Fitness is one of our top wellness priorities year round. In addition to the foods and drinks you consume to nourish your body, movement is also a key component to your health. And in a city like New York, we are no strangers to walking from point A to point B and taking the subway. But in addition to our brisk walks to catch the train, this city is full of workout opportunities. To share more about the city's hidden gym gems and how to fit movement into your busy schedule, we chatted with Elizabeth and Dale, the gals over at Sweats and the City, who are seriously in-the-know with all things fitness in the Big Apple.
How did you two meet and decide to launch your "Sweats and the City" blog?
We moved in together having never met in person thanks to a friend connecting us on Facebook. Two and a half years later here we are, business partners living together in the same apartment! When ClassPass first came out, we spent a lot of our time exploring new studios, which, unfortunately resulted in us experiencing a lot of duds. We found ourselves having nightly discussions around where to go and where to avoid, where we could shower and get ready for work, etc. We then started sharing this information with our friends and colleagues. Realizing that the fitness studio insights we were gathering would be well received by more than this select group, we started putting together “reviews” and created a blog. We later decided to expand on this, adding in “athleisure” style, food, and other health & wellness related content. And like that, SATC was born!
Now that summer is here and in full swing, what are your favorite ways to stay fit? Do you like to go to the gym/indoor class or workout outside?
To be honest, the majority of classes we take are indoors. When the weather is nicer though, we love going for runs by the east river or taking long walks around the city to explore new areas. We've also discovered a bunch of great outdoor workouts in the Hamptons for the summer - there are a ton of fun pop up classes going on at Gurney's that everyone should check out.We'd also love to try some outdoor and/or rooftop yoga in the city - recs, anyone?!
Juggling work and social life is difficult let alone trying to fit in fitness to your routine. What is your go-to routine for getting your butts in motion? More than just the class, how do you remember to go or what do you do before/after to make it part of a routine?
You have to make working out a priority, and once you do, you'll learn to do everything in your power to fit a sweat into your schedule. Especially after you experience how good you feel about yourself afterwards.
Whether it's meeting your friends for a class + green juice instead of post-work drinks or waking up an hour earlier, it just takes adjusting your routine slightly to make working out regularly a part of your lifestyle.
It helps when you have a partner to keep you on track as well, and we love bringing our boyfriends and friends to classes! We also book classes in advance so that we're locked in, which helps us stay committed to sweating. It feels awesome to start the week knowing you have a good mixture of studios mapped out Monday-Friday.
Lastly, we make sure to have healthy snacks (try an RX Bar, banana, or a Provenance Meal granola bar) on hand to stay energized before a workout, and a post workout meal to look forward to! We’re huge fans of Provenance and love having their meals in our fridge to keep us nourished for a meal at work or enjoying after a workout at home. Westville or Sweetgreen are also our go-to’s if we want to stay out and about in the city.
You guys are in the know on all the studios and the latest fitness trends in the city. What are the top spots/classes/types of workouts you've seen launching? What are the most affordable classes / studios in the city? What is the most luxurious?
Two of the trendiest spots we've seen launch (and blow up) this year are Rumble and Switch Playground. Aside from the amazing workouts these studios offer, they're also frequented by influencers, models and other recognizable faces (Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin to name a few) which, in our opinion, adds to the allure. Aesthetically, Rumble and Switch couldn't be nicer or more innovative.
In terms of affordable classes in the city, we recommend seeking out new studio promotions - we often see a free first class or buy one get one deal for new spots. It's definitely worth subscribing to studio's emails to stay in the know. For less expensive studios, try checking our some Pilates options - Pilates on the Square is only $30 after your first class!
When we think luxury, SoulCycle immediately comes to mind - to us, this place goes beyond the sweat, and is a full mental and physical "experience" that's worth every (expensive) penny!