This semester, Syracuse University students have lost the largest fitness resource available to them: Archbold Gymnasium. It’s closed down for a $50 million renovation to become a state-of-the-art fitness facility called “The Arch,” which SU estimates won’t open until fall 2019.

But don’t fret in the meantime if you’re not big on the gyms in Ernie Davis Hall or Marshall Square Mall. This quiz will help you find fitness options that suit your price, transportation situation and workout needs.

Kateri Gemperlein-Schirm | Design Editor

CHAARG

Being stuck on campus doesn’t mean you can’t get a taste of Syracuse’s workout scene. For $45 per semester, CHAARG delivers weekly workouts to SU and takes members off campus for in-studio classes.

It’s all aimed at helping college students find ways to be fit and healthy in their everyday lives, said Karleigh Kowalski, an inclusive elementary and special education senior at SU who leads the student-run SU chapter.

Every Tuesday night, CHAARG brings a local workout teacher to SU, or members will go to a studio for classes such as barre, cycling and strength training. Members can also join a small group for weekly student-run sessions, and they have access to socials, including smoothie nights and nutritionist talks. Everything is included in that once-a-semester fee.

To try out the program, join CHAARG for a sample studio spotlight at 8 or 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in Hall of Languages 500.

 

Wacheva Cultural Arts

117 Harvard Place

Tucked behind Boom Babies and across the street from Recess Coffee, Wacheva Cultural Arts is a cultural hub in the Westcott neighborhood.

Wacheva founder Biboti Ouikahilo brought the rhythm of the Ivory Coast, where he toured with the country’s national dance company, to Syracuse in 2003. Music bumps from Wacheva’s studio six days per week — that is, if Ouikahilo isn’t shouting out the beats himself. He teaches African dance and drum classes. Other teachers at the studio offer yoga, Zumba and classes in other styles of dance.

Student pricing cuts the price of a class down to $7, and it’s within walking distance of SU.

 

Metro Fitness

205 S. Salina St.

Slacking is not allowed at Metro Fitness. This locally owned joint will call home and check in if you miss a workout.

Even if you’re not booking a personal trainer, Metro can tailor a workout regimen to meet your schedule and workout goals. Starting with a fitness evaluation, members get a personalized health plan and periodic check-ins with a professional.

It upends the idea of “people just showing up to the gym, hoping they get it right on their own,” Metro trainer Loren Starnes told The Daily Orange last February.

If you’re looking for something a little less intense, Metro offers traditional gym memberships with access to classes, saunas, health screenings and more — and its website promises student rates. Get to Metro via the Sy 30 and Sy 40 buses in about 20 minutes.

 

YMCA Downtown

340 Montgomery St.

The Downtown Syracuse YMCA is one of the closest fitness options to campus — and one of the cheapest.

“We’re right down the hill and we’ve got a great mix of old-school Y and lots of features people might not realize are inside the building,” said Stefanie Noble, the Y’s director of marketing and communication, in an email.

Inside the Y, there’s an indoor track, swimming pool and multiple fitness rooms. Classes and rec sport leagues can bring even more variety to your workout and are all included in a $30-per-month young adult membership. Personal training, karate and other high-intensity classes are available for additional fees.

Even transportation to the Y is free if you hop on the Connective Corridor bus, which stops at College Place. It’s about a 20-minute ride, making the Y one of the most accessible options for anyone without a car.

Edge Strength and Conditioning

1031 W. Genesee St.

Edge Strength and Conditioning is a small, locally-owned gym. To Edge’s owner, Ryan Vollmer, that’s what sets it apart.

“It’s not like a CrossFit class where they’re trying to kill you,” Vollmer said. “We’re trying to make it functional and fun and get results that way.”

Vollmer described a client who wasn’t comfortable on anything except the elliptical at big, corporate gyms. But she’s able to do much more in Edge’s personal, supportive environment.

Edge offers bootcamp and barbell classes alongside yoga and personal training, and there are also a limited number of open gym memberships, none of which require contract. Every class promotes what Vollmer called a “unique, friendly environment.”

 

Central Rock Syracuse

600 N. Franklin St.

Syracuse’s first climbing gym aims to add excitement your workout.

Central Rock opened its doors at the end of December, bringing a giant indoor space full of rock climbing walls to downtown Syracuse. You’d have to drive to Albany to find another climbing gym of this size, said Nate Farrington, a climbing manager at Central Rock.

Since Central Rock opened, Farrington said traffic in and out of the gym has been nonstop. He credits it to the fun and adventure you get while still getting exercise.

“I can’t stay motivated going to a normal gym,” Farrington said. “This kind of stuff is way more engaging for me.”

All levels of climbers can take belaying, bouldering and other skills classes or grab a day pass and just get climbing. And if you’d like to balance climbing with a traditional workout, Central Rock also has an exercise gym and yoga classes. That’s all included in a monthly $55 membership, discounted for full-time college students.

 

O Yoga and Syracuse Yoga

225 Wilkinson St., Dietz Lofts, Suite 102 | 6181 Thompson Road, Suite 803

There’s no shortage of yoga options on and around campus. Some for-credit classes still have openings on MySlice, and SU’s Department of Recreation Services offers a week of free fitness classes from Jan. 21-26. And off campus, plenty of gyms offer yoga classes alongside standard fitness offerings.

But a few studios around Syracuse are devoted solely to the practice, and they feature a variety of yoga classes tailored to different fitness levels.

Syracuse Yoga offers a handful of different classes focused on movement and flow, and they run from 9 a.m. until the evening.

O Yoga has two locations: one that’s accessible by bus in downtown Syracuse and one that’s a bit further away in DeWitt. From early morning sunrise yoga to late-night Yin, O Yoga packs in multiple classes each day at both locations.

Even if those yoga terms are a mystery, there’s still a draw for these studios: student pricing. College students get their first class free at Syracuse Yoga, and 20 percent off on packages after that. At O Yoga, college students get 15 percent off drop-in classes and a variety of class packages.

 

Urban Life Athletics

1003 W. Fayette St., fourth floor

With a pitch-black room, strobe lights and loud music, Urban Life Athletics almost looks more like a nightclub than a fitness studio. And that’s just what it’s going for.

“A lot of students go to the gym, hop on the elliptical, hop on the treadmill, do their quote-unquote cardio,” said spin instructor Dan Distefano. “What we’re trying to sell is not just fitness, but the fun, nightlife-style atmosphere of it.”

Urban Life offers spin, CrossFit and high-intensity interval training classes. Each class has what Distefano described as a Benjamin’s on Franklin twist, similar to what you’d find in a big-city fitness studio.

Published on January 18, 2018 at 5:03 am

Contact Kathryn: kjkrawcz@syr.edu | @kathrynkrawczyk