Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center

I have taken classes at Spoke the Hub for 10 years. I got tired of schlepping to Manhattan for dance classes and was happy to find great, local teachers. Of all the studios and gyms I've joined over the years, the classes at Spoke the Hub rank highest for excellent, well trained and creative teachers. Unlike the gym, where your mind and soul become deadened by throbbing techno tunes and boring step routines, the classes at Spoke the Hub keep your mind active, your funny bone tickled and your heart pumping. In recent sessions of Super Macho Girls Workout (the name says it all, doesn't it?) I danced the Achey Breaky, folk dances from all corners of the world, peppered with yoga, sprints, and push-ups. The students and teachers at Spoke the Hub like to have a good time. No attitude here. And they have classes for all levels. Besides, their newly renovated studio has a huge skylight, so you can watch the clouds roll by while you're doing your sit-ups. Pros: Convenient location, Beautiful Studio, Fantastic Teachers Cons: Be prepared to break a sweat more

I always have said ""I can't dance"" and, like most men, I have avoided group dance and fitness classes like the plague, Plus for a 57 year old, slim, academic, I don't look that bad so I have been able to maintain the illusion (to myself and others) that I am not out of shape. Deep down inside, though, I knew that the aches and pains, soreness and stiffness after what used to be routine tasks --like cutting the grass or moving furniture around -- was a message from my body that something was amiss. So, with much trepidation, I let myself be dragged to Elise Long's ""Men's Total Body Workout"" class at Spoke the Hub, supposedly geared for aging weekend warriors like myself. I had no idea what to expect and I was concerned that I would be gasping for breath or unable to bend while others in the class would be running circles around me. But it wasn't long before I realized that the class is designed to do as much or as little as you are able and that the other baby-boomers were paying attention to their own creaks and cracks and not at all to mine. The payoff was walking outside after the class and feeling upright, 2 inches taller, stiffness gone --not exactly young, but not ancient either. Just ""lighter"", relaxed, and more energized. That was good enough for me. Elise knows her stuff; plus she is funny and makes it seem so not an 'exercise class' . Pros: Pleasantly Surprised Cons: Far from my home more