What starts in the obé Workout Party room…doesn’t always stay in the Workout Party room. 😉 These six women prove that friendships that begin with fitness (as workout partners!) can blossom to shared experiences, shared vacations, unwavering support—and so much more.
Like many during the pandemic, Keelin D., Taylor M., Kissy Y., Christina M., Lea D., and Shauna H. (aka the 6 iconic workout partners) turned to screen-to-screen connections to stand in for in-person hangs. While each of them originally joined obé in different ways and at different times, they all united over the fact that while they love working out, they didn’t take fitness too seriously. (See: Thursday Theme Nights.)
“We had all gone a little ‘Covid crazy’ this past winter,” explains Keelin, “so a few of us who had connected in the Facebook group and on Instagram starting doing WOPs on Thursday nights during Peter’s classes. We would pick a theme and dress up, like ‘80s night or R&B night.”
“We started a group chat on Instagram, originally to plan our Thursday theme nights, but soon it became less about obé and more about our lives,” she says. “If one of us was having a bad day, we’d hit up the WOP girls to feel better, and we’d share happy moments from our lives too.” When Keelin shared that a family member was in the hospital, for instance, the obé crew showed up to support more fiercely than her in-person network.
From Virtual Workout Parties to IRL Weddings
Like many brides of 2020 and 2021, Lea had to postpone her wedding due to Covid. When she told the group she was rescheduling her wedding for October, she also asked for their addresses—she was sending them all save-the-dates for her wedding! Peter, of course, is invited too, and the whole crew is meeting in Vermont to celebrate her wedding this month.
And that won’t be the first time they’ve met in person. Many met at the Athleta x obé Sweat Together event in August in Brooklyn, NY. (Pictured below with some other obé fam members!)
“While I had seen some of the girls in passing at previous obé IRL events, it wasn’t until this most recent event in Brooklyn that we really came together as a group,” Taylor recalls. “I felt like I have known these women all of my life and it was completely effortless getting together not only for the workout, but also for dinner and drinks—drinks both before and after the workout because that’s just how we roll!”
The workout partners strikes a pose at the Athleta x obé Sweat Together event at the William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn.
Over Labor Day weekend, the group (sans Shauna, who couldn’t make it back out to the East Coast) met in the Berkshires, where Keelin lives, for a fun weekend getaway with some unexpected surprises.
“Some of the girls are big Real Housewives fans and had been dying to come to the Berkshires,” Keelin says. She put together a full itinerary for the weekend: hiking, wine tasting, apple picking, the Red Lion Inn. On Saturday, they surprised Lea with a bachelorette celebration: “They told me to text when I woke up, and when I went upstairs they had decorated Keelin’s entire kitchen and living room with bachelorette decorations,” Lea says. “It was so much fun—I had always wanted a surprise party.” And on Sunday, it was Christina’s turn to celebrate her birthday.
The workout partners threw Lea a surprise Bachelorette party on Saturday, and will all be meeting up again in October at her Vermont wedding.
The weekend was full of activities, but the group took a break from their regular workouts to simply relax. “We ate, drank, and laughed our hearts out, and didn’t feel pressured to get workouts in, or be anything but our authentic selves,” Taylor recalls. “The weekend nourished my soul in ways that I cannot describe.”
Even though the group met via obé, their friendships have come to be about so much more than just fitness. “It’s not about how many burpees we can do or how much weight we can lift; we all lift the weight of each other’s problems—that’s what makes this group so clutch for all of us,” Keelin says. “When the chips are down we’ve really become this support group for one another.”
Real Housewives of obé, Season 1, anyone?
Below, we asked the group to share their go-to workout classes and how obé has changed their approach to fitness.
What are your go-to obé classes?
Lea: My first love is always Dance. But I love that concentrated fiery burn, so I gravitate toward Sculpt, Barre, and Pilates. I also need to center my mind pretty often (hello grad school) so I love a Yoga session.
Shauna: Boxing, Dance, Power & now Circuit is back, so duh! But I also have a love/ hate relationship with Sculpt.
Kissy: It depends on how I feel that day and what my body needs. Also, which trainer gives me the most shoutouts. They know how thirsty I can be!
Keelin: Sculpt, Dance, Pilates, Circuit (so glad that came back!), Cardio Boxing and Yoga which I used to HATE and now love.
Taylor: Dance, Dance HIIT, Cardio Boxing, and Yoga… and anything low-impact is always a treat.
Christina: Without a doubt, a combination of Yoga, Cardio Boxing, and Sculpt/Barre.
How has obé changed your approach to fitness—or life in general?
Taylor: I used to be someone who went to the gym everyday, was excited to lift really heavy things, and always accomplish a new PR. Since obé I see fitness as more of a treat rather than a punishment or necessity. obé isn’t just a workout; it is a community, it is laughter, it is fun, and it is always something different. Yes, it is extremely challenging, but I never feel discouraged, I just modify/customize and keep going.
Christina: I always found the word fitness to be very intimidating, I never felt like I really belonged in a fitness environment. But with obé it makes it so fun but I want to move my body every day. As Alex says, isn’t it so wonderful that we are able to move our bodies every day? obé provides a safe space to enjoy movement.
Keelin: I never press play on a class because I “have to.” I press play because movement is my medicine and I have so much fun doing their classes.
Shauna: I’ve shifted the way I approach things and deal with them. Having a positive, powerful team on your side does incredible things. I no longer allow things that don’t serve me to take up space in my mind. I choose to honor my body by showing up to classes because again, I can. I am stronger mentally and physically because of obé.
Kissy: I definitely love myself more and I’ve stopped insulting my body. The motivational quotes from the trainers help with that process but even more, the friendships that I have made through obé have helped me love myself more. I’ve learned that not all women are catty and some of them are struggling like me too! obé is more than just fitness!
Lea: obé drastically changed my view on my health, both mentally and physically. I’ve struggled with disordered eating and exercise in the past, but obé has really helped turn that around. I view exercising as a privilege and a treat now—largely due to this group of women (and workout partners!). I have never once felt shamed, rejected, belittled, or judged. There is only encouragement, love, and enough humor to fill the ocean.
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