Into fitness and just moved to Charlotte? How to make new friends at the gym.
Maybe you moved here for a job, or a partner’s job, or some other reason. Building a community in Charlotte — your new city — is probably top of mind. But how? Depending on where you’ve moved from, Charlotte might feel much bigger than you’re used to — or much smaller.
No matter which, there’s no question the city is growing: People are moving here in droves. The Charlotte area’s growth rate was compared to Atlanta’s just last year. With the average of 117 people moving here every day — the highest population surge in 15 years — it can be easy for a newcomer to feel lost in the commotion.
I grew up around here, so I have the good fortune of having people from every stage of life still close by: childhood friends, college friends, former colleagues, gym and yoga studio friends, etc. So I’m one to talk, right? For me, making new friends has happened organically over my years here.
But what I can bring to the table is the experience: I’ve done a vast array of fitness activities over time and some of them really lend to fun, new connections.
If you’re into exercise, you’re in the right place. I’ll share some fitness-related ideas below (all things I’ve done myself) but I also want to hear from you: How do you make new friends in the area? Email me and let me know and we’ll include some of your tips in a followup CharlotteFive newsletter!
And if you’re not into fitness, stay tuned: We’ll share in future stories about other ways to meet new friends, too!
How to make friends in Charlotte’s fitness community
▪ Join a yoga studio.
When I walked into Arrichion Hot Yoga for the first time in 2011, I had no idea it would change my life. I went with an acquaintance who asked me if I’d try out a Living Social coupon with her (yes, that’s how long ago it was!) because she knew I liked to exercise. I was primarily running back then, when meant I was tight all the time and I figured yoga would be good for my aching hips. I had no idea how good it would be for my soul.
I made lifelong friends there: Our group has been in each other’s weddings, hosted each others baby showers, enjoyed boozy brunches and late nights out. We’ve run marathons together and occasionally have marathon-length phone dates.
We’ve laughed together, dog sat for each other and cried together. We were even there for the funerals — including being the hand-holders when it was time to clean out his things for the last time.
I didn’t know I was getting all of that when I decided to try some heated asanas on a 20-day deal.
Over the years, I also found community at other yoga studios: NoDa Yoga was my home away from home for a time (RIP), as was Yoga One (RIP) and Khali Yoga — (which is still going strong, along with Arrichion!) I’ve even made connections in the Zoom Room at Charlotte Family Yoga and CorePower Yoga — you don’t have to leave your house to find friends, if you don’t want to.
How to make friends at yoga: Show up before class, put your mat out and head back out to the main entry. Pay attention to body language indicating who wants to be social vs. who wants to just zen out. Stay after class or double up for a couple of classes (a flow followed by a yin, for example). Look for a studio-sponsored event, such as a workshop or a potluck. You got this.
[WORKOUTS, BUT MAKE IT HOT: Heated + infrared gyms, saunas and more in the Charlotte area.]
▪ Join a gym.
It can feel intimidating to walk into an open-floor gym for the first time and just expect to make buddies. You’re not exactly going to interrupt someone’s run on a treadmill or difficult weight set to ask if they want to get coffee sometime, right? But there are things you can do.
For example, I’m a member of the Ladder weight-training app. It’s got nothing to do with our local gyms except — oh wait, it does. On the app, there’s a chat section called “Charlotte meetup.” In that chat, you’ll find people from all around the Carolinas, and specifically the Metro, shouting out their neighborhood and asking if anyone wants a gym buddy. I’ve made two virtual friends in my part of town already, and I only joined the app a little over a month ago!
How to make friends at the gym: Join a meetup group looking for local gym peers, like the one I mentioned above. Attend some group fitness classes, which is a great way to connect with new like-minded healthy friends. Join a gym with a coffee or smoothie bar or anything else that promotes socializing before or after a sweat session. You can also try out something like SweatNet, which hosts networking events and group workouts — I’ve personally made several friends through its events over the years.
[LUXURY GEMS: Are luxury gyms getting cheaper in Charlotte? Some are — here’s what to know.]
▪ Attend running events.
If my friend Scott is reading this, he’s yelling at the screen right now trying to tell you about how he met me by saving my life. He’s not exaggerating, either — I was attending a group practice run for the upcoming Thunder Road Marathon (now Charlotte Marathon) and we were close to the “finish line.” I put that in quotes because it was not officially marked that way, nor were the streets closed to oncoming traffic. ⬅️ This part is important.
Scott and his friend were running behind me and they called out to me to ask me which way to turn. I was feeling the excitement of having almost finished the run, and I knew exactly where the turn was. “Follow me!” I called out happily, and made the turn — right into oncoming traffic, forgetting for a moment it wasn’t race day, I guess. Scott grabbed me and yanked me back — and we’ve been friends ever since.
How to make friends at a running event: I do not suggest running into oncoming traffic, actually. But if you sign up for some 5Ks or triathlons, you’ll meet people after the finish line to celebrate with. You can join a brewery run club — you’ll be guaranteed to find some beer drinkers after to rehydrate with. Local running stores host fun runs, too.
Are you a running newbie? The best way to bond with a running fiend is to ask their advice about something — favorite preworkout, or warmup or cooldown routines, the best place to get fitted for running shoes. Trust me, once we runners start talking — well, we don’t stop ...
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
