Watch out, obé fam—a new Sculpt + Dance Cardio fitness instructor is making her debut in the Box. Hailing from sunny San Diego, Makena D. is the definition of a total energizer: bubbly, effortlessly motivating, and the type of coach who will bring you out of your comfort zone in the best way possible. 

Growing up in a super active family (with a brother who played hockey), Makena fell in love with movement at an early age. From ice skating to dance, she was hooked on the feeling of her body in motion—and knew she wanted to share her passion with the world. 

New to New York City (and very much in the honeymoon phase with the big apple), she’s now a full-time fitness instructor with an emphasis on total mind-body wellness, incorporating her passion for nutrition and mental health. 

Get to know her below, and follow all her adventures at @madebymakena. You can catch her live in the Box every Saturday from 9-10am ET, or move with her anytime on demand. 

Tell us about your dance and fitness instructor journey!

I honestly don’t even know the age I started dancing, but I would always go to ballet and jazz with my best friend every Monday and Tuesday—it’s drilled into my head. And that manifested into starting theatre. I went to my first official audition when I was in middle school. I was terrified, but it helped get me out of my comfort zone, feel better about public speaking, and be more comfortable with an audience. Eventually, I got signed with an agency and thought that would be the trajectory of my life. I wanted to be a Disney star—that was the dream! 

But, long story short, I was missing too much school, so I stuck with dance and theater in high school. Once I got to college (shoutout to UC Davis!), I wanted to get into science and realized I would thrive with a stem route focusing on exercise, biology, and nutrition. That got me more interested in learning about the body, movements, and all the health benefits. I’m very into nutrition which goes hand in hand with caring about your body and how you live day to day. 

I was teaching Barre classes at little boutique studios in Davis, California, did Pure Barre, and performed with the dance team at UC Davis. When COVID hit, I knew it was my chance to move. I didn’t have a specific plan to come to NYC, but I saw the scope of how you can be a fitness instructor full-time here. That drove me to audition for a few companies—and I ended up at Equinox. Now, I’m looking forward to meeting the obé fam and supporting the community!

What can we expect from your Sculpt and Dance Cardio classes? 

My top priority for my Dance Cardio classes is to make them approachable. Sometimes, even saying the word ‘dance’ can be intimidating. If I saw a Dance Cardio class and I wasn’t a dancer, I would be scared to take the class! I see that a lot when I teach in person. So I want to make sure it’s accessible to anyone, with little aspects of high-intensity interval training sprinkled throughout. Playing with BPMs is necessary because you can’t be at 100% the entire time! We’ll move a lot but also have time to breathe while going after exercises like jump squats that get your heart rate up.

For Sculpt, I’m obsessed with anything combo-based. For example, if we’re hitting legs, we’re also hitting arms! I like to incorporate compound movements. Even if you’re just holding your weights and working your lower body, there’s a way to hold them that’s more engaging. I’m really mindful of what equipment we use and how we use it. And of course, I love music. So all of my classes are extremely rhythmic—I think it holds you accountable and makes it more fun.

What’s your teaching style?

Challenging! Whatever level you’re at, I like to push people out of their comfort zones. That’s where all of those compound movements come in. When I show up to a workout, I want to be challenged. I don’t want it to be easy. So I want you to feel like you got the absolute most out of it. But you can always apply it to your level. And even if you didn’t nail everything, you’ll want to come back and try again! 

How do you want people to feel leaving your classes?

Like they’re becoming a better version of themselves. I think it’s nice that you’re not seeing other people work out with you when you do obé because you’re not comparing yourself to others. You’re just meeting yourself where you’re at for whatever class you pick and becoming a better version of yourself. Whether you’ve had a bad day and just want to get through the class, or if you want to push yourself and meet a new challenge—it’s all about you. 

What’s your favorite part about being a fitness instructor?

Seeing people happy after their workout. You’ll never feel worse after class! For so long, I feel like working out was treated like a punishment. I think people have finally found ways to enjoy it and make it something to look forward to. The perspective is changing, and I’m excited to be part of that.