I found Define through a Groupon offer for one month unlimited Body and Rev classes, so I signed up. Define Body and Mind in Oakley is just off the square located next to a pizza place (ahhh!).

The one thing that impressed me the most was how friendly all the staff was how they made an effort to know my name and get me checked in as I walked in the door. That personalized attention isn’t found everywhere, but I really appreciate it.

The studio space is calm and open, they offer two single-room restrooms (but no shower), and cubbies (not lockers) for storing items during class. With it being winter, I found myself growing annoyed with those students who came out of class, got their personal belongings and then stood in that area conversing with friends or checking their phones. MOVE! It happened every class and after the 6am weekday classes, we all have a limited amount of time to get ready and to work. Or maybe I’m the only one on a tight schedule to shower and get to work.

Also, this post will not have photos because I didn’t take any, but you can see some on their website or Facebook page.

The Rev classes are cycling (spinning) and even the 6am class was nearly full every time I went. The room offers low light and only mirrors on one wall. You must wear shoes with clips if you don’t have them you can rent them for $3.

Define has their own way of doing cycling that is a little different than other places, but that is not a bad thing! They use a ball on the handlebars and it was a test to my coordination, so it took me until the second and third class to feel comfortable with the moves. They offer small hand weights for an arm workout.

The Body class is a ballet barre class working all those tiny accessory muscles. The room is brightly lit, one wall is a frosted street-window and two others have mirrors which is good for checking your poses and distracting for seeing that others are doing or what I’m not doing. This class was a complete challenge and near torture for me because I have tight hip flexors and a limited range of motion with my left leg, so I only attended a class a week.

Probably if I gave this class more attention I would been helping myself, but like I said the mirrors let me see what others were doing and what I couldn’t do and it just distracted me. It’s me, not you, Define Body!

If you’re looking to challenge your body, give Define a try. In addition to their regular schedule they offer workshops and even did outdoor cycling for a fundraiser.