You just got the kids dressed, fed and off to school. Now it’s ‘You Time.’
You head into one of Pleasantville’s boutique wellness studios and are greeted by familiar faces–other mothers whose morning routines mirror your own. It’s time to focus on strength and flexibility, guided by highly trained instructors dedicated to health, longevity, stress relief and holistic, restorative practices.
These popular, welcoming studios reflect a growing shift away from big-box health clubs with cavernous gyms and sprawling exercise circuits. Instead, Pleasantville’s boutique fitness scene emphasizes personalization, community and intentional movement.
Located in the heart of Pleasantville are Sweat New York, The Fit Co, The Pilates Solution and Sonny’s Pilates–boutique studios offering a wide range of classes, from Pilates and hot Pilates to HIIT (high-intensity interval training), strength training and recovery-focused workouts.
What continues to draw a growing and loyal clientele is the highly personalized approach to fitness–something that resonates deeply in Pleasantville, a small village known for its strong sense of community.
The Fit Co
“There is a lot said about community and wanting a good workout,” said Fit Co owner Laura Kovall. “People come together, have fun, and want to be working out with people they know. We have mothers of elementary school–aged children, empty nesters and those working and managing aging parents. Over the years, everyone has put themselves last. Now they want to take care of themselves with a healthy routine that focuses on longevity, balance and strong bones.”
Among the offerings is Fit Co’s “No Sweat” class, a total-body workout that uses everyday functional movements and equipment such as TRX, BOSU balls, barbells and boxes. HIIT classes and Fit Co’s signature strength workouts round out a schedule designed to meet clients wherever they are in their fitness journey.
Kovall officially opened her Wheeler Avenue studio in March 2025 with two yoga instructors. Today, Fit Co has grown to a team of ten instructors offering a range of classes. Kovall’s bright, airy second-floor studio overlooks Wheeler Avenue and easily accommodates circuit-style classes for HIIT or Fit Co’s signature strength workouts. Small inspirational signs– “Believe in Yourself,” “Keep Smiling,” and “The Body Achieves What the Mind Believes”–dot the space. A video screen in the corner allows for livestreamed classes, while a smaller room is dedicated to recovery, featuring tools such as compression boots designed to support lymphatic drainage after workouts.
Sweat New York
For Sweat New York owners Merrill Hollander and her husband, Jonathan Harris, community is central to their fitness philosophy.
“At Sweat, community means something real,” Hollander says. “For us, it means inclusive, safe, warm–or really hot–kind, forgiving, and always welcoming. It’s the feeling you get the moment you walk in the door, and the reason so many clients have become true friends.”
Sweat New York has two Pleasantville locations–one on Wheeler Avenue and the other on Jackson Street. The Jackson Street studio, which opened in August 2023, offers hot yoga, Cardio sKulpt, hot barre and hot mat Pilates in a delicately lit space with controlled humidity and temperatures ranging from 95 to 110 degrees. Classes run throughout the day with 15-minute breaks in between.
The Wheeler Avenue location, which opened in May 2025, features hot reformer Pilates. Infrared heating panels span the ceiling above a sleek row of versatile reformers. Fifteen instructors, who Hollander says “are the superstars of our studios” teach across both Sweat locations, drawing clients from Chappaqua, Briarcliff, Bedford, and Bronxville, in addition to Pleasantville residents.
Pilates Solution
Pilates Solution, located on Broadway, opened three years ago after Jennifer Lancaster assumed ownership of the former Better Day Pilates, which had operated until just after the COVID pandemic.
“I renamed and rebranded it,” Lancaster explains. “Word of mouth helped tremendously, which is so important in the boutique fitness world. Friends telling friends and coming together for classes grew the community until the number of clients tripled.”
Four full-time instructors, along with several substitutes, lead classes in the warm and welcoming space. The space features four reformers and additional tower mats equipped with springs, bars and handles for resistance training. Classes typically include up to eight participants, and a full-length mirror runs along the opposite wall.
