As the days get shorter, New York’s fitness scene seems to be entering a bit of a hibernation period. We’ve noticed fewer events popping up lately, especially the free ones, many of which take place outdoors. If you are just looking for general free fitness classes, there are plenty across the city (many at public libraries) listed on NYC Parks website, but we absolutely can’t vouch for the quality or vibe. While our weekly event list may get a little shorter as we head into winter, we’ll still be hunting down the good stuff. (Also tis the season to spend your morning or evening at a sauna like Lore Bathing Club—Maddie approved).

This week: Art inspired by the NYC Marathon, a dance class that encourages you to play, holiday pop-ups, and some controversy in the underground running scene.

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday November 10: The Art of the Race (Williamsburg), 615PM, free

Brooklyn-based independent art publisher Record has a series where they collaborate with artists on work inspired by sport, and their recent collab is with Nathan Walker of Brooklyn Running Co. This launch party to celebrate the release of their NYC Marathon print includes an optional 5K, followed by mingling and a conversation/Q&A with Nathan. (Or purchase a limited-edition print if you want.)

Wednesday November 11: Reforesters Laboratory Hybrid Sound Experience (Williamsburg), 2PM, $11 suggested donation

If you like sound baths, vibrational healing, or anything of the sort, this is probably an event for you. Reforesters Lab—a listening room and cafe in Williamsburg—is bringing a few different sound practitioners together to create a “dynamic experience.” Donations go to The Frequency School, which helps expand access to music, mindfulness, and emotional wellbeing resources to young folks.

Wednesday November 11: After Hours Club Art + Meditation Workshop (Williamsburg), 6PM, $35

Making mindful art with new friends sounds like such a lovely way to spend a weekday night, and if you don’t have art supplies, you no longer have an excuse (they’re included in this ticket price.)

Friday November 13: Freedom to Play Dance Class (Williamsburg), 6PM, $30

Mother Tech (I’m not quite sure what they are because I am not tech inclined but their IG is a vibe) occasionally hosts wellness events, and this week, it’s an unstructured dance class with no experience required. I mean, freedom to play is built into the name. They also say that if ya ticket isn’t in your budget, they are sponsoring a few slots.

Sunday November 15: Black Women’s Yoga Collective Sunday Wellness Reset (UES), 11AM, free

Black Women’s Yoga Collective, who are increasing access to wellness for Black and brown women, is partnering with Carnegie Hill Cannabis Co for this free, morning yoga flow. Yet another example of weed and wellness world converging.

Sunday November 15: ACTV Studio IRL: Vuori Flatiron x Bode (Flatiron), 9AM, free

As of the time of writing, there are still a few spots left for this yin/slow flow vinyasa yoga class at Vuori’s Flatiron store. I’ve been keeping an eye on this series pretty consistently, and they usually sell out before we can include them in the newsletter, so must be good. BYO mat!!

happenings around town

• The unsanctioned NYC run scene had a bit of drama this week, with the winner of Orchard Street Runners’ PROTO Series throwing shade at the race director in an IG Reel. During the 13-mile race, runners were supposed to hit certain checkpoints, but one was fenced off the night before the NYC Marathon. Some got as close as they could, while others—in the spirit of unsanctioned events—hopped the barrier to reach the actual checkpoint. The resulting disqualifications and disputed calls ultimately cost the race winner the overall series championship (and its prize money). I liked the cheeky lil comment from Alleykat Racing, and now I’m inspired to join one of their unsanctioned races on Dec 10, so I can report back whether or not these events are actually fun for slow runners.

  

• I’m sorry but who is paying $90 for a branded pilates pop-up? A “goodie bag of wellness products” shouldn’t be a reason to charge such a ridiculous ticket price, those are a dime a dozen babes. (The only time I’ve seen prices this high—beyond semi-private sessions—is when a full workout set is included.)

• I spent part of Saturday at the inaugural Super Age Games in Washington Heights, following a 73-year-old competitor for a story I'm reporting. Despite the name, the field ranged from people in their 20s to their 80s. The net crawl looked particularly fun, while the balance beam seemed to humble just about everyone.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

First of all, I had an absolute blast. I was undertrained and recovering from a cold, so I was a lot a bit nervous going into marathon day but I saw a pal’s IG post that said: “Marathon day is a celebration” so I took that as my sign to ditch any time goals I had and have as much fun out there as possible.

As annoying as it probably is if you’ve never participated: Everyone is 100% right about the magic of the NYC Marathon. There’s something so inspiring about seeing that many New Yorkers come out to cheer, dance, hand out snacks, and scream encouragement at complete strangers. I spent every moment of the 26.2 miles smiling.

This week: A breathwork walk, a longevity-focused fitness competition, and ice rink season starts soon.

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Wednesday November 4: The Routine Recharge Panel (SoHo), 6PM, free

In case you’re itching for something to do tonight, there’s a panel at Shopify: Women wellness brand founders on how they take care of themselves and keep their businesses thriving. Hosted by Cacti Wellness.

Thursday November 5: Extra Butter Lowdown Photo Walk (Lower East Side), 6PM, free

Extra Butter is celebrating the drop of their Crocs collab by hosting a photo walk with some cool NYC photographers—a chance to get a bit of movement to your day and get creative at the same time.

Saturday November 7: SGRC x Medicube 5K Run (West Village), 830AM, free

Waitlisted but worth your radar because I love Medicube: This 5k from all-women Slow Girl Run Club comes with a goodie bag of Korean beauty brand favs.

Sunday November 8: Breathwork Recovery Walk (Battery Park), 8AM, free

A lot of walk/run clubs are social, but we like that this one focuses on breathwork. There’s a 10-minute breathwork intro, then during the 30 minute walk, you’ll focus on nasal breathing (a very valuable skill, speaking as someone who used to be horrendous at it.) Then a cool down with recovery breathwork, followed by a social hang out. No experience needed, they say.

Sunday November 8: Hike and Heal Fall Field Trip (8AM), $79

There was just one ticket left when I checked for this trip to Hudson Valley/Sleepy Hollow with Philly-based women’s hiking group Hike and Heal. The bus will pickup in New York and take you upstate, stopping at Rockefeller State Park for a leisurely hike, then hitting Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown for some cute fall vibes. It’ll be a full day outing!

the gear that got me through the marathon

I’m still recovering from Sunday, but a few things deserve a shoutout for getting me to the finish line and helping me feel like a functioning human again afterward.

• Rally massage gun: My shins were giving me a lot of trouble in the weeks leading up to the marathon, and this has been a lifesaver for working on my tight calves and sore lower legs because the flat head attachment is more gentle than most.

• New Balance SuperComp Elite 6: I’ve said it before I’ll say it again. I don’t think everyone needs special race-day shoes, but if you decide to go for it, these are the best I’ve found for slower runners (most are way too intense and won’t do much at paces under 10 minutes.) My calves are currently killing me (in a sore way) because of the carbon plate in these, but I have no shin pain, which is quite amazing and my feet feel FRESH! I would gladly take sore muscles over injury.

• New Balance RC Elite Storage Shorts: Ok I struggle to find any shorts I like ever. Bike shorts too short ride up, but too long and they look bad. I can’t wear baggy shorts unless I want my entire body exposed. I didn’t try these shorts until the day before race day (and I never ran in them) and they were absolutely perfect the entire time. No riding up or chafing, and the compression was gentle enough that it didn’t dig into my belly (I did cut the strap inside, though.)

• GU energy gels: I did not bonk at all, even at mile 20, and I attribute that to the fact that I downed one of these gels approx. every 20 minutes. My favorite flavors were Salted Lime and Sour Peach. No stomach issues either, weeeeeee!!

• Sonny eyewear: I don’t love wearing sunglasses with too much of a tint, and these cuties are perfect and were lightweight on my head (even though they obscured the cute braids I got from the New Balance tent.) An all-time fav.

• Stanley 1913 (the drinkware company) so graciously hooked me up with an IV drip from Remedy Place to hydration pre-marathon because they knew I was down sick and stressed about feeling good in time. While I know IVs aren’t magic (and do little more than drinking a shit ton of water could), I am very bad at drinking water so I feel like this made a big difference come race-day.

• Flaire & Co waterproof jewelry: I’ve had my jewelry from this company for years and wear it to sweat in all the time. 10/10 on affordability and longevity.

happenings around town

• Every night in for the rest of the month, a soccer field in each borough is open for late night soccer play from 10 PM to 2 AM. (Thanks Mayor & NYC Footy.) You can sign up as an individual to join a pickup game, or make a reservation for a team you assemble.

• For the longevity or hybrid fitness obsessed: The Super Age Games is happening this weekend for its inaugural event: 8 different trials (like a tight rope, hang to test your grip strength, computer cognitive test) designed to test how long you’ll live. I’ll be there seeing what it’s all about to cover it for GQ.

• I’m not going to name any names here, but I’m getting sick of seeing fitness studios that have made so much money by creating cardio bunnies that attend endless classes a week suddenly shift to investing in “strength training expertise”—something they should’ve done long ago for all those claims that they’ll “tone” you. Just remember that the same brands were comfortable letting you plateau so you’d start going to two classes a day to see results.

• Interesting to see fitness intersecting with nearly every aspect of life now: The New York Philosophical Society has an upcoming event in partnership with fitness-boxing gym The Pack.

