Rise of the "wellness social club"
“Exclusivity” is a term that’s long been associated with wellness, but it’s just reached an entirely new level. Behold, we are now in the era of the $2K-a-month wellness club—luxe, Soho-House-like establishments that mix fitness with elite networking.
As I wrote for Elemental, it’s no longer about where you work out but also with whom you work out. You need to know the right people, be in the right shape, and offer something in return—social caché—to get into this newest echelon of gyms.
For those that do allow applications, it’s a rigorous process: Your resume, LinkedIn account, and Instagram account is studied as to whether you’re “the right” fit. Then comes the in-person interview and yes, perhaps even a physical.
The cofounder of New York City boutique fitness studio The Ness put it like this: “If you’re hosting a dinner party at your house, would you post flyers of the invite and say, ‘Everyone come over for dinner’? No, you invite your friends. We feel the same way about fitness …
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