Cornering the Market

Sweat, strengthen, stretch and smile

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Core 95°
16 East Park Ave., Long Beach
(516) 587-6517
www.core95.com

Core 95° is a fitness studio designed to offer a great time, a good sweat, and a leaner, more confident version of you. Classes teaching Hot Yoga, Hot Pilates, Hot Barre and Hot Hip Hop is what it’s all about.

Kelly Martinsen, a publisher, and Shannon Williams, a nurse, ultimately fulfilled a dream of opening a business together, related to their shared passion for fitness. Five years of planning, travel and research led them to the type of workout studio that Long Beach seemed to be missing. They both became Barre certified, hired additional instructors, and last July, opened Core 95°.
The studio is serene and pretty, with just enough lighting for participants to watch the instructor and check themselves out in the mirror. Salt lamps, candles and fairy lights create a dimly lit, private and cozy ambiance. The infrared heating, which is usually between 90 and 95°, heats only the objects (people) in the room. It is said to feel like snuggling up in a blanket, as opposed to being in an oppressively hot room. Music is carefully chosen to complement each class.
“People usually come out surprised at how much they enjoy the infrared heat. They leave invigorated,” said Martinsen. “Each workout is for the individual person. There is no competition. Work hard, or take it easy ... it’s your choice. Doors are not locked, so you can step out for cooler air if you’d like to. Moves in each class are the same for everyone, but the intensity you put into it is up to you. Tell your instructor if you have challenges or need modification.”
Classes at Core 95° offer two types of Yoga and three different versions of Pilates and Barre. Barre workouts, which have become more popular in the past five years, use ballet movements to isolate muscles to create strength while adding stretching to create longer, leaner muscle fibers. Some of the Barre classes at Core 95° incorporate bursts of HIIT (high intensity interval training) to add more cardiovascular benefit.
Each class ends with a relaxing meditation, to balance the body and mind. Focus is on breathing and things one is grateful for. The studio is open seven days a week, and hours depend on when classes are scheduled. Early morning and evening classes are available, as are packages for discounts. Class schedules can be found on the website, and one can book online or by phone.