offers branded options on their website) and you can slowly build your collection of tools as you progress in the program.
What are the benefits of obé fitness?
One of the biggest draws of obé fitness is that it is just so pretty—you can’t look away. While some people prefer the dark studios and pulsing beats of a spin class, there is no denying it has become an era of striving to live a life that is Instagram-worthy. A quick scroll through the obé fitness Instagram account illustrates they are quite on trend, making what are usually drab fitness videos into art. From the flawless lighting to minimal studio space, obé fitness does a good job of reflecting a space you’d want to spend your time in (and not just for exercise).
Besides echoing the boutique experience, obé fitness offers programs to help make it easier to set goals. If you don’t know where to start, choose from a number of 7- to 10-day challenges—like Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky’s obé collaboration—to help navigate the thousands of classes offered. Other collaborations include a WW Just Getting Started Program, time-saving tips with baby food company Little Spoon, availability on FabFitFunTV, and leggings from Terez, to name a few.
“Our partnerships have allowed us to express who we are in some pretty unexpected ways and to take the obé vibe to some pretty unexpected places,” adds Mills. “Whether it’s in-flight stretching on all JetBlue flights or travel workouts using Away luggage (who knew your suitcase could double as a barre or hand weight!), we understand that exercise is just one good decision in our members’ quest to live their best lives. We want to embrace the fact that a sustainable fitness lifestyle is just that—a lifestyle.”
Everything Else You Should Know
So how can you bring obé fitness into your home? You can access obé fitness via web and iOS app, and it is compatible with Smart TVs. Classes are just 28 minutes long—obé encourages its users to aim for five classes per week—so you can fit them in during any spare moments you may get in the day. “I’m a mom of four who had forgotten who she was,” says Mandi Ragland of North Carolina, reminiscing on her time before joining the program. “Taking just 28 minutes a day to work on me helped me find myself. Obé just makes it so fun and easy to make myself a priority.”
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