Haley Stone
Founder, Werq FitnessAnything is possible this year. And here at G&F we’re all about having fun and spreading fun, so when Haley Stone told us all about her fitness brand that’s all about dancing away calories to music, we had to give it a spin! We met up with the irresistibly charming Haley, founder and CEO of WERQ, to see if our workout woes could be transformed to delicious dance moves. Launched in 2011, WERQ is an über fun cardio dance class featuring sweat-inducing choreography to top 40 pop music. Haley explains the mission of WERQ is really all about empowering people through movement. And whether your goals are related to fitness or not, Haley believes in the positive power of dance to achieve what makes you happy. “This may sound crazy, but it’s more important to me for people to have fun than to burn calories,” says Haley. “I’ve found that if I focus less on a hard core workout and more on creating an experience that is pure joy, the sweat and calorie burn is the side effect.”
We can definitely get behind the power of a well-timed grapevine and flirtatious shimmy. That’s why we couldn’t help but get in the studio with Haley to try WERQ out for ourselves. It turns out having fun, feeling good, jamming to fresh tunes, getting a workout and not taking yourself too seriously is totally possible. Follow along as we get down to the mood-boosting power of WERQ with one of the coolest CEOs we know.
With a playlist featuring Work Bitch by Britney Spears, Bubble Butt by Major Lazer, Controlla by Drake and more, you don’t have to be a dancer to work up a sweat and have fun to these tunes. Go ahead and challenge yourself with these cardio dance routines that are repetitive and scalable, so anyone can achieve the level of intensity they’re looking for. Haley explains WERQ can even make your brain sharper. Studies show that adults who learn choreography are exercising the brain and preventing memory loss and dementia. WERQ is now in 36 states and growing to become 1,000 instructors strong. There are 400 pre-choreographed routines and new ones come out each week, so you never get bored and your dance moves never get stale.
WERQ inspired us so much, we updated our shopping list to include some cardio cuties to amp up our new fitness fave. Snag some of these music-inspired goodies to get you in the studio—or just moving and grooving in your bedroom mirror. >>
Get The Look: A. RADIO/CASSETTE/MP3 BOOMBOX: This blast from the past is the perfect cardio mate // B. PINCH PROVISIONS FESTIVAL KIT: There may not be a festival in site, but we love the mantra on this handy to-go case // C. FITBIT BANGLE ACCESSORY // D. MARIO BADESCU FACIAL ROSEWATER SPRAY: We swear by this hydrating and cooling spray. It’s perfect for a post-gym pick-me-up // E. TOPSHOP FOLDAWAY BACKPACK // F. MAC SELENA “COMO LA FLOR” LIPSTICK: Add some pizzazz to your workout routine with a hot red lip // G. MARC JACOBS x MTV LOGO SWEATER // H. SWELL YELLOW GOLD BOTTLE
Want more WERQ? Visit WerqFitness.com for more information + class schedules.