I have a friend who goes to the gym just about every day, and she really hates the New Year. Why? Because people like me, who hate the gym, resolve to get in shape so we can fit into grey skinny jeans because no one seems to make grey jeans in straight-leg. So we crowd the gyms, fumbling with the free weights, failing to wipe off the machines after we've used them, until round about Valentine's Day, when the glut of cinnamon hearts, boxes of heart-shaped chocolate, or the complete lack of a date kill all our healthy resolutions and we end up staying at home or going out to the bar.

My friend really loves Valentine's Day.

My point? If there's a place that's going to encourage you to keep your resolutions and keep fit, it just might be the Spa at David Barton Gym, located in the Gansevoort South. Why? Because it's a spa, with a gym attached, rather than a gym with a spa attached. (Out of 45,000 total square feet, the weight room is a mere 10,000. Doesn't that say it all?) The gym has personal trainers available, the largest gym floor in South Beach, offers ten types of yoga classes, a combat and boxing club, spin classes, has a swimming pool and beach access (which some might consider excessive… but it is South Beach, where nothing is excessive), and live sets by international DJs. Yeah, you read that right; you can leave your iPod at home.

The spa, though. Besides the usual manis, pedis, and waxing services, there are a series of massage and facials that will tempt anyone to get to the gym. The Barton detox massage is a combination of Swedish massage, shiatsu massage, and stretching; the Barton signature facial includes a green tea peel and extractions.

So, people: prove my friend wrong. Do it. Go to the gym every week, and get your massage.

Spa at David Barton Gym, 2323 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL
305-534-1660