*This is sponsored product review
Review by Jessica Murphy
There seems to be a gym, Pilates/yoga studio, spin class or specialty fitness center on every block in New York City, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to find the perfect class for you or your child. I know scheduling issues, motivation, prices and confidence have kept me from trying or continuing with an exercise regime. BoSoul.com is trying to help eliminate these barriers and make fitness more accessible to everyone.
Nishta Giallorenzo, the founder, came up with the idea for BoSoul.com when she had a hard time finding a convenient, quality meditation class in her neighborhood. She set out to create a user-friendly site that connects a local group with a particular interest to an instructor. She knew that before she could get learners to sign-up, she needed enough high-quality instructors on board. Nishta and her team evaluated instructors with a range of specialties, who are ready to start taking on groups.
Categories include fitness, drama, yoga, dance and more. Each instructor has a thorough bio and rates posted. Rates vary based on the number of people taking the class, as well as the instructor’s experience level, and each class has a maximum. The site is still in a Beta phase, so all the functionality is in place, but expect to see changes to the site as they make adjustments based on user needs.
After signing up with either a Facebook or LinkedIn account, users set up preferences and availabilities. If you are lucky enough to already have a group of friends with similar interests and schedules, it is easy to create a new Group and BoSoul.com will pair the group with available instructors. If you are looking for an activity in your area, you can browse and join the list of existing groups. Then you just have to pick a location and schedule a class.
I was invited to try a class, so I joined the ‘Fitness & Body Sculpt in Central Park’ group. We met in Central Park where the instructor, Laura-Ann Roberts, led us through a challenging full-body workout. I am an avid runner and have always looked longingly at the people working out with trainers in Central Park. Though I wanted that full-body workout outdoors, I could never afford to have my own trainer and never wanted to commit to a series of classes.
I have to say I loved every minute of it. Looking out over the Great Lawn while doing squats is something I would look forward to doing, and when you know people are waiting for you there is that extra motivation to show up. I was thrilled when I woke up the next morning a bit sore. I look forward to checking out one of the yoga groups since I am a yoga novice and have always wanted to get some experience in a smaller group setting.
You can also check out the BoSoul Blog to learn more about the team and other fitness related topics. With the warm weather finally here to stay, take the opportunity to get active and meet some new people. Your body and mind will thank you!
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*What exactly does a sponsored product review mean? Well, it goes a little something like this: unlike all of our educational content blogs where we receive NO compensation, for our S.O.S reviews Mommybites has been compensated by companies to review and discuss their product. This helps us pay outside bloggers (ones not affiliated with Mommybites, nor the companies themselves) to try out and review the products. This insures that all the reviewers writing these reviews are not influenced in any way. As usual, the writers will always give their honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on all topics, products, and services.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
