For a fair number of people, the very mention of the word “running” is enough to send them running far, far away. It’s true, putting on your sneakers and hitting the treadmill can be a difficult habit to get into — but a new app called Studio is about to change the game entirely.
Founded in 2017 by Jason Baptiste and Nathaniel McNamara, Studio brings the uber-popular boutique fitness class model to your mobile device for a low monthly fee. As Baptiste explained to Built In NYC, “Instead of spending $35 per class or $4,000 for a piece of hardware, you can enjoy group fitness classes for $15 a month and just a pair of running shoes.”
On the Studio app, users can choose from a variety of pre-recorded audio classes (with new classes being added regularly) that range in level from basic beginner to seasoned sprinter. Once a user has selected a class, the runner then begins a run, guided by a professional trainer. As all classes are designed for use on a treadmill, the trainer helps shape the run by telling you when to increase the speed and incline of your machine, in addition to offering tips and techniques.
Because no great run would be complete without a killer soundtrack, Studio’s classes are packed with tracks that will keep you jamming as you move. The overall vibe of the experience, as Studio’s website puts it, is to be the “SoulCycle of running.”
Instead of spending $35 per class or $4,000 for a piece of hardware, you can enjoy group fitness classes for $15 a month and just a pair of running shoes.”
“We’re making fitness more entertaining with the world’s best instructors and more interactive with a real-time leaderboard,” Baptiste said, pointing to Studio’s social element: live rankings of runners taking classes. Studio allows for healthy competition while allowing the privacy of an individual workout. Baptiste said an important element of Studio is their ability to “make group fitness accessible to anyone in the country.”
Though there’s nothing quite like a run through Central Park on a spring day, there are many key reasons why Studio chose to set their roots in New York City.
“NYC is to fitness what Silicon Valley is to technology,” said Baptiste. “Studio, Peloton, Skyfit, SoulCycle, ClassPass, and FlyWheel are all based here,” he said, citing some of the most successful workout-based businesses launched in recent years.
While Studio and the others have a distinct technology bent, Baptiste said he views Studio as a media company, emphasizing the platform’s focus on producing high-quality content. “Group fitness is a media business,” he said. “And there’s no better place on Earth [than NYC] to operate a media business.”
It’s true that running can be a difficult habit to get into — but when you stick with it, the positive benefits can be monumental. Studio will get you off the couch and into a different kind of workout than you’ve ever before experienced.
