Getting off a plane at Charles de Gaulle airport, I have two priorities:
- Get me to a spa so I can shower hours before my hotel check-in time.
- And book myself a fitness class in the next few days so I can shake off the kinks from sitting on an eight-hour flight – and be ready to strut 20,000-plus steps a day.
It’s like the physical reset my body needs, to engage the muscles that should be flexing, and stretching out the ones that shouldn’t be so tight. (Of course, I have other priorities, like getting myself from waitlist to ticket holder for the Opera ballet, booking that restaurant I saw on Très Très Bon (host Antony Cointre is the French Matty Matheson) and visiting La Galerie Dior.) But the group fitness class became a habit from a solo trip to Paris, when I pitched workout and restaurant reviews to pay for my flight and hotel.
Here are four fitness classes in Paris I recently took that put my body (and my mind) in better form.
Why you should take a class in French
Before you ask for class is in English, consider a challenge: Take it in French. Fitness instructors everywhere share this: visual instructions. Sit up front or have a clear view. Avoid a game of telephone with cumulative errors for form, meaning you follow other’s mistakes. Plus, exercise cues are so repetitive (respirez, respirez, respirez, respirez); it’s like having a tutor for action verbs.
How do you book a class in Paris?
I often use the MindBody app, taking advantage of the map search function (you can limit it to a specific radius). The app’s prompts are in English, except for the class descriptions and instructor bios, which appear in the original language. In Paris, I saw prices in euros. Also try ClassPass for a similar experience. Some studios have their own booking platforms, such as BSport, Mariana Tek and others.
Tips for taking a Paris group fitness class
Get there early. Not just because you have to fill out forms or get a tour. Often, studios in Paris aren’t street-facing spaces. You may have to go down an alleyway, through a courtyard or even climb a few flights of stairs. Think of a European Airbnb you stayed at. Remember how you had to drag your luggage around to find the studio apartment? Same thing. So, give yourself an extra 15 minutes to be safe. And if you are early, just enjoy the space and people watching, as if you’re in a café.
Where to take a barre/Pilates/yoga class in Paris
BarreShape (3rd arrondissement)
The studio: The boutique fitness studio has two locations (the other is in the 16th). The room is bright but smallish (about eight to 10 people in the class I took). I found the experience elevated but accessible.
The class: I took the signature BarreShape class, taught by Margaux. It’s a mix of low-impact cardio, barre, Pilates and some stretching. The schtick is to alternate between intensities, according to the class description. I didn’t really notice the differences in exertion (or fatigue), but I did notice the music played into the room’s momentum. I was also impressed with how complex movements seemed so damn doable. For example, imagine asymmetrical planks (one hand on a Pilates ball), doing a pushup, going into a side plank and then threading the needle. (Qu’est-ce que fah?!) Was I sore the next day? You bet. I worked so many muscles in the full-body workout, even my armpits had DOMS.
Don’t speak French? I think you’ll be OK. Margaux demonstrated everything, and even checked on our form. And like a good ballet-inspired barre class, there were floor-to-ceiling mirrors, too. The website does have an English version, so you might be able to ask for tips in English. Never hurts to ask.
Since you’re in the area: Check out Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, which is a 12-minute walk from BarreShape. It’s the original studio where the designer worked (on the second floor, there’s a window that gives a mise en place of how he worked). And if you love fashion books, check out the coffee shop in the courtyard.
BarreShape, barreshape.com, 86 Rue Quincampoix (with a second location at 111 Rue de Longchamp, 16th), €29 for a drop-in class (about $48)
Motivation or obligation: Should you exercise while on vacation.
Fit’Ballet (10th arrondissement)
The studio: Un petit head’s-up. You have to walk through the studio to get to the reception area, which can feel a bit awkward. So, just be sure to take off your shoes before heading inside the chandelier-lit, pink Marley-floored space. The reception area is spacious and gives the apartment vibes of a ballerina. At the barre, you’re encouraged to wear sticky socks or ballet slippers. Most women work in workout wear, and not leotards, though.
The class: This barre class was the closest to a ballet class I have ever taken. The movements were all dance moves, but instead of sequences, they were repeated. The room was rammed with shoulder-to-shoulder students, along the wall barre and both sides of the freestanding ones in the centre of the studio. I found myself (and a few others in the class, too) not so deep into our side-body stretches. Juliette, the instructor, is very flexible, and so were the majority of the students. It wasn’t intimidating, but inspiring. And, to be honest, I think I can typically do better than that, so it was proof that stretching during travel is a must.
