Find a studio you'll keep coming back to.

A single drop-in class typically runs $20 to $35, with pilates reformer classes at the higher end because the equipment limits class size. Most studios sell class packs or a monthly membership that brings the per-class price down, and nearly all offer a discounted first class or intro week.

Yoga links movement to breath and ranges from gentle stretching to a hard workout depending on the style. Pilates focuses on core strength and control, either on a mat or on a spring-loaded reformer. Barre borrows from ballet: small, repeated movements in a fixed 45 to 60 minute format.

Bring water, comfortable clothes you can move in, and grippy socks if you are trying pilates or barre. Most studios lend mats, though bringing your own is safer if you have not checked. Arrive ten minutes early and tell the instructor it is your first time.

Start with the one closest to where you actually are on a weekday, because distance decides whether you keep going more than anything else does. Then check the schedule fits your hours, and try one class before buying a pack.

No. Beginners are the point of a beginner class, and every studio teaches people who cannot touch their toes. Look for classes labeled foundations, fundamentals, gentle or level one, and tell the instructor what you are working with.