A Good Sweat is a Shore Thing — Where to Workout at the Jersey Shore
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean your fitness routine has to take a backseat — especially when there are this many ways to sweat at the Jersey Shore. The coolest part? These are all mom-and-pop small businesses. No franchises, no big names. Just passionate people pouring their heart and soul into fitness at the shore, and it shows.
Use this guide the next time you’re headed down the shore and discover some of the best ways to stay moving all summer long. And yes, I’ve been to almost every one of these places over the past few years “touring” the shore.
BRIGANTINE
Ola Kai Functional Fitness. 1200 West Brigantine Ave, Brigantine.
This spacious training gym is the home to strength and conditioning classes, CrossFit style classes, as well as toning classes for all levels. They also offer personal training and training for young athletes.
VENTNOR
Zone Yoga & Pilates. 6601 Ventnor Ave, 2nd Floor, Ventnor.
For classical reformer Pilates and feel good yoga, ZYP, now in Ventnor, is your studio. Having recently moved from Margate to Ventnor, the classes are small and personalized.
MARGATE
Revel Ride and Reform. 7838 Ventnor Ave, Margate City.
While there is still a spin studio down the road (9710 Ventnor Ave), the Revel brand moved beyond the bikes last year when they opened Reform, a Pilates studio at the shore. And new this summer, Reform is now located in a spacious, 2-story studio with plenty of room for mat fusion, cardio sculpt, reformer (on the portable Lagree micro machines), bootcamp (new) and strength x tone (also new).
Core Power Barre and Pilates. 8506 Ventnor Ave, Margate City.
If you’re a class girl, you’ve probably taken a barre class with the legendary, Susan Bacharach, at her studio in Margate. This summer, Susan added infrared heat to her studio and put lots of hot classes, including hot mat Pilates, on her summer schedule. Every class is customized to the clients in the room and no two classes are ever the same.
Zen Den. 7817 Ventnor Ave, Margate City.
For the some of the best hot yoga classes on the island, head over to Zen Den. This popular yoga studio is home to a variety of yoga and fitness classes like barre and Pilates, including my favorites, Fo’ Chisel and Band Camp. This place has all the vibes, the best beats and will leave you wringing out your drenched yoga towel while feeling super inspired.
Bravo Core Fitness. 8411 Ventnor Ave, Margate City.
This boutique gym offers a wide variety of group classes throughout the day, as well as specialized wellness programming like stretch sessions, bodywork, PEMF therapy and vitamin infusion therapy. (And new this summer, the popular Philly-based dance sculpt class, Rhythm Sculpt, will be taught here on various dates throughout the summer. Learn more here.)
OCEAN CITY
Sweat OC Studio. 225 West Ave, Ocean City.
This boutique gym is the definition of small but mighty. There are so many ways for you to get stronger at Sweat OC Studio, including strength training and bootcamp style workouts. You can book open gym, private personal training, small group training or semi-private training at Sweat OC.
DCW Studio. 1034 Asbury Ave, Ocean City.
DCW Studio has been the “hot” studio to workout in Ocean City, ever since founder, Dylan Caltabiano, opened two years ago— and I don’t just mean temperature. The DCW waitlists are long because this workout provides real results. It’s sculpting and toning but with heavy weights, a little bit of heat, lots of repetition and always something new. At DCW, come for the workout, stay for the community.
Evolve Movement Studio. 325 West Ave, Ocean City.
This gym is focused on mobility and strength training. While open gym and personal training are available, the group classes include mat strength, strength and conditioning, kettlebells, a variety of yoga classes, outdoor Pilates, and my favorite for a beach town workout — functional training for surfers.
Salt + Core Pilates. 625 Asbury Ave, Ocean City.
The newest studio to do Pilates on Ocean City this summer is Salt + Core. And this studio is absolutely stunning, with coastal vibes and two fully loaded rooms for Pilates— a large mat studio and a small Reformer studio with five reformers and four towers. Mornings are busy at Salt + Core with back to back classes in both rooms. But because the instruction is top notch it’s a perfect place to learn Pilates, or advance your contemporary Pilates practice.
Diamond Barre Fitness. 750 Asbury Ave, 2nd Floor & 800 Wesley Ave, Ocean City.
If you’ve been frequenting Ocean City for summers, then you’ve probably also frequented one of Diamond Barre Fitness’ two studios. Diamond Barre has been on the island for almost a decade and offers a variety of low impact workouts. High energy barre class is their signature style classe, but they also offer mat Pilates and group reformer classes.
