I actually don’t know how to start this review; I tried a few times to get the right words and none do this place justice.
I guess to start, Move East is a locally owned studio and prides itself in being a place where friends and strangers find joy in all kinds of movement, together. A complete forewarning, prior to trying the gym I did have coffee with the owner, Hannah Kovacs. I am only putting that in here, because it’s not the first time I met with a gym owner/manager but is the first time I felt compelled to actually try out their gym (AKA she’s chill and cool).
Although small, Move East has many different class options and two rooms where the classes are held; The Field and The Cabin. To make this review legit, I made sure to try classes in each room.
My first class I tried was Sweat Equity with Kelly – a HIIT class. I persuaded my roommate Bailey to come with me and we both had a blast! The class was filled with great movements and killer music. Kelly’s coaching was spot on. By that, I mean she wasn’t annoying... she was very encouraging, gave great cues and demonstrations but wasn’t constantly telling you to ‘keep pushing’ every second as sweat stung your eyes. (some people may need that, but I don’t lol)
The second class I did was in The Cabin called Fire & Flow with Sara. This was a mixture of Yoga and Tabata (yeah, I was confused too), but honestly it was one of the more challenging classes I’ve done. I really did enjoy this class, even though I don’t do yoga. It’s a class that I can see myself doing when I’m too sore or not in the mood to lift any weights but need to show my body some love! Again, Sara was amazing at leading this class with the COVID restrictions. Her cues were great to make self-adjustments in certain poses. ALSO! Move East uses infrared heat, so the heat is very bearable, and you don’t feel like you’re suffocating!!
Lastly, I tried PowerHouse coached by Hannah. This class is where you can lift heavier and with more dynamic movements. Loved it. It’s basically how I train/program my finishers after my lifts, but an elongated version… like 60 minutes long, so mentally prepare before you go in! Hannah’s coaching skills are awesome, and I never had to wonder what was next or how/when to do a movement. She kept you motivated throughout the whole thing and made you feel accomplished afterwards!
I could be wrong, but I don’t think there is a studio like this in the HRM. A place where you can get sweaty and strong but also improve flexibility and mobility under the same roof (if there is, let me know and I will try it out!!). Plus, they have in-house massage therapists!
Overall: My experience with Move East has been great. With the switch in my own programming coming up, I see myself supplementing my training here probably twice a week. With their array of classes, their coaches being former athletes who get it and understand how to coach the newbie and the vet, and an owner who is local… you can’t really go wrong.
I’m giving this place a solid 10/10. Don’t @ me 😬
