SAN ANTONIO - Anti-social media became social this week when Facebook launched video chat. People communicating face-to-face, what a novel concept! Well Zuckerberg, try this on for size, “ballet at a bar!” Actually, it was a bar method class that I took on my initiation of a new-found place of exercise wonder, MBS. Every Tuesday, as the hot summer sun sets, the friendly team meets at The Friendly Spot to offer free, hour-long exercise classes. The location of the classes and the business that hosts the opportunity are both worthy of exploring.
The Friendly Spot is like being in your own backyard, only it’s a bar in the midst of some of San Antonio’s most historic homes. Cheery-colored metal chairs are sprinkled throughout a wide-open outdoor space, free for you to cluster for groups or move under a shady tree. The playground will keep the kids entertained and adult drinks are tucked under the Alamo-esque bar. Freshly made margaritas, micheladas with a real kick, and an impressive selection of beer is sure to please a thirsty guy or gal. The Friendly Spot also serves food; however, I have not tried anything on the affordable menu. For me, it’s a perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon or evening. For the longest time, I accidentally called this South-town favorite “The Happy Place,” instead of “The Friendly Spot,” because it’s just that, a happy place where families, pets, groups, and anyone wanting to be outside can take refuge. It’s so friendly, that my spandex-clad group got surprisingly few stares while working our “smiling muscles.”
FYI smiling muscles are not on your face, they’re on your derriere. Just one tidbit of information I’ve learned while exploring MBS. You could say MBS is a “slashy.” It’s a gym/pilates studio/coffee house/exercise apparel boutique/book store/art venue. Anything you need for your mind, body and soul is strategically found here as MBS stands for, Mind Body and Soul.
MBS also stands up for San Antonians. MBS fully embraces “buy local” by actively looking for local products to keep in stock. You can find anything from San Antonio-made vitamins, healthy gourmet meals to go from Zedric’s on the north side, and super goop, the only sunscreen safe for infants, which was created by a San Antonian. That’s just to name a few, and I cannot forget the art. Sculptures and paintings from local artists are displayed throughout the inviting, multi-use space of a coffee house and boutique. Every month, a local artist designs a graphic for a T-shirt sold at MBS. A portion of the proceeds go back to the artist.
I’m not easily impressed, but I’m impressed with MBS. Fitting so many things into one business could come across a bit schizophrenic, but it’s genuine, streamlined, and the team is warm and personable, and did I mention how kick a** the fitness portion is? If Madonna lived in San Antonio, this is where we would find the material girl working on her bulging biceps. The King William location is inside a hip loft complex. The pilates studio is clean and focused. The gym has every machine you could think of and ones you didn’t know exist, such as a contraption I call Lord Nataraja. It looks like it has multiple arms like the Hindu god of dance, but it does not dance, it vibrates. The vibrations are supposed to help you stretch deeper or work your muscles more.
The cost of a membership is not for every budget, but every Tuesday, it doesn’t have to be. MBS is hosting free sessions at The Friendly Spot through July and will likely continue them thereafter. MBS is also having coffee & tea happy hour and plans to start P90X training groups in August. I’ll keep everyone posted. In the meantime, check out the
MBS website, and lay off the SALT.
July Friendly Spot Series Schedule7/12 Pilates Combo with Candice Valenta
7/19 H.I.T. with Cord Maldonado
7/26 Circuit 30:15 with Michael Maldonado
