Stretch it: low-impact home workouts

From pilates apps to meditation cushions, we work out the best tools for recharging mind and body from home

woman stretching in Prism London bra and underwear
Clothing by Prism. Photography: Romain Duquesne. As featured in the February 2020 issue of Wallpaper*
(Image credit: Romain Duquesne.)

Given that exercise studios and gyms are still likely to take some time before they open their doors, we’ve rounded up some low-impact work-outs and therapeutic essentials that will help to boost mental and physical strength. 

BlokTV fitness classes

Blok TV instructor doing yoga exercises in industrial London fitness studio

(Image credit: TBC)

Since 2016, Blok London has distinguished itself from other fitness centres with its diverse range of classes offered in impeccably designed studios. Their new video platform, BlokTV, makes it possible to take the studio’s catalogue of classes without even walking out your front door— a convenience which more than makes up for the fact that you’ll be missing out on the original location’s hip industrial aesthetics. 

Subscribers to BlokTV have access to 60 live classes per week, plus a full directory of more than 175 on-demand videos across 10 disciplines. Classes include everything from calisthenics to boxing, to ballet and meditation.

blok-tv.com

Sky Ting TV yoga sessions

yoga instructors in Sky Ting New York studio

(Image credit: TBC)

The New York yoga studio Sky Ting, beloved by downtown New Yorkers and Brooklynites alike, has just launched their long-awaited Sky Ting TV. A $20 per month subscription fee gives members access to the stylish studio’s library of pre-recorded classes as well as its past live stream classes, which have been taking place daily.

Whether it’s a seasonal spring class, a series targeting back and neck tension, or a class that’s been designed specifically to improve sleep, Sky Ting’s popular approach to yoga is now available at your fingertips. 

skyting.com

Alo Moves visual meditation

alo moves desert landscape

(Image credit: TBC)

For those who are just starting to dabble in meditation, Alo Moves – an on-demand yoga, fitness, and mindfulness platform – offers several guided meditation classes that are bolstered by sweeping visuals to help calm, expand, or deepen your consciousness.

No psychedelic spacescapes or hypnotic patterns here; choose from sweeping views of Pacific Northwestern forests and rivers, the serene yet dramatic valleys and glaciers of Iceland, the splendor of a lush tropical rainforest, or the solitude of seeing snow falling around you. 

alomoves.com

Outer Reach stretching

man stretching for outer reach

(Image credit: TBC)

Outer Reach, a stretching studio based in New York’s Tribeca district, is all about engaged bodywork that activates your muscles through stability and balance.

From strengthening core engagement to encouraging muscle growth, its method of creating heightened body awareness is now available through virtual private sessions, live remote group classes, and quick tip videos.

outerreach.com

Sefte Living meditation cushion

grey and white sefte living meditation cushion

(Image credit: TBC)

What better way to build up a meditation practice than with a stylish seat to rest on? Sefte Living’s meditation cushion is as good as it gets for gently drifting away. 

Made from 100 percent baby alpaca and crocheted by Peruvian artisans using traditional techniques, each piece is infused with a folkloric quality and provides a comforting amount of support. 

sefteliving.com

Apparatus incense holder

apparatus incense holder

(Image credit: TBC)

Few incense holders can hold a candle to this statuesque specimen created by the American design studio, Apparatus.

Resulting from a study of historic geometric forms, the censer combines a brass base that resembles an ancient chalice with a delicate porcelain dome that neatly rests on top. Inside, a matching brass holder neatly secures three sticks of incense while also catching falling ash.

apparatusstudio.com

Yield x Black Dahlia incense collection

cbd incense stick from the yield black dahlia collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Frank Lloyd Wright’s legendary Sowden House is no stranger to controversy. Originally intended to host events and live performances for its artist-photographer owners, the house has long been tied to the equally fabled Black Dahlia murder.  

Now, Yield's Black Dahlia collaboration seeks to reclaim the house's character and history, this time through cannabis-focused wellness. Their collection of CBD-infused incense teams organic, broad-spectrum CBD with an array of essential oil-based scents to create an evocative, aromatherapy experience.

yielddesign.co

New York Pilates online videos

Heather Anderson in New York Pilates instructional videos

(Image credit: TBC)

Cult pilates studio New York Pilates is set to enter a dynamic new era with the launch of its digital studio, NYP World, this summer. The instructional videos will see studio founder Heather Andersen lead 15-minute segments that breakdown the studio’s signature pilates method, which can then be built into as short or long of a full-body workout as one wishes. 

Additionally, 50-minute classes taught by Andersen and set to a live DJ set by her husband/business partner Le Baron’s Brion Isaacs will be live-streamed weekly.

newyorkpilates.com

Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.

With contributions from