Yoga Ginger. 717 Asbury Ave, Ocean City.
For really good hot yoga on the island, don’t miss Yoga Ginger. Every class is led by Yoga Ginger's founder, Suzanne Chew. And unlike everything else at the shore, you don’t need to plan ahead for a class at Yoga Ginger— just show up. Grab your (non-sandy) yoga mat and arrive 10 minutes before class. Man, I wish everything down the shore was this easy!
Soul Dreams Studio. 801 Asbury Ave, 3rd floor, Ocean City.
Soul Dreams Studio is an intimate yoga and reiki studio offering a wide variety of yoga classes several times a day. They also have beach yoga (no prior sign up is required) five mornings a week at 8 am on the 37th Street beach, as well as sunset dock classes on the 10th Street Wharf.
True Light Yoga Studio. 810 Asbury Ave, Suite 205, Ocean City.
True Light Yoga is one of the most popular spots for yoga at the shore. This welcoming studio is for everyone… and owner, Rachel truly means it. Each class description offers the intention behind that particular kind of class “for those who want to feel”, “for those who want to change”, “for those who want to celebrate” and my response is an enthusiastic YES to it all!
SEA ISLE CITY
Stride Spin and Fitness. 3500 Boardwalk, Store 9 (spin) and 3708 Landis Ave, Sea Isle City (yoga and Pilates).
This boutique studio is the anchor of fitness in Sea Isle City, having two studios within a few blocks of each other. The original is a spin studio with silent disco headphones for an immersive experience. And down the street, you can do yoga and mat Pilates in a heated or non-heated environment. If beach Pilates is more your thing, Stride holds class on the 38th Street beach (right in front of the spin studio) every Thursday and Sunday morning at 7:30 am.
Surfside Fitness. 5904 Landis Ave, Sea Isle City.
Surfside Fitness is a boutique gym that has all the fitness equipment needed to get a great session in, as well as personal training and really good group fitness classes. If you live on Sea Isle City, then you know that Surfside Fitness is the gym to join for the summer. (Fun fact, the owner of this gym, Cheryl Herzog, was my very first trainer, back in high school. So I guess you could blame her for my future fitness obsession!)
AVALON
Surfside Fitness. 2109 Dune Drive, Avalon.
If you want a beautiful gym to frequent while you’re in Avalon, Surfside Fitness is the place. Surfside Fitness’ second location has all the same offerings as in Sea Isle City.
Yoga and Pilates by Stride. 3029 Dune Drive, Avalon.
In Avalon, Stride is best known for their heated low impact classes, including hot yoga, hot mat Pilates, toning classes and wellness workshops. All of this takes place in a small heated studio right in the center of town.
Avalon Fitness. 3206 Dune Drive, Avalon.
Avalon Fitness has been a staple in Avalon for nearly three decades. This full service gym has it all — but the most popular way to sweat at Avalon Fitness is “Upstairs” where most of the group fitness classes are held.
Ship Shape Bootcamp. 9th Street and Dune Drive, Avalon.
Since 2010, Jason Yellin has been running this popular bootcamp from Memorial Day to Labor Day, at the 9th Street recreation courts. Class is held every day (except for Tuesday) at 8 am during the week and 9 am on the weekends. There’s nothing quite like seeing almost a hundred people exercising together on a weekend morning at the height of the season!
STONE HARBOR
Stone Harbor Yoga. 9823 Third Ave, Stone Harbor.
For the best yoga on the island, you’ve been going to Stone Harbor Yoga for the past 14 years. You’re there for the heat. You’re there for the community. You’re there for the motivational flows. And you’re most definitely there for the founder and lead instructor, Stef Desatnick.
Stone Harbor Bootcamp. 8100 2nd Ave, Stone Harbor.
Nick Elisano has been holding his popular bootcamp on the 81st Street rec center’s basketball courts for nineteen summers now! Class meets every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am— rain or shine (if it rains, the class moves under cover). Stations are set up around the courts and the numbers grow as the summer goes on. This is the kind of workout where people bring friends and family visiting them at the shore— it’s a “more the merrier” kind of class.
Together Surf Club. Location upon booking.