• This isn’t wellness-adjacent, but a free opportunity to go check out Mercer Labs this Saturday night? Ok!!

• Domino Park skate rink returns November 9th. Prices aren’t actually bad for NYC residents ($13/weekdays, $17/weekends.)

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Onto MARATHON WEEK NEWS. This Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the NYC Marathon’s five-borough course. (Before 1976, runners just did laps and laps around Central Park. My personal nightmare.) New York Road Runners is expecting more than 60,000 runners to take on the 26.2-mile course through the city.

I’ll be among them, starting at the leisurely hour of 11:30 am (Bib number 68109 if you feel like yelling at me along the route!) I’ve been dealing with some serious shin splints despite my measly running volume, and I can feel the tickle of a lil cold coming on, so I’m going to need all the infectious energy I can get on race day.

This week: We’re going all in on marathon madness. From pop-ups and parties to free recovery treatments, vintage running gear, and a truly ridiculous number of shakeout runs, here’s everything worth checking out this week. You don’t have to be running to join the fun.

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

We’re going to do this a bit differently this week because pretty much any and every fitness-related event in the city this week is centered around the marathon.

We’ll start with a few standalone events here, but in the next section we’ll dive into all the week-long brand activations and public events.

Tuesday October 27: The NYC Danceathon (Williamsburg Bridge), 7PM, $10

Okay, a run/danceathon on the Williamsburg Bridge. This is exactly the kind of chaotic energy I love about NYC marathon week. And it's happening on TUESDAY, before most of the week's festivities even get started. There will be prizes for best dance fit, dancer of the day, and dance group choreo, so bring your A game. It’s hosted by Forte and Soft Bar (the NA Carl Radke bar), so RSVP to find out when they drop the starting location.

Thursday October 29th: MAD R.A.D. Reckless 10K (Williamsburg), 7PM, $30

This 10K race (powered by performance shoe brand R.A.D and Mad Radio) is for anyone feeling FOMO that they’re not running NYC. You can still join in on the fun! Once you reach the finish line, the party will be going late into the night. Check in is at 7 PM, and the gun goes off at 8.

Friday October 30th: The Very Spooky and Scary Multimedia Night at Brooklyn Bouldering Project (Gowanus), 6PM, $15 for non-members in costume, free for members

Halloween shouldn’t get overlooked this year just because the marathon is also this weekend, and Brooklyn Bouldering Project is putting on a cute and fun event! There will be a climbing competition, crafts, trivia, and screen (scream) printing. Tickets are fairly cheap even if you’re not a member (but only if you’re in costume, which you should be.)

a few fun spots to cheer from:

You can cheer anywhere along the course, but run clubs often host fun cheer zones. Here are a few. Or head down to Eavesdrop in Greenpoint for Bandit’s cheer zone.

post-marathon parties

• Barefoot shoe brand vivobarefoot is hosting a community celebration starting at 4:30 pm (way before I’ll be finished up) in Harlem. There will be food and drinks.

• Hybrid community VTLZR is hosting an afterparty at Manhattan sports bar Legends, running from 1 pm to 6 pm (for the speedy bois only.) Entry is free but drinks not included.

• If you want to be surrounded by people actually dancing instead of talking about race times, Coach J of Goldfinger Track Club is hosting an afterparty at Moondog HiFi Bar in East Williamsburg/Bushwick. Lots of dancing, an inclusive space, non-runners encouraged, and drinks are affordable. Free with RSVP.

• Celsius is big on the Love Island game (they had snake wrangler Rob on a brand trip last year and I unfortunately could not attend), but Bryce Alakai is DJing their after-marathon party. We all know the reason to attend would be to see Trinity. RSVP here, but attendance is first-come, first-served so arrive early.

• The official NYRR Afterparty—Victory Lap—is at Terminal 5 from 7 pm to 11 pm. Tickets are $35 and includes one drink. Wouldn’t be my top choice tbh, but to each their own.

• Almost Friday Run Club is hosting an after party at their pop-up space on Bleecker Street from 6 pm til midnight. Music and drinks.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

I just got back from a run (that was very hard to motivate for), but it’s the ideal season to be outside: Halloween decorations are up in full glory on the brownstones around my neighborhood, everyone looks cozy in their sweaters, but it’s still nice enough to run in a sports bra and shorts (or maybe I’m a maniac.)

This past Thursday, I went up to the Salomon store in Flatiron for the Ghost Tour Run hosted by Rerouted Running’s Kara Dudley. We weaved through Greenwich Village and Lower Manhattan, stopping at historical (and haunted) sites like the Eighty Six bar (an old speakeasy during Prohibition) and St. Paul’s Chapel where the ghost of a past performer apparently walks around the gardens at night. You should applaud him if you see him. We wrapped up at Fraunces Tavern in FiDi (also NYC’s oldest bar) with a cold pint. Highly recommend going next year.

This week: A massive game of Duck Duck Goose, phone-free workouts, and Strava finally giving strength training some attention.

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

This week is strangely light on events! We’ll post anything else that pops up in the chat. <3

Wednesday October 21: adidas NYC Speed Street Spectator Party (McCarren Park), 7PM, free

NYC Sprint Collective and adidas are hosting a 5k, and spectating sounds like it’ll be a party. Join others in the park to cheer on the athletes. Like all good (and not so good) NYC events, there will be a DJ. Could be a good opportunity to check out the sprinting crew to see if you want to join one of their free, weekly sprint workouts.

Wednesday October 21: No Lights No Lyrca Dance Party (Hells Kitchen), 7PM, donation based

We are advocates for dancing with your friends as wellness, but we also know sometimes you can get in your own head while dancing. Luckily, this lights-off (or dimmed, cuz safety) dance party provides a safe space to move your body without thinking about how you look to others around you. No mirrors, no instructions, just dancing! Sounds like fun to me!

Saturday October 24: Guinness World Record Attempt Duck Duck Goose (Central Park), 1PM, free

Almost 1200 people have RSVPed to this massive game of Duck Duck Goose. Need we say more?

Saturday October 24: Do Not Disturb: A Phone-Free HIIT and Sauna Experience (Flatiron), 12PM, $35

The price is right for this phone-free class because you get both a HIIT class from Grind House and a sauna session for less than the price of a standard day pass/class drop-in at the gym. Or you can just sign up for the gym’s 3-day free trial and get access to both for free if you’re a NYC resident. Or do both!

Sunday October 25: Breathwork Walk with Carbon Running (Central Park), 9AM, $5

Nasal breathing while running used to be really hard for me, but breathwork practices can help you get there. If you need a reset from all the running you’ve been doing, join Carbon Running for a mostly silent one-mile walk where the team will provide breathwork cues. Then stick around after for some recovery gear use and to actually be able to talk to other runners.

Sunday October 25: NARC in Nature Hike (Grand Central), 830AM, free

Ok, we can’t lie: There’s really not that much info about this hike put on by Not A Run Club. It says meet at Grand Central at 830 AM. I assume you’ll pay your own way up to Cold Spring, where you’ll hike with a rad group of people before catching the train back down. Considering fall weather isn’t going to last much longer, I personally think it’s worth leaning into the mystery.

gym review: NRTHN Strong

Woof, we’ve been promising you gym reviews for a while ago. A few months ago I went to check out NRTHN Strong, a new-to-New York studio concept that originate in Copenhagen and takes inspiration from cross-country skiing, one of the most demanding cardiovascular sports. The gym has a patented machine you won’t find anywhere else: You stand on a platform and move two ski-pole-like handles along tracks.

I took a full-body “Strong” class, which the PR rep told me was far less exhausting than the cardio class (I don’t think I could’ve repeated the same movement for 45 minutes). We warmed up with the machine in ski mode, got some cardio in, and then used it (along with dumbbells) in different ways for resistance training. I was surprised that some of the movements felt like things you could replicate with a cable machine or battle ropes.

The instructor (who said she had moved to New York to work at this gym) did a fantastic job of keeping the energy high, even though there were only seven people in class. Her vibe was cute, motivating without putting pressure on, and genuine. She gave just enough compliments to all of us without making it feel like she was doing too much.

In terms of actual instruction: the cues were super clear and I was never confused about what to do. (This is something I hate about most fast paced fitness classes in NYC.) We didn’t rush through strength movements (love), and I could see this being a great place to learn the basics of squatting, lunging, etc.

The drawback: It’s an incredibly niche workout style, and I’m not entirely convinced the specialized machine offers much you couldn’t get from more conventional strength training. It also isn’t the most lively studio—almost everyone seemed like they were there for their first class. This could be different on another day of the week, but I hit it at a pretty standard evening time.

So who do I recommend it for? People who strength train but want to switch things up. People who don’t have a lot of time and want strength and cardio in one. And people who want to start building strength but feel intimidated walking into a gym and picking up weights.

It feels like a happy medium between pilates or “sculpt” classes and traditional strength training: More resistance work than your typical Pilates class, but less heavy lifting than you’d get in the weight room. And unlike some bootcamp-style workouts that prioritize intensity over form, there’s actually time to slow down and get the movements right. Maybe the cardio class is good for runners who want a workout that is nice on the joints?

I don’t personally think I’ll be rushing back (I’m honestly not a class girlie, I prefer lifting at my good ol’ Puregym), but they have a three-classes-for-$49 deal, which is pretty good if you want to give it a try.

happenings around town

• With all the talk of how bad (predatory) ClassPass is for studios, it may be worth looking for other options. One membership-based model that covers multiple studios is coming this fall: Arcana. The waitlist is live now.