I took a stretching class right after, also taught by Juliette. Oddly, I had to pay a €5 fee to use a mat for the stretching class. No cost for the barre class, though. Why? Because I’d apparently sweat during the stretches. but not for barre, I guess?! But, n’importe de quoi. The stretching class was soooo good, I wondered if I would have done better in the barre class if I had done the stretching class before.
Don’t speak French? The class was taught in French, and most of the movements had French names (plié, à la seconde, you get it). Juliette spoke English, though, to students who requested English instruction. But I think you can get by if you’ve danced or love ballet movies
Since you’re in the area: Take in a spectacle at Théâtre des Nouveautés, where comedian Olivier Giraud does a one-man show about “How to become Parisian in One Hour.” Admittedly, seeing this just allowed me to indulge in my own attitude.
Fit’Ballet, fit-ballet.com, 3 rue d’Hauteville (with another location at 59 rue Blanche, in the 9th, and another two in Berlin and Perpignan in the South of France), €24 for a drop-in (about $38)
Am I too old to learn a language? Here’s what I found out.
Gerard Arnaud Yoga (11th arrondissement)
The studio: Salle Amelot is one of two studios under the Gerard Arnaud Yoga umbrella (the other is Salle Rauch, also in the 11th). Luckily, it was right around the corner from where I stayed. I had zero excuses for not trying it out. If you’re near boulevard Beaumarchais, Google Maps might send you down a backroad (passabe) that’s closed off (at least that’s how it was when I tried to find it). Ignore the rue Amelot route, and go up rue Voltaire side instead.
It’s a small studio but with legit yoga vibes. The white-painted room is clean but feels lived in. Founder Gerard Arnaud opened the first vinyasa yoga studio in Paris in 1981.
The class: The Vinyasa Doux class was very, very small. It felt more like a private sesh than group fitness. There were four of us arranged in a star (instructor included). Instructor Hélène offered to take semi-private class in any direction we wanted. Admittedly, it was a bit more hands-on than I was expecting. And not just from the instructor, but we were set up in pairs to go through moves like downward dog with hip straps. Despite this being the most intimate yoga class I have ever taken, I felt rejuvenated and energized. Funny what a rest will do for you.
Don’t speak French? I don’t know if it was because the other two students were Parisians and I didn’t want to be the high-maintenance one, or if I was just too jet-lagged to care, but I didn’t hint that I spoke English. I simply nodded and popped in French words when I could. The moves were a bit more complicated than other fitness classes because of the flows, but I just kept peeking at the others and sank into stretches for a break whenever I felt like it. And it was fine. I do find that most people in Paris speak English, and they know the English words needed for their place of employment, including instructors.
While you’re in the area: Head to the boutique/café Merci. Once, I saw American designer Anna Sui there shopping and sipping a coffee with a friend. It’s also a unique place to buy fashionable souvenirs (and they don’t look like you bartered for them at the bottom of La Tour Eiffel or Montmartre).
Gerard Arnaud Yoga, gerardarnaudyoga.com, 11 passage St. Pierre Amelo (the second location is at 3 passage Rauch, €22 for a drop-in (about $36)
Three souvenir lipsticks you must buy on your next trip to Paris.
Chez Simone (2nd arrondissement)
The studio: If Monica and Rachel’s apartment were a fitness studio, this would be it. Aptly called L’appartement, the studio housed a huge colourful waiting room lined with comfy couches and bright neon signs. And the workout studios (three in total) spider-webbed off from the common area. There’s a locker room with mirrors decorated with inspiring messages and a matcha bar, should you need the energy for the class or to pick yourself off the floor after. While waiting for the class, I noticed how busy the cozy waiting room was. Many spoke French and were dressed impeccably for a workout class. Bien sûr.
The class: I took the BeBody Sculpt with Lucy. I was surprised when the instructor transitioned from welcoming the class in French to exercise instructions in English. (This adds to my theory why some people respond to me in English – they, too, just want to practice a second language.) It was a fusion class that mixed the micro movements of barre with the functional exercises of Pilates. We used balls, the circle and bands. I found the reps to be more than my jet-lagged body was used to. The site says the class’s intensity level is intermediate and meant for toning muscles.
Don’t speak French? Clearly, don’t worry about it if you take a class with Lucy.
While you’re in the area: Head to Palais-Royal (20 min walk) for the most Instagrammable backdrop. The Colonnes de Buren are the iconic black and white striped columns where influencers pose. I took a Viator fashion walking tour back in October 2024, when I learned that French artist Daniel Buren turned the former parking lot into this timeless installation in 1986.
Chez Simone, chezsimone.fr, 226 rue Saint-Denis (the second location is at 3 passage Rauch, €24 for a drop-in (about $38) or €18 for a newbie class.