Contra Mestra Tigresa leads a welcoming and inclusive community of new and experienced capoeira…read morepractitioners. She sets a great example for kids and adults to train hard, have fun, and support each other. the new location at Suenos de Salsa on Lake City Way at 125th is clean and inviting for training. Capoeira is a lot of fun, combining elements of self-defense, music, dance, acrobatics, history, and linguistics. Come try a class!

Capoeira is a great form of exercise, it combines dance, culture and self defense making it super…read morefun. It definitely builds muscle strength, increases flexibility and balance, and involves a lot of cardio. Sina de Capoeira is a great group with a dedicated teacher and a wonderful community of students.

This gym is easily one of the nicest ones I've ever been to. Definitely has the country club vibe…read morewith all the amenities- cold plunges, hot tubs, indoor and outdoor pickleball, reformer Pilates and so much more. The workout floor is massive and has every kind of machine you'd ever need. Also love how many different classes they offer here. I'm personally a huge fan of the CTR classes. The pickleball programming is run very well too. I'd like to see more DUPR sessions here or at least a monthly tournament, but overall it's great and the competition here is solid

If you're looking for the ultimate "athletic country club" experience in North Carolina, Life Time…read moreCary West (Alston Town Center) is in a league of its own. It's less like a gym and more like a high-end wellness retreat that happens to have world-class barbells. The Recovery & Social Scene The recovery suite is arguably the crown jewel of this location. Whether you're winding down from a heavy session or just need a reset, the cycle of sauna, steam room, and cold plunge is executed perfectly here. It's clean, spacious, and genuinely therapeutic. After you've finished your recovery, the Indoor/Outdoor bar is the perfect place to transition from "athlete" to "socialite." It has a fantastic vibe that makes it easy to grab a post-workout drink or a healthy bite while soaking in the atmosphere. Fitness & Studios The variety of training options is staggering: * Pickleball: With 3 dedicated indoor courts, the community here is thriving. The lighting and court quality are top-tier, making it easy to jump into a game regardless of the weather. * Mind & Body Studio: This space is a sanctuary. It's beautifully designed for yoga and meditation, offering a serene escape from the high-energy lifting floor. * CTR (Core, Tone, Reform): For those looking to master the reformer, the CTR sessions are intense and incredibly effective for building functional strength. The Verdict The only real drawback? If you're looking to channel your inner LeBron, you might be disappointed--I didn't notice a basketball court on-site. However, for most members, the trade-off for more pickleball space and the expansive recovery area is well worth it. If you value a luxury environment that balances hard training with high-end relaxation, this is easily the best club in the area

This specific Fred Astaire studio is wonderful. The studio is the perfect size & has amazing…read morelighting. More importantly, Olena & Ruslan are wonderful & caring teachers and make you feel comfortable & ready to learn from day 1. Highly recommend if you're interested in learning ballroom dancing.

I had their 1 year membership for $99 per month for about 2 years. I split my time between the 2…read moreCary locations because they were close to work and it was easy to go right after work. I enjoyed their 4:30 afternoon classes and some of their Saturday classes. Many Barre studios only give you access to one location, so I loved that they gave you access to multiple. They also had fun events to encourage you to work out more. They usually had different barre socks than the Kildare location, for $18 per pair. Their Pure Barre app made it easy to sign up or cancel classes too.

When I think of barre, I think of perky, petite young women gracefully poised beside it, doing…read morepliés and point... building up their slender legs to support and sustain them with an incredible combo of strength and flexibility. The workout trend Pure Barre is designed around getting that dancer body... But through totally different means! I'm talking dubstep. Blasting as girls place kickballs between their thighs, then squat, tuck, and tooch (to borrow a term coined by Miss Tyra). It's true: I never thought I'd be booty-tooching to Scrillex... outside the privacy of my own home. The workout started with some simple stretches and upper body routine, and some floor work in the form of plank and pushups. They only have dumbells in 2, 3, and 5 pounds. The short number of reps and low weight made this section of class completely un-challenging for me. But that disappointment was eased by the next part, where we stepped to the barre and focused on hips, thighs, and --as they like to delicately call it in Pure Barre-- "seat*." [*I don't have a seat. I have a bubbalicious boo-tay. Which is why I wanted to go to this class in the first place. So for clarification purposes in this review, my seat will instead be termed butt.] The most annoying thing for me was that the instructor demonstrated very few of the positions (perhaps due to lack of space on the barre); and it was difficult for me to follow her instructions some of the time. Many of the movements are so isolated, it's hard to look at a classmate and copy from what they're doing too. So parts of it did not feel tough... which left me wondering if I was doing the movement correctly. But other parts had my entire lower body shaking like a leaf, butt and quad muscles on fire. And I absolutely felt those muscles recovering the following 48 hours, so I know I did at least some of the things right! Class finished up with some ab work, which I also felt was too easy, and some finishing stretches. One hour flies by pretty quickly. And I can definitely see the appeal in a class that's shaped like this... getting all the core muscle groups into one workout. But I would personally prefer a class that focuses exclusively on the lower body, to round out my own exercise regimen and perhaps benefit my running as well. I did a drop-in class that was specially priced at $10; reasonable. (Their regular drop-in is $23.)