• Apparently, just looking fit isn’t enough anymore. I’ve been noticing more people training to sprint faster, jump higher, and generally become better athletes, even if they don’t actually play a sport. I dug into why athleticism is becoming fitness’s newest status symbol for Men’s Health. (Ok a lot of this is personally motivated because I’m so unathletic and have been trying to reach the vague concept of “more athletic” for a while now.)

• Because our audience isn’t all runners, we can’t possibly cover every event going on around marathon weekend. And starting this Saturday, it’s already stacked. Marathon Weekend is a great resource to see all the pop-ups, activations, and group runs (many are doing “the last 10”—one last long run before Nov 1—on Saturday.)

• Diplo’s Run Club 5K (followed by a DJ set) is coming to Flushing Meadows this week. We didn’t include it above because we think the price point is a bit high ($151) but we both ran it last year and had a lot of fun heading straight from the run into a dance party (although has Diplo made any new music since 2012??)

• A new pilates and yoga studio is opening in Park Slope—Prestige—and they are offering complimentary classes for the soft opening this weekend. Ya gotta follow the instructions for booking on their website linked above.

• Props to Oner Active for pledging $50K to an organization working to prevent sexual violence against women after Shane Gillis’ dumb commentary about women’s gym fits on SNL (sorry I won’t link to it but go search it if somehow you haven’t seen him saying women at the gym look like whores now.) Also they make my fav gym clothes so double win.

• Apparently some people actually do like raving in a sauna (even though it sounds like my worst nightmare), because Daybreaker’s upcoming sauna rave at Othership is sold out.

• I don’t personally record my strength workouts on Strava, but I know a lot of people do—and the brand has seen it, too. They just began rolling out strength training features and coaching, which I tested at a workout class a few weeks ago. I don’t see them on my app yet, but maybe check yours? There are programmed workouts with animated instructions and set/rep/weight tracking so you can keep track of how often you’ve worked each muscle group.

  

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

I spent the last week in one of my favorite places—the Southern Utah desert—with Red Bull for Rampage, an annual mountain biking competition where some of the best freeriders in the world launch themselves off across canyon gaps and down near-vertical rock faces. It’s absolutely terrifying to watch in person. Unfortunately, the men’s competition was cut short due to weather after just a few runs, but that meant the spotlight was on the women, who competed on Thursday. This was only the third year women have been included in Rampage, so it was especially cool to see them take center stage.

I talked to the athletes about what goes into doing something so insane (they’re a lot more calculated than you may think), and whether or not they’re toning it down as they get older. (The oldest rider is 40.) Because I’m so surrounded by the longevity obsession of NYC wellness culture, I expected answers along the lines of prioritizing recovery and cross-training, but they really just ride bikes and push through the pain.

In other news, a few weeks ago, I noticed that fitness dating app ATEAM lets users display their resting heart rate on their dating profiles. I went down a rabbit hole about how a low resting heart rate became the latest fitness flex, and the resulting story for GQ published this week.

This week: A ghost tour run around haunted Manhattan, hybrid fitness comps get youth divisions, and TVs in saunas.

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday October 13: ATHX 101 at Tone House (Koreatown), 730PM, $25

Interested in Hyrox but frustrated at how quickly it sells out? Well, there are plenty of other hybrid fitness competitions you could sign up for, including the ATHX Games. The competition is a bit more athletic than Hyrox and includes more traditional lifts like a deadlift and strict press, as well as all the favs like row, skierg, and burpee broad jumps. This 45-minute workout at Tone House runs you through what to expect on game day.

Wednesday October 14: HIIT Pilates at Football Cafe (Bushwick) 7PM, $10 donation

An affordable pilates class in Bushwick! At the iconic Football Cafe! Tickets are available for a minimum donation of $10. Thank you Lizlates for helping to make pilates more accessible in a wildly overpriced city.

Thursday October 15: Running Ghost Tour with Salomon (Flatiron), 630PM, free

Oh my gosh, to tell you how stoked I am for this. Running events all tend to mesh together, but the idea to blend a fun run with a ghost tour visiting haunted sites in Lower Manhattan during Halloween month? Genius. Good job Salomon and Rerouted Running. See you there.

Saturday October 17: In Nature Bull Hill Hike (Hudson Highlands), 730AM, free but must pay for train ticket

I love how many official hiking groups NYC has, but a lot of them charge a decent amount of money for something you can do for free and don’t actually have a pro hiking guide joining. This one from Side Quest With Me is free, and pretty much just a casual group hike. BYO everything (shoes, snacks, water) and pay for your train ticket, but it’s worth it to take advantage of some of the best hiking weather of the year.

Saturday October 17: World’s Largest Game of Knockout (East Village) 11AM, free

Comet Sports Club back again with an absolute banger of an event. With over 400 RSVPs, I wouldn’t expect to actually take many shots, but I will probably show up to see the turnout.

Sunday October 18: F45 & SGRC Run and Lift (Dumbo), 12PM, $15

Strength classes usually cost a pretty penny, so this $15 class from F45 is much needed for people looking to get into lifting. Plus, bagels at the end means its pretty much free.

Sunday October 18: Leap Jump Rope Club (Greenwich Village), 10AM, free

Jump roping is surprisingly harder than I remember it to be in childhood (I learned the hard way looking like a fool in my boxing class until I got decent enough to stop it from hitting my feet every skip), but it’s a super fun way to get some cardio. Leap is hosting a free jump rope session for all levels in Washington Square Park and providing the ropes.

happenings around town

• TRACE, a new presale fashion marketplace, is launching in New York and planning a full weekend line-up of free activities for the occasion. There are free pilates classes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but also game nights, happy hours, and trunk shows.

• This fall foliage tracker shows you where the good leaf colors are in Central Park (and may give you new walking route inspo.)

• The Class, a somatic movement/bodyweight exercise/breathwork studio which Maddie loves, is celebrating their 15th anniversary and offering free classes at their NYC studio on October 16th (waitlisted), and complimentary classes for new students this weekend.

• Hybrid racing has officially come for the children. LIC gym The Trinity is adding a kids' competition to its Trinity Games, because apparently the next generation needs to learn sled pushes before they enter high school.

• I’m typing this from Vegas, where our other sister and her wife just got back from a sauna studio and mentioned that they caught up on a TV show inside their private infrared sauna suite?? Apparently, this is a thing at Perspire, which also has NYC locations. I understand wanting to make your sauna time pass faster, but do we really need another place to stare at a screen?

• Dua Lipa’s skincare line—Dua by AB—has a pop-up in the Meatpacking district through October 25th. Complimentary facials!

• If you love free samples (and especially the full-size kind), EWG Verified, a certification program for products that meet the Environmental Working Group’s standards for ingredient safety and transparency, is hosting a two-day pop-up this weekend featuring more than 50 personal care, beauty, and household brands. A $20 donation gets you access to product samples (including full-size goodies), so you can try out the whole “clean” beauty thing without committing to a $40 face wash.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

This past week, I visited TMPL (a luxury gym) on Madison. I was curious to check it out after they hosted the Strong NY after party in their bathhouse, and after seeing its very hot-girl IG presence.

The vibe is like, dark, sexy, Gen Z bodybuilding gym: Tons of hard-to-find machines from Arsenal Strength, flattering lighting, and gym bros clad almost exclusively in black sweatpants and black pump covers. The PR rep asked what I was going to hit that day, and I told her upper body because I’d done legs the day before. That was a bummer, she said, because they had plenty of booty machines.

At 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, the gym was quiet, and most of the people in the strength area were recording their workouts. But there was no grunting, equipment hoarding, or general gym-bro chaos. Everyone had surprisingly great etiquette. One guy (hey, Mickey!) even stopped to ask if I was okay being in the background of his video.

A side note: We’re dreaming up future plans for this newsletter and want to hear more from y’all. This week, we led with happenings around town and moved the event calendar further down, but we’re experimenting! Let us know what you’re here for—and comment or DM us if there’s anything you’ve particularly been loving.

This week: An outdoor sauna returns to the East Village, a new tea house and yoga studio open their doors, and celebrities keep finding new reasons to host a 5K.

happenings around town

• Each major marathon has title sponsors—a few for New York are New Balance, Gatorade, and Maurten gels. Well big news this week is that New York Road Runners has banned any other brands for taking part in cheer zones along the marathon course. That means no banners (from brands, people can still hold signs, ofc), no confetti canons, no alcohol, no sidewalk chalk (???)—rules that would presumably also prevent the kind of guerrilla marketing we saw from competitors at Boston, like Nike’s “walker’s tolerated” failure at Boston. Naturally, people are mad, because NYRR is seeming to protect sponsors at the expense of the culture that makes the marathon special. Run club cheer zones have turned into mini block parties, and although they aren’t banned, they often partner with brands to help foot the bill for DJs, food/drink, and other extras that make them so fun to attend (and electric to run through.) I doubt we’ll see anyone really following these rules, the brand involvement just may be more subtle.

• CUL DE SAC, ’s community sauna concept, is back with a Fall residency at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden in the East Village through October 18th. They also have a Kickstarter in place so you can help fund their goal of a more permanent residency in BK this winter.

