The Art of Fitness

My new favorite place. Zumba, deep stretch, Pilates, and cardio ballet are all fantastic classes.
All of the instructors are so friendly, positive, and encouraging.

I tried out the cardio ballet class today and I loved it. Aimee the instructor seemed sweet and made me feel comfortable. This was my first class ever and I thought I did pretty okay. It wasn’t so hard that I couldn’t catch up and also it wasn’t so easy that I could sail through it. My body feels sore already! Will be back next week!!! Thanks for a great class Aimee:)

I went to my first cirque aerial silks class yesterday. My instructor was Sarah and she was patient, fun and had so many helpful tidbits! I went to the 11 AM class and there were only 2 other students! Which was really great for me being a beginner and receiving so much attention from the instructor :)
I was somewhat hesitant to take this class because the idea of it is a little intimidating. However Sarah made me feel comfortable and was encouraging.
The class starts with some stretching and warm up exercises.
Then we move on to handstands. I’ve never been able to do a handstand before, trust issues I suppose. However with some help from the instructor I was able to! She also gave me some advice and ways to practice at home on how to overcome my fear of being upside down.
Then it was time to let down the silks! I learned how to secure my hands around the silks and also how to inch my way up using my legs and arms. Boy was it an intense whole body workout! I am definitely feeling it today: P We did some inversions on the silks that’s similar to some things in aerial yoga. One of the students was more advanced and Sarah was able to switch between her and me and this other girl. Thanks for a challenging, fun and intense workout! Can’t wait to come back and get better! :D The only thing preventing me is that I live in Brooklyn and the trip here takes some time. But I can’t ask for a setting that’s more encouraging

This is one of the best fitness studios out there. I’ve tried Nia, Cirque Fitness, Deep Stretch, and Pilates Mat classes. All them were fantastic. Not to mention how gosh darn nice all the instructors here are.
Cirque Fitness is one of my favorite classes ever. It’s mostly an aerial silks class, but you start off the class practicing a few different types of handstands. (I’m so sad I can’t go to this class now due to an arm injury!!) Typically you get a silk to yourself, which is pretty much unheard of in a NYC aerial class. I’ve had once or twice where a few extra people showed up to class, and then Cirque Fitness turns into an aerial bootcamp class. This is also really fun, but I’m so out of shape that I’m always sure I’m going to die during this class. But it’s great. Really.
Deep Stretch is exactly what it sounds like. Great stretch class, and while it is somewhat tough, it’s still pretty relaxing. (My limbs are naturally Gumby-​like, so maybe other people might not agree with the «relaxing» part.) Sometimes you do partner stretches as well, which I found especially helpful.
Mat Pilates is great, because the teacher takes your injuries into account and will tell you which moves you might be better off avoiding. She also provides different levels of difficulty, so when I’m super lazy, I do the easiest move and still pretend like I’m trying. Am I the only one out there who does this? :p
Nia is amazing and pretty much like no other dance class I’ve been to. There are some basic moves that you follow along with (anyone can follow along with them), and then you break out into freestyle at time. Sometimes you dance with a scarf. If you feel like it. You might feel like an ass for the first 5 minutes of doing it, but then it’s kind of one of the delightful, euphoria-​inducing exercise classes out there. And I absolutely love the teacher for this class. She is one of the most wonderfully cheery individuals I’ve ever met.
I hope to make a ballet cardio class and a hoop class sometime, since I’ve heard these are both really good as well. I’ll get out and give it a go one day! Plus, like, $ 10. Who can beat those prices? (Cirque fitness is $ 20, but well worth that price.)

Great little place! Love the cardio ballet class, abs and butt are always sore after :) The classes are small and intimate. Owner and instructors are very sweet and motivational. Plus, can’t beat $ 10 a class with no commitment!

I just tried the Cirque Fitness class for the first time. I really enjoyed it! I liked how helpful Kristine was plus she had an assistant to help me with my form. The environment was very warm and didn’t feel intimidating at all! Can’t wait to go back.

Just took a pilates mat class here and it was great. I’ve been practicing pilates for over 12 years and this class was challenging and fun. There were a few moves I wasn’t familiar with that were a little tough, but I enjoyed trying them.
The pace was perfect whether you were a newbie to pilates or more advanced. The group was also very friendly and the whole atmosphere was just really pleasant.
The studio is very open and airy and comfortable too — 2 fans were running the whole time and when the windows had to be closed due to street noise, the AC was also switched on, which I appreciated.
I plan to go back for more mat classes — schedule permitting as my work hours are a little crazy. But this is a wonderful studio and I’m glad I found it!