“Pilates is a mind-body way of working out,” Lancaster says. “The mirrors help clients see posture and alignment with breath coordination. In our classes, everyone is supportive–everyone has their own process.”
Lancaster, who earned her Pilates Mat Certification in 2015 and previously ran a major teacher training program in New York City, plans to launch a Pilates certification program in Pleasantville.
“I’d love to open the studio for training future instructors,” she says. “Mentoring and teaching is something I truly love.”
Sonny’s Pilates
Rounding out the boutique offerings in town is the newly opened Sonny’s Pilates on Manville Avenue.
What Workout is Better for You?
Wellness boutiques now offer a wide range of workouts tailored to different ages, goals and abilities. Busy professionals and full-time parents often gravitate toward high-impact options such as HIIT, express yoga and hot yoga, while older adults tend to focus on strength, balance and flexibility.
“A growing number of boutiques are leaning into strength training and functional movement,” Hollander says. “Sculpt will still have its moment–high-intensity, low-impact, rhythm-driven training that delivers the burn clients love. For 2026, it isn’t about choosing one lane. It’s about staying curious, staying challenged and staying committed.”
Sweat’s hot classes attract a wide variety of clients. “Hot yoga is for the adrenaline junkies,” Hollander notes. “But all of our classes skew toward a fitter clientele. We welcome everyone, but we know it’s not for everybody.”
At Fit Co, clients range in age from teenagers to those in their 80s and 90s. Strength and weight-bearing exercises anchor Kovall’s most popular class, No Sweat.
“That’s where you move quickly–yes, you will sweat–and you’re done in 40 minutes,” Kovall says. “I want these classes to fit into people’s lives. We train the body holistically–not just strength and cardio, but Pilates and recovery as well.”
Sonny’s Pilates offers 50-minute and 30-minute signature Pilates flow classes, along with a complimentary 25-minute introductory session. The longer class focuses on full-body strength and flexibility, while the shorter sessions target either upper body (arms and abs) or lower body (glutes and abs).
Age-Related Fitness Needs
Age is often a determining factor in choosing the right type of movement. At Pilates Solution, clients range from age 40 and up, including two women aged 85 and 91.
“Some clients come for private sessions, others for duets,” Lancaster says. “We’re also seeing more men, which is wonderful. They often start with private sessions, usually early in the morning before work.”
Older adults often seek instruction that emphasizes balance and muscle strength for joint support.
“I have a balance class with clients in their 80s,” Kovall says. “My oldest client is close to 90, while women in their late 50s and early 60s attend regularly.”
Residents from Pleasantville’s new apartment building on Memorial Plaza, frequently attend Fit Co’s 10:30 a.m. class, which focuses on balance and strengthening muscles that support joints.
“It’s important for older people to be able to stand up easily from sitting, especially if they live alone,” Kovall explains. “My goal is to work muscles people don’t usually engage in everyday life.”
At Sonny’s Pilates, the mostly female clientele ranges from their 20s to their late 60s or 70s. There are also a few male clients who take private sessions or couples take classes together.
Post-Workout Recovery and Restoration
Whole-body wellness has long been a hallmark of boutique fitness studios, many of which emphasize restorative practices. At the end of Fit Co’s No Sweat Flex & Flow class, members cool down and stretch to restore balance and support recovery. Restorative elements are also incorporated into Vinyasa Flow Open and Fit It in Yoga classes.
Looking beyond muscles and bones, some studios are expanding into wellness therapies. Sonny’s Pilates hopes to introduce red light therapy and lymphatic drainage massage in the near future.
Ultimately, Pleasantville’s wellness boutiques share a common mission: supporting holistic health through movement and connection.
“Our contribution to the community goes far beyond classes,” Hollander says. “We’ve built a space where everyone is wanted, seen and appreciated–no ego, no exclusivity, just people showing up for themselves and for each other.”
sweatnewyork.com
thepilatessolution.com
thefitconyc.com
sonnypilates.com