Every weekend from now until Labor Day, you can catch a signature Together Athletics workout in Stone Harbor, at 7:30 am on Saturdays and 8:00 am on Sundays. This workout combines energetic cardio with athletic, Pilates-inspired sculpt. And if it’s anything like the Philadelphia studio, scoring a spot in this class is almost as hard as getting a table at Luciano’s during peak summer.
WILDWOOD
BeSoul Wellness Studio. 6101 New Jersey Ave, Wildwood Crest.
For a really special yoga experience, be sure to check out BeSoul Wellness Studio in Wildwood Crest. Aside from a variety of yoga classes, BeSoul offers mediation, reiki and sound healing.
Itswell Yoga + Paddle. 810 New Jersey Ave, North Wildwood.
This intimate yoga studio holds regular yoga classes both in the studio, as well as on the beach. The community is stronger than a side plank here with fun events like a book swap after yoga class. And given its namesake, you can also catch a morning SUP yoga class run by Itswell in the summer.
Heat Wave Studio. 413 W. Spruce Ave, North Wildwood.
Heat Wave Studio just opened a new, second location to sweat at the shore and this time it’s in North Wildwood. (check out the full studio description from the Cape May studio below).
CAPE MAY
Heat Wave Studio. 305 B Beach Ave, Cape May.
If you like those really hot infrared heated classes, Heat Wave Studio is for you when you’re in Cape May. This small studio gets hot… I mean really hot. So whether it’s Pilates, yoga, HIIT or barre, you’re gonna sweat… and I mean really sweat… at Heat Wave.
LBI
The Shakes Pilates. 1511 Long Beach Boulevard, Beach Haven.
New this summer, The Shakes Pilates studio is popping up in Beach Haven, LBI. The Shakes is a Pilates club based in New York City. But this summer, founder, Kylie has brought her popular mat Pilates classes to the Jersey Shore. If you’re on LBI, be sure to check out a class at this brand new spot for the “good kind of shakes”.
NON-TRADITIONAL FITNESS “STUDIOS” AT THE SHORE.
Stacey’s Surf & Paddle. 9511 Amherst Ave, Margate City.
At Stacey’s Surf & Paddle, you can try your hand at surfing, which is sure to be an exercise in balance, perseverance and mobility. And starting in July, every Wednesday night from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, surfing is for the ladies only. Boards and wetsuits are provided and all levels are welcome (even newbies). Just meet at Pembroke Avenue beach in Margate.
Electric Body Fitness. Ventnor, address provided with booking.
If you want to try an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) workout this summer, you’re in luck because you can now do it in Ventnor. Electric Body Fitness is an EMS gym in Long Island, and owner Rocco Caprarella is bringing his specialized workout to the shore. This full body workout builds muscle strength in a fraction of the time it takes for an effective, high intensity, strength training workout. For an EMS session, you put on a special suit with panels and attach to a machine that contracts your muscles 85 times per second (!) while you do lunges or squats with the 1:1 guidance of a trainer. It’s outrageous, and I am still in awe of how sore I am days after this 15 minute workout.
Sculpt and Strength by the Sea. Various Locations.
Sculpt and Strength by the Sea is a traveling beach Pilates “studio". Founder, Gabrielle brings her popular mat Pilates class all over the Jersey Shore for private parties and events. She also offers a regular beach Pilates class most Friday and Saturday mornings at 8 am in Ocean City, as well as sunset beach pop-ups throughout the summer.
Ocean City Paddle Company x Soul Dreams in Ocean City. 10th Street Wharf, Ocean City.
Soul Dreams Studio has teamed up with Ocean City Paddle Company to run a sunset paddle and meditation experience every Monday night starting at 7 pm. Class opens with time to paddle around the bay before heading over to the floating dock on the 10th Street Wharf for meditation and reiki at sunset. I mean, what could be more perfect!
SUP Guy. Various locations in Avalon, Stone Harbor and Wildwood.
This company serves many beach towns up and down the Jersey Shore with SUP board rentals, as well as kayaks and surfboard rentals. When you rent equipment with SUP Guy, the rental comes with free delivery and pick up, as well as a quick lesson. But the best part about SUP Guy— the specialized, guided paddle board tours. Climb aboard the glowing boards or clear-bottom kayaks for evening tours out of Avalon, Stone Harbor and Wildwood. Oh and if that wasn't enough, you can paddle with dolphins every Monday morning in North Wildwood at sunrise.
Whether you’re sweating down the shore, or off to another exotic location, have an awesome summer, guys!