• The iconic New York Bakery Run returns this October 25th, hitting 10 bakeries (and 10 different pastries), allowing you to skip the notoriously long lines at spots like Radio Bakery and L’Appartement 4F. You enter via a lottery (I signed up the other day) but chances are slim: Only 100 people get to participate. They say it’s open to all levels, but the slowest wave is apparently a 10:30-minute-mile pace, which is quite fast for a beginner running a half marathon fueled by heavy baked goods.

• Second House Tea opened its doors in Chelsea this past week, so you can stop by for a guided, mindful tea ceremony.

• reported on the opening of Noir Yoga on Fulton Street this past Thursday, after a car crashed into their new studio space just before its planned opening. I loved seeing the joy in the photo of the opening ceremony.

on our minds…

Celebrity-led runs aren’t new (Kevin Hart was drawing thousands to Nike-backed 5Ks a decade ago), but I’ve been seeing them eeeeeverywhere this past year. First, Diplo Run Club and Gunna’s Wunna Run Club helped usher in the latest iteration.

A few months ago, Dylan Efron hosted a run with Suncruiser on the West Side Highway, followed by a rooftop sunset party where everyone drank vodka iced tea lemonades while waiting for a photo with The Traitors star. Last week, Brooks brought the DK5K—singer Dermot Kennedy’s 5K series that pops up in cities where he tours—to NYC, ending the 2.8-mile run at Houston Hall with an intimate performance. Attendance for both of these was open to the public via a lottery system/contest.

And just the other day, Pack of Wolves & A$AP Ferg joined forces with Wiz Khalifa and Diplo for a run through Harlem. I’m sure a recurring Wiz x brand run club isn’t far off. (He’s very shoe agnostic, so my bet is on R.A.D., Satisfy, or Oakley.)

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on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday October 5: Dance Social Club The Boy Is Mine (Midtown), 730PM, $20

A girls-only community dance class by Dance Social Club where you’ll learn choreography set to Ariana Grande’s the boy is mine. You’re encouraged—but not obligated—to wear heels. Dancing has seemed like an increasingly appealing way to move and tune into my body, but it’s just so damn intimidating, and this class seems like an accepting, encouraging space—plus it’s only open to gals.

Tuesday October 6: Milly’s x The Lives of Men In Conversation (Bed Stuy), 6PM, $25

Men: It’s mental illness awareness week, and Milly’s Bar in Bed Stuy is hosting an evening centered on men’s wellbeing in partnership with The Lives of Men. In a social media landscape dominated by the manosphere, it’s refreshing to see an organization redefining what masculinity looks like. The ticket price includes light bites and a champagne toast. Every time I’ve been to Milly’s, I’ve had a memorable night and met really cool people. Owners Ron Leakey and Anthony Ramos have created a vibey neighborhood spot that feels welcoming—more like being a guest in someone’s home than simply going out for a drink.

Wednesday October 7: An Evening at Lore (NoHo), 630PM, $65

Maddie has been going to and loving Lore Bathing Club this past month (a more detailed write up to come) and they always host creative events that may make the price more worth your while. This one is an evening of sauna + gifting, with a skincare brand, longevity supplements, N/A bevs, and complimentary ear seeding.

Saturday October 10: Safe & Sound Self Defense (Chinatown) 9AM, free

NARC NYC, Dames, and Chinatown Fight Club are coming together to bring you a self defense workshop including both somatic breathwork (staying calm is important) and boxing techniques. As someone who boxed for over six years, I think it’s a valuable skill to make you feel more confident and capable in your day to day (although I don’t think it’s the best sport to learn for pure self defense for women.)

Saturday October 10: Ruck The City by GORUCK (Inwood), 9AM, $25

Rucking is already just walking around carrying something heavy, but this one gives the weight a little more meaning. For Depression Awareness Month, you’ll ruck roughly 13 miles down Broadway from the top of Manhattan to Battery Park carrying weighted packs meant to represent the invisible loads we all carry. Along the way, participants will trade weight and carry for one another—a very literal exercise in helping lighten someone else’s burden. The $25 is worth it because all proceeds benefit the Hope for Depression Research Foundation.

Saturday October 10: The Feel Good 3-Miler by Project Healthy Minds (Lower Manhattan), 930AM, free

Part of the World Mental Health Day Festival, this free group run is led by five completely different personalities: Becs Gentry (Peloton instructor), A$AP Ferg (rapper), Emily Abbate (a fellow fitness journo!/podcast host), Max Siegelman (a brand founder), and Dan Clancy (Twitch CEO?). Love to see it.

There are a few other free workout classes for this festival, including a Housework by Sydney Miller (Pilates-based), and bodyweight strength training with Kelsey Wells, as well as meditations, conversations and more.

Sunday October 11: Usal Central Park Bouldering (Central Park), 10AM, free

If you’ve climbed in the gym and are itching to touch real rock, Usal hosts monthly community bouldering sessions in Central Park. Plus there will be shoe demos from La Sportiva, one of the best brands for outdoor climbing shoes.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

This week, we talked to Thuy T. Nguyen, a beauty and fashion creative director based in New York and the founder of AN ORI, an herbal inhaler that offers a sensory reminder to slow down throughout the day.

Trained as an artist before moving into commercial design, she has spent more than a decade working with some of the biggest names in beauty and fashion (YSL, Haus Labs, Swarovski, Ferrari), shaping brand worlds before eventually building her own.

We asked Nguyen what has actually earned a place in her own wellness routine, from the Pilates studio she frequents and her $35 Chinatown acupuncture to the wellness habit she thinks we’d all be better off without.

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Tell us about your personal approach to taking care of your body.

My approach is pretty simple: do a few things that work, keep it natural where I can, and don’t turn my body into a project. I try to listen to what my body wants, not what my brain wants. For example, NYFW just happened and it was packed with events I really wanted to go to. But I had just gotten back from my Paris pop-up for AN ORI, and my body was very clear that it needed rest. So I skipped most and went back to my routine.

You just launched AN ORI, based on a Southeast Asian aromatherapy ritual. What is the significance of scent for “wellness” and what is your product bringing to (or challenging about) NYC’s current wellness scene?

Wellness in New York can feel like another job, with memberships, protocols and data.

Scent is the one sense you can’t take in passively. It’s also invisible. You can’t post it, nobody sees you do it. This is a small wooden object with no app, no score. It asks you to breathe. It takes three seconds to feel the cooling and you can bring it anywhere. Most of the herbal inhalers on the market are plastic, made in a factory no one can name. AN ORI is carved and filled by hand. The shape is designed to feel good in your hand, like a stress ball.

Where do you actually workout, recover, and relax in NYC right now?

I've tried every possible workout and the only thing that ever stuck is Pilates. I go to East River Pilates. To recover, it's heat or hands. I love going to The Altar for the sauna and cold plunge, and that moment between the two is my favorite part of the week.

Massage in NYC can be very hit-or-miss, but there's one spot in Chinatown called Fishion that is never a miss. Their acupuncture is great too.

What’s in your metaphoric gym bag?

My AN ORI, obviously. Avène face spray, which lives in my bag year round. Conapidil's final balm as SPF and also makeup. Byredo Tulipmania hand cream when I want to feel fancy, and Weleda skin food for all occasions. A cork massage ball for my hands, since I'm on a laptop all day. And a few new AN ORI SKUs I'm testing, but that's top secret ;)

What do you do to take time for yourself when life gets overwhelming in the city?

Organizing my apartment. It’s an ongoing project that goes off track whenever my days get busy, but being in an organized space clears my head. Sauna, then sipping bone broth after. Taking a long bath by candlelight. Walking to the waterfront for sunset and feeling the sun on my face. Not looking at my phone. If I can, I get out of the city and into nature (kayaking on a calm river is especially soothing). And if I can’t, I buy myself some flowers.

What’s the most overrated thing in wellness right now?

Tracking everything. Every step, every hour of sleep, every calorie. What are we going to do with all this information about our bodies? It’s just another set of data to analyze. I get stressed out just thinking about the metrics.

What song have you had on repeat lately?

"A Place Called Home" by PJ Harvey. It reminds me of the New York energy I love, and the renewed optimism that's been running through the city this year.

What have you found lately—books, newsletters, podcasts, accounts—that have stuck with you and why?

I love The Paris Review's Instagram. They post single quotes from their interviews with writers, and sometimes one good sentence in the middle of a chaotic day is all I have room for.

What’s a gym, spot, or trainer in the city that's underrated and deserves more love?

Everything is super hyped in NYC. The most underrated spot, in my opinion, is a ferry ride at sunset. It costs a few dollars, you get the whole skyline, wind in your face, and nobody is trying to sell you a membership.

New York is notoriously expensive for pretty much everything, but especially fitness and wellness. What would you do to take care of yourself in a day if you only had $40 to spend.

That is hard! But a 30 minute acupressure session with Fishion is only $35, plus tip.

Last week, I went to an event at Official Ritual, a sound bath studio tucked into an old blacksmith shop (what looks like a teeny single family home) between towering brick buildings in Chelsea. Maybe instead of spending all your money on cold plunges, you can try this to “reset your nervous system” instead.