Absolutely amazing team!! I love this staff and the community here is wonderful - it's always a…read moreparty and always a good, positive time!

I'm incredibly disappointed and honestly disgusted with how AKT Brier Creek treated my mom,…read moreespecially considering how much support she had previously shown this location. My mom attended workouts here, but she also went out of her way to support this business professionally. Through her marketing work within the shopping district, she helped them with marketing videos, events, and other promotional efforts. Unfortunately, she later lost her job and shortly afterward had to undergo emergency surgery. During an already incredibly difficult time, she called AKT Brier Creek to cancel her membership and explained her circumstances. She was told that she HAD to physically come into the studio to cancel and that they would not allow her to do it over the phone. My mom lives an HOUR away from this location and, after emergency surgery, was in no position to make a two-hour round trip just to cancel a gym membership. She also wasn't going to be physically able to make that drive anytime soon. Instead of offering her a reasonable alternative or showing even a little compassion, they continued attempting to charge her card and ultimately sent the account to collections. When I contacted the studio myself and asked about their cancellation policy, I couldn't even get a clear answer. Instead of transparency or accountability, I was met with defensiveness. This is exactly the kind of business practice people deserve to know about before signing a contract. If someone loses their job, undergoes emergency surgery, lives an hour away, and CALLS to explain that they physically cannot come in, there should be some reasonable way to cancel a membership without eventually being sent to collections. Policies are one thing. Refusing to work with someone facing legitimate extenuating circumstances is another. My mom supported this business when she was in a position to do so. When she needed basic understanding in return, this is how she was treated. If you're considering joining AKT Brier Creek, I strongly recommend getting every detail of their cancellation policy in writing before signing anything. At the end of the day, this experience made it feel like collecting $$$ mattered more than treating a person with basic decency.

Highly recommend this location! Ryan was amazing-super…read moremotivating and knowledgeable. Kayla was very organized and helpful.

Orangetheory Fitness is awesome. If you have severe undiagnosed ADHD like me, you may struggle to…read morefocus at the gym. One way to solve that problem is to join Orangetheory Fitness. Sign up for small classes where up to 3 groups work out at the same time. A well-trained coach guides the class through the workout. Workouts last for an hour and combine cardio with strength exercises. Orangetheory is for people of all fitness levels. During any given class, there are terrific athletes and non-athletes working out together. Nobody judges, and everybody is encouraging. OTF Cary-Macgregor is a newer studio. In spite of this fact, it already is one of the best. Jesse does a terrific job of managing the studio. He let me borrow a heart rate monitor without charge after I forgot to bring mine during one class. He took the time to chat with me even though I am not new to OTF. The workouts at OTF Cary-Macgregor were terrific. Jacob is a great coach and runs the classes perfectly. He welcomed me back and remembered my name when I attended my second class at this studio. A fun fact to note: I ran into the owner of a local Crossfit gym during one of my visits to this OTF. He apparently likes to do both programs. After an awful experience at OTF Morrisville, OTF Cary-Macgregor restored my confidence in the brand. I gave OTF Cary-Macgregor top marks in the survey that I was sent, and Jesse called to personally thank me. Thank you Jacob and Jesse for terrific experiences. If I'm still a member of OTF during my next visit to NC, I will certainly stop by this studio.

Exerbiotics Coach Training is a new concept in fitness that uses many machines and computerized…read moresystems to specifically teach a you how to succeed when other methods have failed.

For all you cardio junkies out there, it is in your best interest to check out PopUp Workout ASAP!…read moreI have attended a couple of classes now and they have literally kicked my butt and left me feeling terribly tired in the best of kick-ass workout ways. {This is a good thing!} Katie Corley, owner and founder of the PopUp Workout makes the experience! Her energy, excitement, music list and full sixty minute workout will leave you feeling addicted. The great thing about the PopUp Workout is you can literally do it anywhere! Make sure you wear clothes you are comfortable working out in and getting sweaty in {also wear tennis shoes!} as well as a: yoga mat {Katie usually has some extras just in case you forget!}, water bottle and towel {this is not make or break but I highly recommend if you're prone to sweating!} PopUp provides you with all the other essentials including "gliders" {paper plates}, a small rubber ball and two types of fitness bands. One thing I love about these workouts is that you could replicate everything at home, most of us have the "materials" around our house! PopUp now has about fourteen classes a month around Durham/Chapel Hill area including yoga, pilates, HITT, PopUp Tone and "Tighten 'n' Tone". The classes I've had with Katie have been full body: arms, legs, butt and abs. These classes do cater to a slightly older crowd (late thirties to early fifties range, women only), although I'm in my mid-twenties and I love these workouts! Plus, their rates are very reasonable for the workout you receive! So get out there cardio junkies and try at PopUp Workout!