Turn your workout into a party with top social fitness picks from influencer Christina Petsos.
In Orlando, community fitness is more than just a workout. It’s about connection, energy and finding your people. As a local yoga instructor, I’ve watched our wellness scene evolve into something truly special, where run clubs turn into brewery dates, Pilates pairs with lattes, and strangers quickly become friends. Social fitness pairs movement with wellness experiences or post-sweat activities, encouraging connection and turning exercise into a full social event. When you're visiting, these social fitness spots will have you feeling like a local in no time.
Discover: Wellness Getaways
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Alt Social
Alt Social started the social fitness trend here in Orlando, and it remains one of my favorite options for a fun, high-energy workout. They have at least one event per month, usually hosted on the first Saturday, but they have been adding extra classes here and there. Founded by Kevin Ford, the goal has always been to create a space for those interested in wellness to come together and make new friends.
Past events have been hosted at The Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Boxi Park, Kia Center, The Acre and Paradise Cove. They have an event coming up at The Omni and big plans for future events.
The activations here are fantastic. Depending on the location, you might find rock climbing, basketball, pickleball, jet skis, paddleboarding, wakeboarding, reformers, hybrid challenge courses and acro yoga. There is always a dance party, not to mention cold plunges, saunas and fitness competitions. There is a fitness class add on, usually HIIT, Pilates and cycling. You can also expect express massages, facials, compression therapy and redlight therapy.
Find their upcoming events on Instagram @altsocialclub
Rose Girl Social
Rose Girl Social is a group for women started by Rebecka Fenley. Her goal has always been to create a safe and welcoming space for women. She strives to create an environment where “women can feel comfortable showing up alone, connecting and being themselves without intimidation.” What started as a fitness-focused group has expanded to social events outside of fitness and groups for moms. Rose Girl has a monthly run/walk club called Petals in Motion, which is typically hosted at a kid-friendly coffee spot with a play area. This ensures mothers always feel included in the meet ups, as Rebecka noticed single moms often show up to her events alone.
Some past experiences from Rose Girl include Pilates at The Mall at Millenia, Women’s Circle for Healing and Connection, free Social Wellness Events, glute camps, strength labs, bowling socials, Pilates and Lattes, and intro to pickleball.
A complete schedule of their events can be found on Instagram @rosegirlsocial
XYMOGYM
XYMOGYM is an incredible gym with an emphasis on recovery located off Sand Lake Road, minutes from Universal Epic Universe. Gym owner Sarah Blackburn King decided to start a social wellness club called Haus x Wellness, hosted once a quarter. It is a great opportunity to discover new wellness vendors, take a group fitness class and check out everything XYMOGYM offers.
Haus x Wellness events typically include food samples, free supplements, massage tables, stretching, flowers and a goodie bag. You can also check out Moov Labs, an in-gym recovery center that offers compression therapy, dry float sessions, infrared saunas, red light beds and cryotherapy.
XYMOGYM boasts high quality solutions for all fitness levels and goals. Their coaches are handpicked, highly qualified trainers. There are two weight rooms, a basketball court, multiple aerobics rooms and beautiful locker rooms. This gym is unique in its offerings, and their social wellness events are a great way to peek inside.
Follow them to see when their next event is @xymogymorlando
The Morning After
The Morning After is a social wellness club created by Edgar Rivera and Arnaldo Perez. They decided to start this social wellness club because they no longer were enjoying the bar scene. They sought to provide a space for those who want social connection outside of drinking culture.
Now more than ever, there is a shift in the types of activities the younger generation is craving, which is heavily focused on wellness.
The Morning After’s social wellness events are tailored to create a smaller, more intimate experience, especially when compared to some of the larger wellness clubs in the Orlando area. The Morning After provides great activations like stretching tables (provided by XYMOGYM), massage tables, a salt room, chiropractic work, freebies and workout classes all included with your ticket.
Follow their Instagram for upcoming events @themorningafterorlando
Yoga With Cariss
Carissa “Cariss” Parker started a movement in the yoga community with her social yoga events. As a former corporate America worker, she left her job in 2019 to teach yoga full time. Then COVID happened and in-person yoga was halted for quite some time. It was in 2020 that she really discovered her passion for creating social events and gathering people outside to practice together as an independent yoga teacher.
Discover: Orlando Yoga Classes
Carissa hosts a variety of different experiences, like a free yoga class with a market at the Renaissance Orlando Resort near Disney Springs® that allows guests to stay after to shop and hang out at the hotel pool. She also teaches classes like yoga and beer at local breweries, goat yoga, classes in collaboration with Lobos Coffee Roasters at À La Cart SODO, yoga, and HIIT classes with friend Carolina Cardenas of “Wear the Damn Shorts,” and many more.