During the sound bath, I entered a trance-like sleep state (it was 8:30 AM… not exactly my prime). We were wearing Blinkjoy eye masks, and I took home the hydrating eye mask—which is technically designed for people with dry eye which I don’t have—but when I tell you the first night I wore it, I woke up with my eyes (and the surrounding skin) feeling properly moist (sorry to the word haters.) A very unique experience that I now strangely want to repeat every night. Keep in mind the little eye cups sort of suction to your eyes, so it feels quite different from a silky soft sleep mask, but I dig it.

This week: A new contrast therapy studio in Williamsburg (go figure), laughter meditation, a yoga studio opening event, and a little recap of a NYC fitness festival.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday September 29: Outsiders The Move: Sensual Fluidity Dance Class (Flatiron), 745PM, $20

I love the concept behind Outsider’s The Move Series, which addresses the fact that NYC has too many damn run clubs and people should probably be moving in other ways, too. Well, this week is a sensual fluidity dance class hosted by Stephanie Peña, which seems like a great way to lean into intuitive movement and get out of your own head.

Wednesday September 30: Gravel Club Run with Salomon (UWS), 630PM, free

There are few opportunities to run anything but pavement around NYC, but Salomon’s run crew is going to be running a 4-mile gravel loop up in Central Park on Wednesday evening. You can test out the Aero Blaze 4 GRVL, which is like a sister shoe to a pair that I’ve tried (the Glide). Pretty good option if you’re traveling somewhere with trails but also plan to run on roads.

Wednesday September 30: Fast and Forte II with On (Williamsburg), 7PM, free

I’m calling it now: Everyone is getting just a wee bit sick of the marathon and short distances (sprints, 400m, etc) are going to be getting a lot more attention from the general public in the coming months/year. Case in point: Fast and Forte race, in partnership with Forte and NYC Sprint Collective. The longest distance of this street race is a mile but you could also sign up for the 400M or 100M, and there are cash prizes.

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Thursday October 1: Welda Club x One Hotel Run and Yoga (Dumbo), 7AM, free

Too early in the morning (7AM) and too fast for me (8:30min/mile pace at least), but otherwise I’d definitely be interested in this event from Welda Club. The reason its so speedy is because you’ll be testing out Adidas’ new shoe—the Adizero Adios Pro 5, a carbon-plated race day shoe. These shoes don’t do much if you run slower paces, but really help when you’re cruising. After the run, there’s a yoga class at ONEHOUSEYOGA.

Friday October 2: Brooklyn Running Co Spice and Strides (Prospect Park), 630PM, free

Not that you need a reason to celebrate the dropping temps and arrival of fall, but here is one: A 4-mile run (or 1.5-mile) that ends with APPLE CIDER DONUTS. You’re welcome.

Saturday October 3: Yoga Joint at Domino Park (Williamsburg), 10AM, free

Yoga Joint, a yoga franchise that started in Florida, is launching in New York soon and kicking things off in Brooklyn with a fun community event at Domino Park. It’ll be a free 45-minute workout—the brands signature full-body strength class that blends high-energy training with low-impact movement (we haven’t tested it yet)—all set to the beat of a live DJ, which is something we’ve seen increasingly common at fitness events. Cool!

Saturday October 3: New Mom Run Club (SoHo), 930AM, free

Hosted by every other week, this run/walk club is tailored to new moms—but really any moms are welcome. The run is two miles at a conversational pace, and welcomes runners at a 12-min-mile pace, which is pretty great for run clubs in the city. Bring your little one in a stroller!

happenings around town

• I just learned about the concept of “laughter meditation” in these upcoming workshops with ambient music artist Laraaji at 113 Spring. Dare I say this is something we all need? Consider me intrigued.

• It seems like we’re reporting on this weekly, but Williamsburg is getting yet another contrast therapy studio opening in October-ish: Outershed. They’ll have private suites instead of large communal spaces, and we’re interested to see what they’ll do with the large outdoor patio but kinda bummed to see the first event is just a basic, pricey pilates class. Because a majority of these spaces feel pretty corporate in their operations, we respect that the founder leaned into her origin story in her IG Reels.

• I was on a call with some of the people behind ATEAM for an article in the works, and one of the company partners put me on to the opening of Neko, a Scandanavian preventative health/ full-body scan company that just opened its doors in SoHo. He said you get your bloodwork results right on the spot. Over 25,000 New Yorkers are on the waitlist. Before you decide if you need one, just know what you’re potentially getting yourself into (especially those like me with health anxiety.)

• I really hate the new term “wellness darty” , which apparently describes the increasingly popular college trend of swapping day drinking for parties that revolve around group runs, pilates classes, and other wellness activations. I’m all for finding ways to socialize that don’t revolve around alcohol, but I never want to hear the word “darty” again.

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See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

I live in Bed-Stuy, where the access to good gyms is few and far between, and my home gym (and where I spend at least four days a week) is the very cheap Puregym. This past week, it was closed as they remodel to add an athletic training area for sled pushes, wall balls, and all the Hyrox-style movements. The hybrid fitness boom has officially trickled down to budget gyms: You no longer have to pay an arm and a leg to train for one.

In the meantime, I’ve been checking out Life Time (mostly the Dumbo location) and been blown away by how much space there is. I’ve never needed to wait for a squat rack or machine. (Granted I’ve been going around 3PM.) People mind their own business and no men approached me to suggest a completely different exercise variation than the one I’m doing.

Is that worth the over $300 monthly price difference? I can’t decide! Maybe yes for the showers and co-working space.

This week: Yoga on an aircraft carrier, birding before breakfast, a one-mile race through Bushwick, and the continued overcomplication of the sauna.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday September 21: Breath and Flow Ritual (Williamsburg), 630PM, free - $25

One more free ticket is available to this restorative movement/breathwork session from Ice Cold Club. After that, tickets are available for purchase. The outdoor area at the Dime is a lovely spot to spend a Monday evening around sunset.

Monday September 21: Read & Release (Bed-Stuy), 630PM, $25

I love the idea of this combined reading party/mat pilates class hosted by Octave Wellness at Apartment Ra’el in Bed-Stuy. You can expect 30 minutes of quiet reading (they recommend their Book of the Month but you can bring whatever you want), followed by a 40-minute pilates class. Sounds like a great idea for the semi-introverts who love to read but want to get out of the house.

Thursday September 24: Prospect Park Fall Migration Walks (Prospect Park), 730AM, free

If you’re not yet in your birding era, now’s as good a time to start as ever. (I promise you don’t have to wait til you turn 40.) Birds are flying south in search of warmer temps, and you can join the Brooklyn Bird Club to learn about the species and how to spot them. BYOB(inoculars.) If you can’t join this day, it happens Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in Sept and Oct.

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Friday September 25: Vinhausa (West Side Highway), 615PM, $44

I’m pretty sure Maddie is the target audience for this yoga/house music combo event. For the first time, Vinhausa comes to NYC and you can flow to live house music and then dance to a DJ set on the flight deck of the Intrepid Museum (aka on a giant ship) with about 800 other people. Bring your own mat!

Saturday September 26: Strong New York Fitness and Wellness Festival (Hell’s Kitchen), $165
We wrote about this one last week, but a reminder that arguably the biggest fitness and wellness festival in New York is happening this Saturday. Yes, $165 is a lot of money, but there’s also a lot happening: workouts and competitions you can join, panels with some genuinely interesting people in fitness, recovery experiences, and more brands than you could possibly need to know exist. It’s also a fun place to nerd out with a few thousand other people who care a little too much about working out. Maddie will be there, so go find her and say hi.

Saturday September 26: TMPL After Dark Strong NY Afterparty (Midtown), 8PM, $100

Sometimes its fun to see intense fitness people let loose a little bit. After spending all day talking about HRV, workout splits, how much creatine to take, and whatever else people who willingly go to a fitness festival talk about, Strong NY is hosting an official afterparty at TMPL Bathhouse (which, judging from its social presence, is definitely aiming to be the hot girl party sauna.) Cocktails courtesy of Celsius? I can’t say I hate it. The party is included with a Platinum Strong NY ticket, or you can buy a ticket separately if you want to skip the day portion.

Sunday September 27: MMMILE 26 Race (Bushwick), 8AM, $21

You don’t have to be a seriously competitive runner to join in on this fun one-mile race down Knickerbocker Ave. Hosted by MMM ATLETICO run club, it’s sure to be a vibe. Plus the price is right and you’ll get a bandana and tote bag with registration.

things we like lately:

• I’m obsessed with this North Face tote bag, which I took as my personal item on a trip to Costa Rica last week and have been carrying it everywhere around the city, too.

• New Balance’s SuperComp Elite 6 are some of the most approachable carbon-plated race day running shoes, and even my slow ass can wear them without my legs yelling at me after my 2.5-hour half marathon. Debating wearing them for the marathon in November.

• This guided Tonglen meditation by Tara Brach. Years ago this Buddhist practice had been a non-negotiable for me (Maddie) when I was going through something hard. I recently rediscovered it and have been thinking about it often ever since.

• I was curious yet almost dissuaded by Snif’s new scent—Lychee Lacquer—when the brand described it as smelling like a nail salon? But it’s delightfully fruity, a lil rosey, but still sharp and fresh. At first whiff, I didn’t love it, but I promise it smells nothing like nail polish on my clothing.

• Tucked into the industrial east side of Greenpoint, Newtown Creek Nature Walk is a sweet little green space along a previously toxic waterway. I ran over the bridges and along native-plated lined paths on my run and passed people skipping rocks (seemingly on a date), having picnics, and reading books.

happenings around town

• covered the emerging “sport” of aufguss (sauna performances with lights, music, twirling towels, choreography, and aromatherapy) for Vanity Fair. Worth a read.