The cardio barre class here is great. Barre classes in this city are incredibly expensive, and Christine’s class provides the level of attention and difficulty that is comparable to big name barre studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn for a fraction of the cost.

I keep telling myself I need to try some of the studio’s other classes, but the ballet cardio class is just so amazing!
As someone who is graceless and never took any dance classes, I appreciate how welcoming the studio is. I also appreciate that the teachers are not sadists. The workouts are challenging but completely doable.
Also, $ 10 a class? Steal!
Another nice detail is that the teachers here remember your name! For the record, mine is not actually Natasha :-p

Such a great studio. I just finished my first class and I can’t wait for the next one. The instructor was knowledgable, friendly and engaging. With so many classes to offer who needs another studio

**Review of the Pilates class**
We walked up and rang the bell after a second or two we were let in and trekked up to the third floor. Yes you read correctly. Third floor. Walking. up stairs. for… pilates. I was out of breath by the second flight. But we made it to the top.
As we walked in we were greeted warmly by Christine (Christina?). She was welcoming and warm and a fast talker. The other ladies were already seated on their mats on the ground. As the snow began to fall harder we glanced out of the huge window. Nice touch. It felt super cozy in the studio, especially watching that horrid snow falling.
We undressed and stuffed our belongings in to the little cubbies and I grabbed a mat. The mat was soft and squishy and I put it on the floor towards the back wall and got ready. It didn’t slip and was very comfortable throughout the entire class.
So pilates is intense yoga. There is rocking and pushing and yet somehow it its still very relaxing. This was my very first time trying pilates although I have wondered about it for a long time and I am happy to say I look forward to trying it again. It wasn’t hardcore like crunches and push ups but I felt the strength being built in my core and the way my body burned the next day it definitely did something.
The instructor was very encouraging. She showed us how to do the moves as well as explaining (in her really quick chatting) and even would say «Great job Brittany» and she took the time to learn everyone’s name. She was really inviting and made it very enjoyable.
Everyone was pretty serious in the class. No silly giggling like I usually do in any other class that I have taken. No one even made a sound when another woman let one rip. Everyone just went on breathing as if it was a regular day in the neighborhood.
Needless to say it was a fun experience and I enjoyed it. Would I come back to this particular class? Probably not due to my work schedule and my dislike for Astoria. Its super far from me and would just be an inconvenience especially with the terrible parking in the area. If I lived closer I would surely make the trip though.
The class is usually $ 10 but with a Valentine’s day (weekend) special I only had to pay 5. A nice incentive to get people to work out. This place is pretty good.

This review is for the Cirque classes only. I was taking the cirque/​aerial silks classes for awhile until a neck injury made me stop. (No, the injury wasn’t from taking class.)
It’s a very intense upper-​body workout, which I enjoy but some might not. It’s also a killer core workout.
Very low-​key, and filled with «normal» people – not acrobatics experts or anything like that. Kristine (the teacher) is excellent at breaking down the aerial moves into to make them easy to learn, and she’s very patient with new and/​or scared students. And the class is very small, so you get plenty of personal attention.
Another thing I love is that everyone gets their own set of silks to work on during the class. I’ve been to other silks classes where you had to share with 2 – 4 other people, so you didn’t get as much time to practice.
Only downside I can think of is that the ceilings aren’t very high, so you can’t do as long of sequences, or anything that requires a lot of height. I never got to that point personally, though, so it wasn’t a big deal.

I am glad I found this place! I found this studio after I was uncomfortably kicked out of a class at Life Health and Fitness for modifying some of the exercises! I love the Cardio Ballet Blast, it is a great work out not only for your legs and butt, but for abs and obliques and during the class, I do feel my arms by just holding them out in position. I often am sore the next day in my butt, legs and even mid section, where I usually don’t get sore. I tried the Pilates Mat class today and liked it! The pilates mat classes I have been to in the past, I felt were too easy, but Kristine makes it tough, which I really like. I felt tight walking out of the class, which I like! The studio is open, airy and clean and Kristine is very upbeat and pleasant. You can tell she really knows her craft, is passionate about it and looks out for all of us in the class to make sure we are doing the exercises right! I also love the fact that the setting is peaceful, the classes are not too packed, so you really have room to move around without worrying who you may hit next to you! I have also tried Zumba, which was fun! Looking forward to trying the Cirque class!

