In Buckhead, the gym you belong to is as important as your town club; business meetings are held over yoga mats, not place mats; and fashion standards still apply. To prevent any social missteps, here are the hottest places to sweat. Of course, it wouldn’t be Buckhead if you didn’t indulge afterward with a spa treatment to remedy or complement your workout.
Workout
Pure Barre
The shoes-off workout is subdued, with focused foot and leg action—standing on tiptoe while fusing your heels together, extending the legs while seated and standing—set off by isometric movements aimed at toning the thighs and fortifying the core. $15 for first class, $23 per class thereafter; 3145 Peachtree Road, 404-550-8542
Reward
Foot massage at the InterContinental Buckhead
Let the masseuse revive those aching feet with a tingly, instantaneously soothing tea tree oil and peppermint oil scrub, hitting key points in the toes, feet, and lower legs to create a calm that overtakes the entire body. $120 (with tip); 3315 Peachtree Road, 404-946-9175
Workout
Orangetheory Fitness
This hour of interval training is fast-paced and sweaty, shuffling from treadmills and rowing machines to light weights and TRX suspension. The body consumes more oxygen and calories; the “afterburn” melts away calories for up to thirty-six hours. First session free, $10+ per class thereafter; 3097 Piedmont Road, 404-719-0170
Reward
Lymphatic Massage at Ecobel Med Spa
Keep the metabolism churning. Expect a seventy-five-minute faceup procedure relying on slow, light strokes from the neck down to the stomach. But afterward, drinking enough water to ensure proper drainage, you’ll get the optimal calorie-burning boost. $95; 2996 Grandview Avenue, 404-760-0300
Workout
X-Bike at Roc House Women’s Fitness Spa
Developed in the U.K., X-Bike is a thirty-minute indoor mountain-biking experience—and a total-body test with arm reps and leaning, standing, and sitting motions—that knocks out a whopping 500 calories. $149 to 169 per month; 3402 Piedmont Road, 404-500-1621
Reward
Extreme Sport Massage at Roc House
After X-Bike, you’ll be too tired to leave the building. Using motions akin to Swedish and deep tissue, the practitioner pays special attention to high-tension areas. And the Icy Hot–like substance applied to the back toward the end is sweet, searing relief. $50 to $140 for thirty- to ninety-minute sessions
This article originally appeared in our September 2014 issue under the headline “Body Shops.”