• Why is Othership hosting comedy nights? Does anyone really want to listen to a standup set while marinating in their own sweat? The description of this event is performative wellness at its finest: “This isn’t your average comedy show—it’s a ritual of collective joy. A night where towel-waving, aromatherapy, and shifting temperatures create an atmosphere where walls drop, laughter flows, and connection runs deep.” Gag.

• Clothing brand Beyond Yoga has a store pop-up in Flatiron through January, and they’ll also host workout classes in the space. (Disappointed to see they’re priced at $50/class). There will also be a community run/walk ending with a live concert by Natasha Bedingfield (wow a classic), and tickets go live today (Monday) at 12PM.

• The last 10-ish days of September are upon us, which means it’s your last chance to catch Brooklyn Bridge Park’s free Waterfront Workout series this year. This week alone, there's Zumba, sunset yoga, bootcamp, Movement in the Park, morning yoga, Pilates and a stroller run/walk.

• Happy Climate Week (we need it more than ever right now with our current administration). Dear Crisis, a NYC community org, is hosted a full week of ticketed events, games, storytelling, panels and workshops in the East Village. Or just drop by anytime for coffee, food/drink, live music, and conversation.

• Hybrid races are booming, including the recent Urban Iron which had more than 200 competitors run 8-ish miles around the city and perform circuits at three different gyms. Rachel Sacks wrote up what the day was like for New York Post, in case you’re interested in signing up for the next event.

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See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Alice is a self-proclaimed aunty of eight girls, ex elite gymnast, recovering party rat millennial, ultra running relay fan, proud divorcee and passionate advocate of the ‘low mileage, high pilates, joyful training methodology for distance runners because we all need to CALM DOWN.’

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Tell us about your personal approach to taking care of your body.

This has taken years to refine (and I honestly don’t always have it mastered.) I say yes too much, I will nearly always choose a night out over extra sleep, and I don’t have a strict diet, sleep schedule or workout routine. But after years of fucking around & finding out (on both a clinical and social scale), I am a firm believer that if I am enjoying what movement I am doing, I don’t look at health scores/data metrics. I tap into learned patterns/primitive instincts by listening to my body and what she needs. I think I’ve vaguely cracked the longevity aspect of ‘care for my body’ holistically?

I think there’s a sweet spot in the venn diagram of wellness/performance/joy, and I think of it like a delicate web of sorts. This also means some weeks I’m more measured with downtime, sleep, food, intentional movement, but also there’s moments of anarchy and chaos which keeps me balanced. I think this adds range to the endless striving of optimisation of self care.

As a former elite-gymnast-turned-distance-runner, I have lived a (former) life always pushing the boundaries of trying to find the limit, the edge, the top of the ‘performance mountain’, which looks vastly different in these two very juxtaposed sports. It’s safe to say I flew too close to the sun many times and have now dedicated a life of work to finding the limit in the other direction: “How can we achieve good results with the least amount of damage or long-term impact to the body?” My major ethos, to put it quite simply, is never sacrificing any moment of life opportunity or joy to achieve a sporting goal. This means training and conditioning every element of your workouts to fit into your lifestyle and enjoyment preferences, and not the other way around.

I’m a strong believer that balance is a very underrated performance-enhancer and think many in the run community could do with a little more.

Ok, I know you have strong opinions about NYC running culture. Talk to me about it. And what you’re doing with forRunners to bring some much needed balance.

Firstly, I have so much gratitude for the people that run in New York City. They are the entire reason I moved my ass from the peaceful beaches of beautiful Byron to the Wild West of Columbus Avenue, and I am forever in deep thanks to them opening their arms to me, my very bogan Aussie accent and then tolerating me enforcing my pilates and physio rehab into their studio apartments.

One major thing that I have been alarmed by since settling into the culture deeper is how much bigger everything is here. And by that I don’t just mean the size of the wine pours and servings of fries, because I’m completely on board with that, but it’s also the attitude towards high mileage weeks, double threshold days, multiple marathons per year. And aside from doing some occasional lifting, there is not a lot of preventative care, reactive care, or generalised medical facilitation directed specifically to runners.

I’ve had multiple friends with major stress fractures due to overtraining, I’ve witnessed the overt glorification of 100-mile weeks, ultra running is posed as prestigious and fun and overall, the “more = better” ethos here is alive and quite unwell IMO. It’s been incredibly difficult and confusing to see one of the most fierce and progressive cities in the world charging towards running capitalism without any crash mats nearby.

The love and joy of running here is insatiable but the carnage is off chops. I truly love being able to try and help because the love for the sport is like nothing I have seen. We just need more guardrails. Although pilates isn’t saving lives, I think it’s improving the quality of life for every runner that I’ve worked with, and I truly believe that.

Where do you actually workout, recover, and relax in NYC right now?

I’ll be deadly honest here and say I am still trying to work this out. Having come from a small coastal beach town called Barron Bay (which is incredibly eat pray love in it’s entire environment), finding a place to have a little oasis of peace has been challenging but certainly not impossible. It looks very different to a quick surf or quiet pint at a small country pub.

I mostly run alone in Central Park because I love being in nature. I personally don’t do any structured training, or specific sessions. I truly go by feel and vibes on the day, and that’s been incredibly freeing and relaxing for me so I find peace in that. Being able to use running as relaxing sounds a little crazy but I can’t tell you how much an easy run in some trees with a curated Spotify list can calm my Leo fire sign tendencies.

Aside from park jogs, pilates is my major workout preference and, specifically, the forRunners model I and my colleagues have created over the last six years. It’s great for Type B’s who can whip out a flow with no prior planning on a small patch of grass anytime, anywhere. I’ve spent many months trying different workouts and class styles here in New York City, which are great, but I will always come back to the app because it speaks to my personal lifestyle (chaotic) and also my physical needs for running.

Also, nothing relaxes me more than a solo wine date just watching the city do her thing. I do that at least once a week and it’s also a cool way to chat to people or just let the city wash over you like the surf in Byron.

What’s in your metaphoric gym bag?

Look, I’m a woman with baggage. Literal and metaphysical. I have just emptied my ‘day bag workhorse’ onto my mat in my apartment to see what we’re working with and to say I’m prepared for all situations is an understatement. To name the key players:

1) I always travel with my physio kit. I have tape, dry needles, voltaren cream and deep heat, kinesio tape, therabands and hand sanny.

2) there are always rogue snacks of nuts, bars, a spare spoon (teaspoon bc big spoons make me feel stressed), mushroom chocolate which is half melted and other trace pieces of candy.

3) I won’t go anywhere without my headphones, two pairs of sunglasses because one is for indoors and one is for outdoors—I can’t explain it.

4) I always have a pair of bathers and goggles in my bag in case a body of water presents itself that I can enter without getting any sort of long-term sepsis - harder than you think in New York City but you can be an sure I’ll be ready when it does.

5) always a few sachets of instant coffee in case I need a ‘dry shot’ to chase with water (I work really odd hours in many different time zones so sometimes I just have to be able to get jacked at short notice).

6) Chewing gum (tropical flavour)

7) always two tampons

8) a phone charger and

9) Last but not least, a toothbrush in case of a spontaneous sleep over because I’m not wise but more street smart than i used to be.

What do you do to take time for yourself when life gets overwhelming in the city?

I am a little freayk because I am one of those people that does their best work and thrives in chaos. I am yet to feel completely overwhelmed by this city (but I’m sure I will choke on these words in due time.)

Rolling out my mat for 30 minutes in the park is my version of church, so I think I’m lucky enough to do that most days because it’s part of my work. Which may mean I have hacked the emotional regulation system of the city in an accidental way. There’s also the obvious two glasses of natural wine or one singular dry martini which I think is when I am at my best self.

What’s the most overrated thing in wellness right now?

Equipment. Stuff. Things. Gadgets. The consumerism of the industry has taken the soul out of wellness in my opinion. The data tracking and voracious appetite for buying the latest gizmo kills me. I personally want extremely sound research-based evidence before I will touch anything that is an ‘external prop’ to what I’m doing in terms of “wellness.” I wouldn’t say I am a good advocate of the wellness space, I’d like to think I sit more in the performance space of sport. There is a cross over but I try not to dabble too close to the well-sun.

I truly reject how the wellness space can prey on the aesthetic of what it means to be “fit” and, as much as we want to hack the system, I believe the science of being sound of health is so much more nuanced than what we are shown through media. I think doing less and having less is ‘more well’ in many ways. I think it is the opposite of ‘maxxing’. I think minn-ing needs to trend? Can we make this happen please?

What song have you had on repeat lately?

Lola. It’s so relatable to a so life in NYC (obtusely). I’ve actually been listening to the cover of the original by the Raincoats which is really beautiful and kind of gritty.

What have you found lately—books, newsletters, podcasts, accounts—that have stuck with you and why?

This is my fave question because niche forms of entertainment recommendations are my true love language. I come from a family of three sisters and eight nieces, and we have entire group chats dedicated to making sure none of us have to listen to the quiet of our own thoughts if we don’t want to. ANYWAY, I digress….

