This Was the Decade Boston Went All in on Wellness

Accessibility. With the proliferation of social media (Instagram launched in 2010), video, and apps, wellness became more visible and accessible. We still have a long way to go, but online innovation made it easier to connect with health and fitness resources across a range of activities. Locally, this benefit occurred offline, too. Boston’s free fitness battle cry was born in 2011 with the November Project. For Trillfit, raising heart rates and social consciousness are a natural combination. Its founder Heather White launched the fitness collective with a focus on diversity and inclusion in 2018.

Specialization. Two words: boutique fitness. Yoga and cycling led the way, with Crossfit, barre, Barry’s Bootcamp, and so many others to follow that if I try to name them, we will all be here longer than the line at Sweetgreen after a Soul Cycle class. This mega trend translates to greater convenience, variety, and quality. Boxing has been my favorite boutique addition, helping me survive the 2016 election and pregnancy (both utterly nauseating). George Foreman III taught me how to roll with the punches; his boxing gym, Everybody Fights, entered the ring in Boston in 2014.