In recent years, the collective interest in wellness and fitness has reached a fever pitch–it’s obvious in the new studios with trendy names that are on every block in NYC (Hip-hop yoga! Cardio dance! Candlelit spinning!), the proliferation of athleisure leggings in your closet, and the $20 smoothie bowl you just bought. It’s hard to know what sometimes what’s the real deal and what’s a fitness fab. Fret not! There are some seriously inspiring moms on New York City’s leading the way in New York City’s health, wellness, and fitness world!
From the coolest yogis to the hottest trainers, we’ve rounded up the mamas you should know (or at least be following on Instagram for #Fitspo). Click through the slider below to learn who they are and why we love them!
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Taryn Toomey - The Class
Whether or not your closet is full of athleisure gear and your calendar filled with fitness classes--you've certainly heard the buzz about Taryn Toomey. She's a mother-of-two and fashion industry vet who came up with a method that used intensity to both strengthen and soothe. The Class--which boasts celeb attendees like Jennifer Anniston, Mara Hoffman, Christy Turlington, and more--is billed as "a cathartic movement practice intended to stimulate peace through strength." taryntoomey.com -
Latham Thomas - Mama Glow
Many readers will recognize Mama Glow founder Latham Thomas from New York Family's November/December 2016 cover (with her some DJ Fulano)! When she's not lighting up the camera with her gorgeous smile, Thomas is sought-after doula (she was the doula at DJ Khaled's son's birth), yoga instructor, nutrition expert, and author. You can find her via Mama Glow, a holistic women’s lifestyle brand offering birth, yoga, and nutrition services, and you can look out for her second book later this year (her first book is called "Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy"). Oh, and did we mention that she's tight with Oprah? Last year, Oprah named Thomas one of her Super Soul 100 list of “awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity." mamaglow.com Photo by Erica Berger Photography -
Tara Stiles - Strala Yoga
Tara Stiles is the founder of Strala Yoga and is also a brand-new mama herself (she gave birth at the end of January this year). Strala was created to fuse Stiles' longtime practice in yoga with her classical dance background. It's described as "a way of being, moving and healing, that helps people connect with how they feel, move how it feels good, and handle challenges with ease." Plus, be sure to check out Tara's website and Insta (@tarastiles) for plenty of pregnancy yoga inspo and tips. tarastiles.com & stralayoga.com Photo via Instagram.com/tarastiles -
Daphne Oz - Author ("The Happy Cook") & TV Peronsality ("The Chew")
Another former-NYF cover-mom, Daphne Oz is as delightful as she wise. Now a mother-of-two, you can continue to find her dishing about her fave foods on ABC's "The Chew," and you can also enjoy her latest book "The Happy Cook." Of course, for more nutrition info, tasty (and healthy) recipes, and wellness and lifestyle tips, turn to her first two tomes "The Dorm Room Diet" and "Relish." daphneoz.com Photo by Lindsay May for Classic Kids Photography -
Debra Flashenberg - The Prenatal Yoga Center
Debra Flashenberg is truly a mom-to-know if you're an expectant or new mother in NYC. Not only is she a mom-of-two herself and the founder of the Prenatal Yoga Center, she's also a certified labor support doula, Lamaze Childbirth Educator, and certified prenatal yoga instructor. Plus, Flashenberg is a regular contributor to New York Family, and has an amazing pregnancy podcast that you can check out on her website! prenatalyogacenter.com -
Hilaria Baldwin - Yoga Vida
You may see her name in the headlines thanks to her marriage to Alec Baldwin (the couple have two kiddos together as well), there's so much more to the story with beloved yogi Hilaria Baldwin. This oh-so-Zen mama is the co-founder of NYC's Yoga Vida (where she still teaches)--classes here are all about using "a physical practice as an entry point to a calm, steady, and undisturbed mind"--and she's also a former professional dancer, Extra TV correspondent, wellness expert, and author. Wellness minded peeps from NYC and beyond are loving her recent book "The Living Clearly Method: 5 Principles for a Fit Body, Healthy Mind & Joyful Life." yogavida.com -
Tracy Anderson - The Tracy Anderson Method
Tracy Anderson is a super-fit mom-of-two and she's Gwyneth Paltrow's go-to fitness guru and business partner (after training with Anderson postpartum, Paltrow became business partners with Anderson and they grew the business nation-wide). Anderson is known for her own amazing physique, her rep for sculpting many a celeb bod, and for her hit workout class the Tracy Anderson Method (which boasts two studios in NYC, as well as two in the Hamptons, as well as locations in LA and London). tracyanderson.com -
Elizabeth Cutler & Julie Rice - SoulCycle
Unless you've been doing your workouts under a rock since 2005, we hardly need to explain what the deal is with SoulCycle. However, many devotees don't know that the spin class giant was founded by two NYC moms and that it started with a dream and one studio on the UWS about 11 years ago! This past year, Rice and Cutler announced that they were stepping down from SoulCycle to pursue other projects, they still remain on the company's board and will always be synonymous with starting the spin revolution (pun intended) in NYC and beyond. soul-cycle.com -
Amanda Freeman - SLT NYC
SLT stands for Strengthen, Lengthen, and Tone--it combines low-impact Pilates movements, cardio, and strength training. And its founder, Amanda Freeman, is one of our fave moms in the fitness world. Freeman created SLT after coming from a career in trend forecasting and also in founding Vital Juice (a health and wellness daily e-newsletter "focused on delivering the latest in trends, research, and tips in the areas of fitness, beauty, nutrition, and wellness"). She concocted SLT to fill a void she saw on the NYC exercise scene--SLT now has nine studios across the city. sltnyc.com -
Melissa Wood - Melissa Wood Health
She's a model, mama, wellness coach, and fitness instructor, and her Instgram (@MelissaWoodHealth) is a beautiful explosion of healthy snacks, her adorable son, and tons of fitness tips and moves. Her soon-to-launch lifestyle site, Melissa Wood Health, is "a platform for sharing all of the wellness tips" that Wood swears by, "from food, fitness, beauty, fashion, and overall lifestyle." melissawoodhealth.com Photo via facebook.com/melissawoodhealth