Books recently - Beartown by Frederick Backman (Think Scandinavian crime drama but add a deep level of fierce and multigenerational sisterhood undertones. You’ll rage, cry, but find hope. All sports humans that like a dark thriller must read this.) Lena Denhum’s Famesick was brilliant (audio version because her voice brings the creative genius of Girls to the present and I think we all need that.)

Podcasts - My Therapist Ghosted Me by Joanne McNally and Vogue Williams is like a defib to my soul. It’s dark, funny, dry, smart and you cannot listen without being obsessed with them and feel more positive about the rest of your day. Also for the Runners, Run with It Podcast is run by Elise Beacom, an Aussie who speaks about 19 languages and worked for the UN for years, an is a 2:48 marathoner. She’s also a journo and podcasting legend and is like a balm to the health bro podcast epidemic.

TV Series - Furious. It’s about a female serial killer and makes you genuinely furious (in a validating & wonderful way.) It’s 99% on Rotten Tomato right now and that is justified.

I love the Roe for ‘cultural anarchist pieces’ and rogue hot takes and the only newsletter I read is The Rundown. MORE PLEASE. Fill my damn inbox.

What’s a gym, spot, or trainer in the city that's underrated and deserves more love?

Hand to my heart, I have tried all classes, gyms you could think of when moving here. I WAS ON A RAMPAGE. Alas, I am a lone wolf weirdo who genuinely will always come back to forRunners App on a patch of grass in the chaos of Central Park. The style and lack of admin required really has my soul in a chokehold. I cannot be released.

That being said, my favourite yoga class is run by the magnificent Eliana Mandelblum who teaches my favourite vinyasa flow in the city at Sky Ting. She has her own freelance work as well and has a beautiful class style and really balanced outlook on wellness as a whole. I highly recommend her flows and energy dealing.

New York is notoriously expensive for pretty much everything, but especially fitness and wellness. What would you do to take care of yourself in a day if you only had $40 to spend.

ABSOLUTELY AGREE.

1) wake up, cut a walk or jog lap of the bridle path inside central park. It’s soft underfoot, off road, and feels really regulating for your nervous system. It reminds me of an Enid Blyton novel from the mid 90’s.

2) Straight to Trader Joes to collect some cold brew, choc-coated peanut butter cups to sustain the subway straight to the free McCarren Park Pool in BK *and also grab, swiss cheese, hummus and olives at TJ’s (this is an important step for later.)

3) Cut some laps/float/frolick/splash/ whatever you want (my Aussie spirit is battling not having a close beach, so this free body of clean water fills me with joy.)

4) I’d grab a Citibike to Radio Bakery, grab a crusty role and meet your mates in Prospect Park on a picnic rug. Take them through a mobility flow (this is my niche love language) and eat bread cheese and bits you squirreled away earlier.

This is very summer-coded, but a day of outdoor movement, park-hopping, water immersion, mates, cheese and stretches on grass could heal most IMO. If there’s a glass of orange going around while you stretch on the with change from the $40, I’d say that’s truly nirvana to me.

It’s been an interesting week and the fitness world, and all I’ve seen people talking about lately is the Hyrox Beijing shitstorm. Puma athlete and current women’s record holder Joanna Wietrzyk had a mid-race disaster that caused a biocontamination hazard for other participants. People have shit themselves during marathons and trail races hundreds of times, but doing it on an indoor course where everyone uses the same floor and equipment (she sat on the rower!) is another level.

HYROX has since said Wietrzyk is being harassed and threatened, which is obviously unacceptable. But I’m curious whether they’ll address the calls to DQ her time, considering the rules are strict enough to penalize athletes for spitting or blowing their nose on the course.

This week: The last gasp of summer fitness series, the merging of pilates and “strength” studios, run through the Vessel, and a free meditation session at Awake NY.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday September 14: We Move NYC Pilates Class (Seaport), 6PM, free

Joe Holder’s free summer series workouts won’t be going on for much longer, so get in while you can. This one is a recovery-focused pilates class led by Monice Small, founder of Goodform Studios and Nike trainer. Or, go to the Saturday strength and conditioning class if you want something a bit more challenging.

Tuesday September 15: Beecee Skincare Launch Day + Coffee (Flatiron), 12PM, free

A new clean beauty brand called beecee with very mysterious branding is launching this week, and they’re hosting a mid-day coffee get-together for people to get a first look at their product line. If you’re one of the first 100 people to show up, coffee is on the brand, so probably get there early.

Wednesday September 16: Bryant Park Yoga by Halara (Bryant Park), 6PM, free

This is the last week of the Bryant Park Yoga series hosted by affordable athleisure brand Halara (their flare leggings have actually been my go-to and lasted me a few years now). We can’t speak to if the yoga instructor is any good, but go get that free yoga class in while the summer series are still running and your only option is an expensive studio.

Thursday September 17: Vessel Run with Equinox (Hudson Yards), 7AM $50

One of the more interesting ways to get your intervals in: A high-intensity interval run class using the stairs in the gorgeous Vessel building. The running is paired with light resistance training using bands. But it comes with a pretty steep price tag.

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Friday September 18: The Outsiders Sunset Meet Up (Meatpacking), 6PM, free

We’ve posted a ton of The Outsiders cool outdoor excursions, but if you’re intimidated to jump into a long outing with a group you’ve never met, they’re hosting a sunset meetup where you can meet new friends and hang out on a rooftop. Seems like a great place to meet a crew of people who will hike or get outdoors with you, if you’re having trouble finding that in the city.

Saturday September 19: Vital Run Club Field Day (Williamsburg), 11AM, $5

Field days are everywhere for the end of summer, including one hosted by Vital Run Club, a pretty popular social group based out of the climbing gym in Greenpoint. Expect egg races, leap frog, and dizzy bat, among other races. The reasonable ticket price includes drinks like sparkling yerba mate and pizza.

Saturday September 19: Free Peace Awake NY Meditation Club (LES), 9AM, free

Every month, Kenji Summers guides people through meditation set to the music of a different New York artist at the Awake NY store on Orchard Street. The listening aspect can be a way for meditation to feel much more approachable.

Saturday September 19: Doodles By Meg x Womens Sports Rally Craft Class (Williamsburg), 2PM, $25

Ok, I’m not big on the whimsy trend, but I could get into it by bedazzling a baseball bat keychain with illustrator Meghan Wallace at Blazer’s Sports Bar (go women’s sports!) It’s hosted in part by Warm Up Szn, an event org for queer artists/allies. Ticket price includes all materials, but drinks aren’t included.

happenings around town

• Daybreaker, the company behind the sober morning dance parties, is hosting an all-day free festival on September 26th with breathwork sessions, a sauna/cold plunge village, DJ sets, run clubs. Regular general admission is sold out, but early bird tickets are available, and all ya gotta do is show up before 11 AM and then you can dance for as long as your legs will allow.

• Literally everyone has a run club, including the hosts of Morning Brew, one of the biggest newsletters in the U.S. They’re back this September, running on Wednesday mornings at 6:30 AM from Hudson River Park. The series is in partnership with NOBULL, who makes pretty crap running shoes but if you end up demoing them, tell me if I’m wrong.

• Arketa, the software platform that powers a huge chunk of boutique fitness, just launched it’s own IRL strength and sculpt studio—Powered—in Lower Manhattan. The picture on the website for their strength class specifies “heavier weights” yet pictures someone holding 5-pound dumbbells. IMO, the market for this type of studio is way oversaturated and we don’t need anymore in NYC. The brick-walled, sunlit studio does look beautiful though.

• You know pilates has peaked when solidcore announces a progressive overload-based strength class. For the first time in nearly 13 years, the brand is launching a new workout called Ascend, a heated, floor-based class that swaps the solidcore machine for heavier weights and strength training. It’ll debut this winter at a new Manhattan West studio before rolling out elsewhere. But if progressive overload is the goal, I’d probably just go lift weights at a nice cheap box gym rather than try to squeeze it into a fast-paced heated class.

• Sauna/cold plunge recovery chain Sweathouz is officially coming to the city, with a Tribeca location set to open in October and at least 12 locations in the works. It’s part of a rise we’ve seen of private contrast therapy rooms (for the introverts), like the ones and SAINT and Remedy Place—completely different than the group gathering nature of the likes of Bathhouse, The Altar and Othership.

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See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

This week: Workout events that include rooftop pool access, many running shoe demos, and a massive fitness festival comes to NYC.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday September 8: New York Disc Golf Glow Round (Central Park), 7:15PM, free

Last time there was a disc golf pop-up in NYC, I went with a couple of friends and it was a blast, even though I am terrible at it. Right now, there’s only one permanent disc golf course in the city (in Highland Park) so this nighttime glow-in-the-dark game is very cool.

Wednesday September 9: Ice Cold Club Breath and Flow Ritual (Williamsburg), 6:30PM, free to $30

Ice Cold Club always reserves a few free spots for its wellness events, and somehow all three are still available as I write this. This one is breathwork and restorative movement. The rooftop setting at the Dime is a gorgeous spot to spend the evening.

Wednesday September 9: Line Dancing at Roberta’s (Williamsburg), 6PM, donation-based

Line dancing is somewhat of a trend recently, and you can get in on the action at this queer-friendly, pay what you can event. Beginner hour is the first half, then intermediate/advanced is from 730 onward. And yes, casual night-out dancing is wellness.