Follow her on Instagram for a complete list of her upcoming wellness events @yogawithcariss
Reset Lab Club
Stacie Mendez started The Reset Lab because she was tired of wellness being an aesthetic, meaning it had a vibe, but sometimes lacked substance. As a licensed mental health therapist, Stacie wanted to utilize her expertise to help people find more than the aesthetic to wellness. She noticed the connection piece was missing and that many successful people she knows are lonely. It inspired her to create a space “where people could actually feel something. Where you move your body, but you also leave understanding why that movement matters to your nervous system. Where community isn’t just a backdrop, it’s the whole point.”
Reset Lab experiences are intentionally curated to provide people with real insights, research-backed tools, and a shift in perspective rooted in clinical knowledge. Stacie is bringing her “therapy background into the room and making it accessible, tangible and genuinely transformative,” not just creating a cute experience.
Stacie plans to grow Reset Lab to new cities, schools and corporate spaces because “your social life is a clinical variable, and everyone deserves a space that treats it that way.” Past experiences include free Pilates classes on the lake and at Great Southern Box Company.
She also has events beyond fitness like workshops on vision boards, finance, plants, pottery, painting, candle making and many more. There are also themed experiences like Pilates and Pastries or Finance and Facials. There really is something for every interest.
Find a full list of events on Instagram @resetlabclub
Verrano Social Club
Manny Rodriguez founded this faith-based social wellness club after recognizing that Orlando was missing a “space where people could come together, not just socially, but with real purpose, real connection and a shared foundation of faith.” He grew up in a family that supported each other through everything but realizes not everyone has that or knows where to find it. His goal was to build a community that “felt like family.”
Faith is a big part of Manny’s life, so he wanted to include that into his social wellness club — not in a way that feels forced, but in a way that people can “feel, experience and grow into.” He hadn’t seen any groups in Orlando that blended fitness, faith and events together. Verrano Social Club aims to fill that gap by creating events that are “intentional, uplifting and open to everyone.”
Their events include fitness classes, ice baths, boxing, saunas, massage therapy, vendors, giveaways and worship. In the short time since the group started hosting events, they even partnered with Inter&Co Stadium on wellness events that included a ticket to an Orlando City Soccer Club game. They also sponsored a free Fellowship of Christian Athletes event that included Tim Tebow.
Check out their Instagram for upcoming events @verranosocialclub
Alta Vida
Alta Vida was started by friends Deyna and Nicole because they felt like there was something missing in Orlando in terms of wellness. It just didn’t feel elevated or social like in other areas. Things felt “too serious or too bootcamp” for them. The goal was to create an experience that people genuinely look forward to. They aim to connect people through lifestyle events that feel “luxurious, intentional and community driven.” A space where one can take care of their body and connect, but still enjoy a “high-end, aesthetic environment.” Their vision is to grow Alta Vida into a recognizable lifestyle brand that “redefines how wellness is experienced, not just in Orlando, but everywhere.”
One of Alta Vida’s most popular events is their poolside experience, which includes Aqua Board Pilates. This workout is challenging and you will definitely feel your core after participating in it. I had a lot of fun trying to not fall off my board. The entire event was beautiful, with multiple vendors and a DJ keeping the energy high all evening. Currently, Alta Vida is the only place in Orlando where you can find Aqua Board Pilates.
Find upcoming events on their Instagram @altavida.club
Wellness Haus
Wellness Haus was started by Melissa Bautista Amima because she was “craving something deeper. In a world full of noise and overwhelm, we wanted to simplify it and bring it back to the basics: movement, mindset, and community.” Melissa wants people to feel differently when they leave her events thanks to mindset shifts, movement that feels good, and “connection that reminds you you’re not alone.
One of my favorite aspects of Wellness Haus is that it focuses so heavily on mental health. They prioritize it in the same way exercise is prioritized. I recently attended their “Rebirth” event, where we were encouraged to dig deep inside and recognize what we want to release, and to do just that. They also helped us to meet new people and to discuss what we were comfortable talking about.
After the Pilates class and sound bath at the beginning of the event, there was a rooftop pool party at Altira Pool + Lounge Rooftop, part of the Grand Bohemian. They had facials, express massages, mocktails, protein balls, IV drips, dermaplaning and compression therapy.
For upcoming events, their Instagram is @wellnesshausorl
Run Club for MFers Who Don’t Run
Run Club for MFers Who Don’t Run is not your typical run club. There are a lot of run clubs in Orlando to choose from in every area and they are all fantastic. This one is for those of us like myself who do not really like to run per se, but enjoy exercise, movement and a social atmosphere.
The goal of this run club is to provide a space that is casual, lighthearted and can easily connect people. It is inclusive to all, meaning you can run or walk, whichever you prefer. This run club has a shorter route than most, typically 1 – 1.5 miles total. The shorter route is a great introduction to running if you’re looking to run more and eventually start running longer distances. This run club meets every Tuesday and usually at a different location around Orlando. They also plan different social events in Orlando like tea and other get togethers.
Check out their Instagram for their schedule @runclub4mfsthatdontrunorlando
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