Athleta Now Has Free Fitness Classes Under Its Flatiron Store

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Next time you shop at Athleta's Flatiron store, you can test out your new activewear as soon as it's purchased. That's because the Gap-backed brand has just debuted a fitness studio in the basement, accessible via a staircase toward the back of the shop (if you see an all-black-clad beauty in enviable yoga poses superimposed on the wall, you're in the right place). The best part about it? All the programming offered here — up to five classes a day by January — is completely free.

Photos courtesy of Athleta

That programming includes versions of classes taught by boutique fitness studios in the neighborhood — there's a lot to choose from, and many of those classes typically go for more than $30 for a single session — and independent instructors without studio space, like those from CheerFit. Offerings range from yoga to dance cardio to HIIT, so there actually is something for everyone here, and the studio can accommodate about 30 people at a time.

As for the space itself, it's industrially outfitted with poured concrete floors, exposed piping, and wooden fixtures, including its lockers. Equipment like mats, light handweights, yoga blocks, and towels are provided, and students will sign in through a no-fuss digital front desk.

Athleta isn't the only one making this move: Just yesterday, Lululemon debuted a similar space within its massive flagship one block south of here, and Bandier's new flagship opening in January on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 22nd Street will have its own studio as well.

Interested in checking out a class for yourself? See the schedule here.