Boutique fitness studios are beginning to adopt a “pay what you can” model to make fitness more accessible, reports Well & Good. 

Studios across the country have adopted a “sliding scale” for their prices, which encourages people to donate whatever amount they’re able. The model puts the responsibility on those who can afford a full-priced class to help subsidize the experience for those who can’t.

The boutique industry is white-dominated. However, by starting to prioritize collective (versus individual and more exclusive) wellness is a huge step particularly for Black or other marginalized communities, where wellness extends beyond working up a sweat and includes the mental and emotional health needed to deal with the oppression and micro-aggressions regularly experienced by members of those groups.

In addition to ensuring that wellness can be accessible and available to all, using a sliding scale is important for ensuring that practitioners—who themselves are frequently members of marginalized communities—are being fairly compensated for their time and efforts. Ultimately, sliding scales allow for both the practitioner and student to economically benefit.