Kseniya Sovenko

A former pro ballroom dancer, Kseniya began her fitness journey at age 5. Over the years, she’s supplemented her training with everything in the boutique fitness scene—from vigorous Bikram Yoga and Pilates reformer classes to weekly HIIT, Metcon, and Tabata workouts, Muay Thai, strength training, and more. Kseniya graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in journalism and sociology. You can find her work in The Guardian, Capitol Hill Times, The Seattle Globalist, and more.

Your Complete Guide to Workout Shoes: Expert Tips and Top Picks

Shoes: We love them, we all have a favorite pair—but when it comes to knowing which workout shoes to wear for obé classes, most of us have questions. When should I keep them on, and when should I throw them off? Are running shoes game for HIIT, too? And are grippy socks a must for…
Mood Movement Equations Are Powerful—Here’s How to Unlock Yours

When we first turn to fitness, most of us want to accomplish a physical goal. Most commonly, that may be losing weight, changing a dress size, or building muscle. But at a certain point in our movement journey, many of us also discover that a workout is the best thing you can do to change…
Fitness Is Preventative Healthcare: How to Use Your HSA, FSA Funds on obé Fitness

Fitness isn’t just about today’s workout — it’s one of the most powerful tools to improve your healthspan, longevity, mental health, and overall well-being. Because movement is essential preventative care, obé now makes it easier than ever to use your HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) to help cover your membership. You…
How to Cycle Sync Strength Training: What to Do for All 4 Phases

There’s no denying that cycle syncing—aka the practice of planning workout, nutrition, or lifestyle choices around the menstrual cycle—is having its big moment. (What hasn’t someone tried to cycle sync?) A hot topic in women’s health, it continues to soar in popularity as a more sustainable, personalized way to approach wellness. But as with any…
4 Big Exercise Myths Every Woman Needs to Ditch

Being a fitness beginner—especially as a woman—can sure get exhausting. Every week, there seems to be a new workout hack or tip on social media. Maybe it’s a 28-day Wall Pilates challenge (our take on that, here) or a fitness influencer telling you walking doesn’t count as exercise (um, it definitely does). With unrealistic beauty…
Overcome PCOS Symptoms: Workout Routine for Your Hormones

Ugh, the struggle for the girlies with PCOS (aka Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is real. A hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age, it’s fairly common but has no cure, making it difficult to manage. PCOS symptoms manifest differently in everyone but can include an irregular menstrual cycle, unexpected weight gain, unwanted hair growth, and…
3 Types of obé Yoga Workouts: Your Ultimate Guide

Oh, yoga—where do we begin to count all the ways we love you so? A nurturing practice for body and mind, yoga workouts are often our go-to for days when we feel we want to slow things down, connect to our breath, and challenge our balance, stability, and mobility in new and creative ways. But…
Perimenopause, Menopause, and Working Out: What’s the Deal?

There comes a time in every woman’s life when the body seems to rewrite its own rules. Hot flashes randomly turn up the heat, nights are spent tossing and turning, and clothes don’t seem to fit how they used to. Welcome to perimenopause and menopause transition—a journey that often feels like navigating unchartered territory with…
Exercise for Women vs. Men: A Guide to Unique Gender Differences in Fitness

We’ve all seen the videos. Endearing scenes of boyfriends or husbands struggling through Sculpt or Barre sequences—what most of us typically think of as “exercise for women.” At the same time, we know most men would outlast us lifting heavy. This begs the question: do women and men respond differently to the same workouts, and…
What’s the Best Exercise for Hormones? You May Be Surprised

Ugh, hormones. When they’re balanced and doing their thing, our bodies and minds are in flow. But throw in just a little disturbance—like some good old stress or the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle—and suddenly, everything’s bananas. When you’re feeling moody or insecure from an acne flair-up, working out may be the last thing…
No, You Can’t Tone Muscles—the Surprising Myth, Revealed

How many of us secretly (or not so secretly!) wish for our workout routines to deliver those picture-perfect ‘toned’ arms, ‘toned’ abs, and ‘toned’ legs? We gawk over fitness influencers and Pilates girlies with long, lean lines, searching for fitness classes that promise to tone muscles and ‘tighten’ our physiques. The only problem is that…
New to obé: Meet Josh C., Your Strength + Power Trainer

He’s the son of a race car driver, a former college football + rugby player, and has coached everyone from collegiate-level athletes to those working out for the first time. Full of wisdom, technique, and infectious energy, Josh C. is ready to be your new Strength and Power trainer at obé. With 10+ years of…
5 Crazy Facts You Didn’t Know About Women’s Fitness History

Head to any group fitness class (extra points if it’s Pilates), unroll your mat in any Yoga studio, go for a walk in any park, and one thing is certain: you’re going to see women. And lots of them. For many of them, working out is an essential pillar of self-care. And if not, it’s…
Your Strength-Obsessed BFF Is Here: Meet Olivia T.

If there’s one thing new obé trainer Olivia T. loves, it’s picking up a heavy weight. The daughter of an aerobics instructor, this Minnesota native is a HIIT powerhouse and a Strength technician. You can always count on her to say it as it is—and throw in a little sprinkle of fun to every class. …
Postnatal Training: The Workout Program for Every Mama

When it comes to working out post-baby, most new moms have a lot of questions. Is there a right time to start—and how long should you wait to recover? What types of exercises and classes are safe? Should you focus on cardio or strength? And how much exercise is enough (if you even have the…
New to obé: Alex M., the D1 Athlete Teaching Strength, HIIT, and Run

Don’t get it twisted: Alex M. may look like a flower, but she stings like a bee. And by stings, we mean this former D1 athlete (shoutout to track and field!) knows how to make every minute count in her Strength, HIIT, and Run classes. You’ll sweat, break new personal records, laugh, and will definitely…
Meet April S.: Your Fun, Mighty Kickboxing + Sculpt Instructor

The first thing you’ll notice about obé’s newest Kickboxing + Sculpt instructor April S. is her wide, beaming smile. Quite literally, she’s a ray of sunshine: fun, bubbly, and energetic. But she’s also tough and powerful, throwing high kicks in the air, putting her full body into that jab or lunge. And when you see…
The 101 on Weight-Loss Medication, According to an Endocrinologist

Newsflash: the GLP-1 weight loss medication train isn’t going anywhere. A hot topic of conversation amongst everyone in the health and wellness space, it remains both coveted and a little taboo, sought after but hard to access, impressive but not fully understood. In the past year, it has continued to pop up on our social…
Meet Mila T., a Brazilian Ballerina Bringing Sculpt + Pilates to obé

Born and raised in Brazil, Mila is a firecracker. Her warm, infectious energy beams out during her every motion, inviting you to move (or smile) with her. A former dancer—first focused on classical ballet, then musical theater—she’s an expert on perfecting form and firing up the mind-body connection. Now, with over a decade of fitness…
Safe Prenatal Training: obé’s First-ever Pregnancy Workout Program

‘Is it safe to work out pregnant,’ ‘Scared to exercise while pregnant,’ ‘Does exercise cause miscarriage.’ These are just some of the suggested searches that pop up on Google when looking up pregnancy workouts. Between receiving contradictory information, fearing harm, navigating physical changes, plus limited available education and resources—it’s no wonder why most avoid it…