First time? Start here.
Never boxed, climbed or met a reformer? Here's what actually happens at a first class in New York, what to bring, what it costs to try, and which places make it easiest. Pick the thing you're nervous about.
The guides
Boxing and martial arts
6 places running now · Free options
Your first boxing or jiu-jitsu class: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Climbing and bouldering
5 places running now · From $28
Your first time at a climbing gym: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Yoga
9 places running now · Free options
Your first yoga class: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Pilates and reformer
5 places running now · Free options
Your first reformer or Pilates class: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Dance classes
9 places running now · From $22
Your first dance class: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Running clubs and group runs
7 places running now · Free options
Your first group run: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Free city and park classes
2 places running now · Free options
Your first free city fitness class: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Social sports leagues
2 places running now · From $109
Your first social league or pickup game: what happens, what to bring and where to start.
Paying for it
How paying to move works
Drop-ins, packs, intro offers, memberships and league fees, with real NYC prices.
Free first visits and intro offers
22 places, quoted from their own sites
Free first visits, intro prices and trials, in the providers' own words and dated.
Wherever you go first
Tell whoever's at the front that it's your first time. Every instructor would rather know, and it's the quickest way to get shown the ropes, sometimes literally. Get there a little early, because the first visit always involves a form.
You will be the newest person in the room for exactly one session. Rest when you need to, skip what doesn't feel right, and don't measure yourself against the regular in the front row. They had a first day too.
We haven't been to these places ourselves yet. Everything specific in these guides comes from each place's own website, and every guide lists the pages we checked and when. Nothing here is medical advice; if you have a health question, read our medical disclaimer and ask a clinician.