Loud music blasts throughout the studio gym as Bri Austin, owner and instructor of B.Well Brookings, guides attendees through every weight lifted or punch thrown during the 45-minute workout class.

B.Well Brookings brings a variety of fitness classes, along with a unique twist, to every class. No workout is ever the same, and each instructor crafts a completely new challenge for the attendees to face.

“We have such a huge variety of classes. We have cycling, boxing, bar, bounce, strength training and yoga … We can cater to so many different audiences no matter what age or whatever fitness level,” Austin said.

Austin has been teaching group fitness for 10 years after attending South Dakota State University to study dietetics. Six years ago she started B.Well as a brand and stayed in Brookings.

“It was easy to start a business here. People were really eager to support entrepreneurs–they were eager to support local businesses,” she said.

B.Well Brookings recently added Eat.Well, a meal prep service for members. With this part of the program, you can come in and grab a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner to work on nutrition as well as fitness.

A class at B.Well is only 45 minutes long. Through their free app “b.well brookings,” people can check out the class schedule that week, learn about membership options and track their workouts.

One of the more popular classes that often takes people by surprise is b.box.

“Not many people have access to boxing gloves or a punching bag, so it takes a few punches and kicks to get comfortable with it,” said Austin. “But as soon as you get comfortable with hitting something, all the sudden not only does it become a fantastic workout … It’s a huge stress reliever, and it’s just fun to hit something.”

With help from Kylee Donnelly, an SDSU student, intern and instructor at B.Well, they have implemented a variety of new, creative ways to keep classes entertaining and bring in new people.

“We did a run streak this summer and challenged people to run one mile every day for 100 days, that was really cool to see people buy into that … It was Stand Up for Cancer day last Thursday (Sept. 12), I believe, and we encouraged members to wear whatever colors for the cancer they were affected by,” Donnelly said.

As members achieve different challenges and events within the month, there are often small incentives involved and something fun to do than just workout.

“Go for it and give it a try, no matter your background with fitness,” Donnelly said. “It’s a very welcoming environment and we can kind of tailor to whatever your fitness level is … You don’t have to be in the best shape of your life. We want to help you get there or whatever your goals are.” 

Another popular class is b.strong, which incorporates things like weights, medicine balls, battle ropes and other equipment. Some things to expect when a class starts is what Donnelly calls “dynamic stretching” for about five minutes, which consists of high knees, squats, planking and more before going into the workout.

According to Donnelly, what comes next is up to the instructor and the kind of workout they have crafted. It can be a set of about three moves each for a minute, 30 seconds of a cardio move or break then it progresses to arm and leg workouts for 30 minutes and ends the session with abs.

This summer, Shelby Sandmann, a Brookings resident, started going to B.Well and found that working out with other people helps push you to work out more than doing it alone.

One of the things Sandmann appreciates is the way the workouts are personalized.

 “Usually if it’s someone’s birthday, they try to incorporate it into the class,” Sandmann said. “When I turned 26, we had to do 26 burpees, but it was just fun that they pointed out your birthday and when it was one of the instructors’ birthdays they brought donuts and iced coffee. Also, one of the girls who works out there, her daughter turned 21, so they also brought mimosas that morning, which was pretty cool.”

Going to B.Well doesn’t have to be a membership-based commitment. They offer multiple punch cards, $12 drop-in class fees as well as a student membership for $200 a semester.

For many of the attendees and the instructors, it’s more than just a workout at B.Well, and the classes aren’t the only thing with diversity.

“We bring in so many different ages and so many different women, but once we start moving and we start working out, no one is better than the next person,” Austin said. “We are all here together for the same reasons and we’re just trying to get better and we can support one another and it’s a really cool culture.”