The Art of Fitness is one of my favorite places in Astoria. The classes are incredibly reasonable ($ 10 for cardio and pilates classes, $ 20 for cirque class with aerial silks!), the space is bright and pretty and everyone, from the owner to the instructors to the other people who come to classes, are super friendly and welcoming. I’ve been coming to the Cirque Fitness class for two years, where I’ve gone from not being able to lift myself off the ground or climb, to training on other aerial apparatuses and performing routines! The owner Kristine Petrucione is amazingly knowledgeable about fitness and her classes are fun, but you definitely will get butt kicked in a good way! My other favorite class is stretch and tone, which is great for anyone, and I always feel amazingly loose and relaxed afterwards. Other favorite classes: cardio ballet barre class and pilates.

I have been in search for a VERY long time to find a great, unpretentious studio to workout in Astoria. So, the deal is… I’ve pretty much been everywhere around the vicinity; have a gym membership to one of the «best» gyms, and thus far, what I can tell… is this is THE best! So, let me start by saying… I am not bashing other studios. I think some are great. Think some of the instructors are fantastic, but I never feel entirely satisfied… Until I stumbled upon this place. What one should know about this place:
1. It is the old «Yoga Room» location on Steinway.(right next to the train) It is a small studio, but kept very clean and roomy enough for all who come in.
2. Kristine is the owner. She’s fantastic. Personality wise, as well as instructing. I have always felt welcomed here.
3. The classes are fantastic. I have not taken the burlesque, it is the only one I can’t compare anything to… I LOVE the cardio barre class (you will definitely get a workout) and stretching and toning (don’t let this class fool you, you will stretch so deep, that yes, you will infact be sore and toned from it)… All of the instructors are amazing — truly some of the best I have worked with – they know what they are doing, and will correct your form if you are doing anything that will effect you negatively.
4. The classes are average cost for a studio. (I purchased the 10 sessions for $ 150)… Trust me… it’s worth it.
Lastly, I have decided to cancel the gym membership simply because of this studio. It has officially fulfilled and exceeded all of my expectations. I have tried just about every workout imaginable to fulfill a «workout void»…I’ve done the high impact cardio and the serious strength, but what I lacked the whole time was ENJOYING the workouts… Ahhhhh — So nice I finally found what I was looking for!!!

Tried the Cirque Class for the first time tonight (and first time at the studio) and I can’t wait to go back. It’s a beautiful space, small class size, and a really friendly instructor. The other people who took the class were way more seasoned, and they were nice enough to help me and my friend from time to time.
Super fun and different. Can’t wait to try the other classes as well. Great first impression.

Bollywood boogie class was really fun :) Also went to Bollywood burn — great too! (both with Sarah)
I am hoping to check out other classes soon.

So what happens when I find a Zumba instructor that I like? I follow them around the various studios they work at.
I’m a big fan of my Zumba instructor, Daniela. Zumba is the only thing that will force me to wake up on a Saturday morning (even after a night out on the town Friday evening).
Lucky for me, Daniela teaches Zumba at «The Art of Fitness» on a Friday evening (currently at 6:30pm). The way she teaches, she works all muscles of the body. I’ve had several other Zumba instructors where I sweat… but found myself not sore at all. Bleh. A good workout is not without sweat and soreness… and ending with some toned muscles.
Zumba classes are $ 10 here! Enjoy.

On my day off, I decided to come in and check out the Monday morning 10am pilates class. I show up, I’m the only one there and get a private pilates class with Kristine! Her style was great and while I’ve been doing dance, yoga, etc for years, she has been the only instructor to pick up on and give me corrections for strengthening my left side, and also inner thighs. That’s phenomenal — this was the first time I had gone there!
$ 17/​class is a little steep in Astoria, but the class was great and I got so much out of it. I definitely want to check out the Bollywood burn class, plus I always struggle finding classes that are at times where I can make it out of work in time.

A new year, a new me, I’m on a mission to fix whatever imaginary body flaw that I feel that I’m suffering (it changes with the season, this winter thinking I have fat legs is oh so trendy and très in). I don’t exercise just to exorcise my body image demons, but more because an Elle who exercises is a happy Elle and sleeps better at night.
The Art of Fitness came to attention through a Lifebooker deal. They have a variety of different classes (pilates, yoga, circus style fitness, cardio ballet, etc) and best of all, the classes are at times that I can actually attend.
I’ve had classes with both Teana and Kristine and both are really lovely ladies. I had so much fun in their classes. I’m quite enamored with cardio ballet. The music is a mix of 80s, 90s, and current top 40 — upbeat and fun. I didn’t realize that I would work up such a sweat in a class that doesn’t involve any running, jumping, or skipping around. The focus of the class is more around toning the legs, but you get a complete body work out.
You do need to call and reserve a spot before each class because the studio space is small. I love that The Art of Fitness is here in Astoria because it means that I can have my chi chi boutique-​style fitness class right in my own neighborhood for a Queens price!