Thursday September 10: King Size Fit Collective 5K Dash and Splash (Williamsburg), 5:30PM, free

5K to brewery? Overdone. 5k to pool party? Absolutely yes. Enjoy the last days of summer with a run with King Size Fit Collective followed by pool time at Coda Beach Club. Free pool access in NYC is hard to come by, so this sounds like a good time.

Thursday September 10: Connect and Climb (Gowanus), 6PM, $20

Thinking about getting into climbing? Here’s a beginner-friendly meetup hosted by We Explore Earth that’s cheaper than a day pass to the gym. Plus it includes rental gear.

Friday September 11: After Hours Girls Try Hyrox (Jersey City), 7:30PM, $45

Hyrox-specific gyms like F45 and Solace can be pretty intimidating and intense for beginners, but for the gals looking to dip their toes in, this 45-minute intro class should be much more approachable. The price isn’t cheap, but you’ll get a little goodie bag with attendance.

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Saturday September 12: NARC Get Sprayed Track Workout (Williamsburg), 10AM, free

Running shoe brand On is really getting the word out about their Lightspray tech (a 3D-printed shoe upper) this week, as we’ve seen them team up with multiple run clubs to offer demos. Our run club of choice would be NARC (Not a Run Club), so stop by the sprint session to check out the shoes for yourself.

Saturday September 12: Believe in the Run Tour and 5K (Hell’s Kitchen), 8:30AM, free

The folks at Believe in the Run, a running media company, do great work (I trust their shoe reviews above pretty much everyone else's), and they’re on tour hosting group runs in different cities. This one is in partnership with NYRR and New Balance, so you can demo some of the brand’s race day shoes and stay for the snacks/drinks post-run.

Saturday September 12: Gorp Girls Curious by Nature Outdoor Day (Upstate), 9AM, $20 if you provide your own transportation

This event is so wholesome! If you can make your way upstate yourself, there are still tickets available for this full-day of outdoor experiences with Gorp Girls. Choose with programming you participate in, whether its fly-fishing lessons, a naturalist walk, painting in nature, hiking, paddling, and outdoor skills demonstrations (like camping, backpacking, safety, and more.)

Saturday September 12: Coffee and Chill End of Summer Party (LIC), 11AM, $37

Coffee and Chill is a series of sober morning parties that include a ton of wellness activations, like cold plunges, a workout, protein shakes, foot/gait analyses. We’ve been to one of them this past winter, and the vibe was a bit too biohacking finance bro-y for us, BUT this one grants you pool access to Summer Club for the day.

Sunday September 13: U - GO Session 002 Athletic Strength and Conditioning Class (Williamsburg), 12PM, $35

With all the talk of unfair trainer pay from big studios like Barry’s, we love to see trainers go independent and carve their own path in the fitness world. Recently, Ugo Peter-Obiagwu did just that and his first class at the Dime was totally packed. He’s a talented trainer who brings high energy, great music, and creative, legitimately challenging movements.

we think you should know

A couple months ago my friend Brian, an NYC yoga teacher I’ve known since 2011 when I took my 200hr training, invited me to co-teach a retreat in Guatemala. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, imagine this: you go somewhere stunning with a cool group of people brought together by the teachers, do yoga once or twice a day in a shala overlooking the water, eat delicious healthy food, forget all about your phone, reconnect to nature, and remember the simple joy of being alive. So it was an easy yes. Even though I’ll be teaching I’m also craving the reset it will give me.

So here are the details: We’ll be at Villa Sumaya on Lake Atitlan from December 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027. In addition to our daily yoga practices, there will be four ceremonies including a traditional sweat lodge (sauna lovers, have you tried this? I have on several occasions and they were quite memorable)

I’m excited to start the year this way and to be co-teaching with Brian and Paulo, both of whom are incredible teachers with styles that complement my own. The rest of the information is here, feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions.

-Maddie

happenings around town

• On September 26, Strong NY, one of the biggest fitness/wellness festivals, comes back to New York for a very full day of workouts, competitions, and an after party. If you've ever wanted to sample a bunch of NYC's fitness scene without buying 10 different classes, this is basically the speed-dating version of popular gyms like The Pack, The Yard, Gotham Gym, etc. It’s a good opportunity to test all the buzzy trends in wellness (IV therapy, InBody scans, acupunture) and see if you like them yourself. A few of the speakers also caught our eye, like Phil Daru, an athletic trainer I’ve followed on IG for years who works with martial artists. Tickets start at $89 which grants access to the “Vendor Village” but not the workouts/main stage, so we recommend the $165 tier which will get you access to everything.

• Sometimes events fill up too fast for us to include them in this newsletter, and that’s the case with Hike Clerb. This women’s hiking club regularly hosts events like bird watching, hikes, and even a summer camp, but September is already full. Maybe worth following them yourself so you don’t miss out next time the RSVPs go live.

• The Altar, a sauna/cold plunge facility in Flatiron, is now open for morning sessions.

• It’s the last week of the US Open, and you can find parties across the city so you can watch without the influencer drama. One option is Fan Fest, which is ticketed but will have musical guests/celeb appearances and afterparties, but you could also just pop down to Berry Park for a honey deuce. It's women-owned, so that’s where I’d choose to watch the women’s final.

• Athletec News published a piece this week about how, according to data pulled from Sweatpals, dance workouts/workshops are most popular in New York, compared to lifting in LA. Not what I would have expected.

• Enso Pilates in Boerum Hill has $10 community classes sporadically scheduled throughout the week. It seems as if they’re teachers in training. I found this Reddit thread with other discounted classes, including apparent $12 classes at Yoga Agora in Astoria and Spirit Labs in Midtown.

• In late September, 24 The Planet—a 24-mile global walking challenge to support regreening the Earth—comes to New York. It’s not too late to join and start fundraising.

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See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Prior to starting CUL DE SAC, Gabe spent 12 years as a product lead at Google and Stripe building early-stage consumer products. You can read more about his experience building CUL DE SAC and other notes on health, wellness, and culture in More Atoms Less Bits (I’ve read it, and that’s why I desperately wanted him for this series.)

Tell us about your personal approach to taking care of your body?

One of the richest lessons I’ve learned is that my physical health doesn’t live in a silo. Tending to it means tending to my mental, emotional, spiritual and social health as well.

On that note, my approach has evolved over the years from one that largely consists of sporadic bouts of extreme physical endeavors (e.g. running the NYC marathon on 2 weeks of training) to one that prioritizes consistency, diversity of movement, and living in rhythm with the sun.

With zero exception, my morning starts with sunlight. I picked up this habit after a particularly bad bout of insomnia a few years ago. After trying almost every sleep hack/supplement in the feed, I read The Circadian Code by Dr. Satchin Panda and was forever changed. The basic premise is that almost every cell in your body runs on a 24-hour clock, and that clock takes its cues from light. Aligning your day to it is one of the most powerful ways to improve your health and vitality.

After my morning walk, the rest of my day is largely governed by this principle. I’ll eat something easy to digest – usually a bowl of oats, maybe some eggs –, and then a pretty varied training week. Two heavy lifts (Monday and Thursday), two cardio days (Tuesday and Friday), one yoga day (Wednesday), and a wild card on Saturday – maybe a long bike ride, maybe a swim, ideally something in the great outdoors. I always have at least one rest day, which I typically spend near a sauna.

I also put a lot of focus on recovery. There’s a common misconception that recovery = doing nothing. Rest is certainly part of it. But recovery is really about doing what’s necessary to help your body heal. Keeping your blood moving, easing sore muscles, doing some breathwork, things like that. Recovery looks different for everyone.

We’re long overdue for a correction on the obsessive focus on metrics and optimization. I get it… I went through a biohacking and Whoop journaling phase. Frankly, when I had the most gadgets, I was the least regulated. These days, recovery for me looks like easy runs, sauna, time in nature, and deep, uninterrupted sleep.

Where do you actually workout, recover, and relax in NYC right now?

In the elements, whenever possible.

Movement: Cardio outside unless dangerous. I try to get at least one of my weekly heavy lifts or yoga sessions in a park. Sure, Equinox is nice, but doing some outdoor calisthenics at the adult fitness center in Tompkins Square Park is free and way better people watching (I’m long overdue for a session s/o ). On weekends, you’ll occasionally find me at Nowadays or LSD on Huron Street. In general, I think the world would be a healthier place if more people looked at deep listening and raving with your friends into the wee hours as wellness.

Recovery: Greenpoint/Williamsburg waterfront on a recovery run, in a sauna (ideally one that’s wood-fired and outdoors :P), on a cushion at Three Jewels, or on a hike with friends and family (typically Rockefeller State Park where I grew up).

Relax: writing, reading, dozing in and out of consciousness somewhere in a mountain range far far away from New York City. I’m an avid snowboarder and grew up riding in Vermont, so being in the mountains has always been my happy place. I try to escape for a reset at least 2x/year.

You started CUL DE SAC—a pop-up sauna that was most recently in a community garden in the East Village. What was the idea behind it? What do you think it’s adding to (or challenging about) NYC’s existing wellness scene?

CUL DE SAC started as an experiment.

I spent some time in the Nordics last summer and was struck by how sauna and bathing culture are woven into the public infrastructure there. In cities like Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki, saunas are low cost or free utilities – communal gathering hubs built into the city in the way a basketball court or bodega is in New York.

The other thing that struck me is that no one there calls it “wellness.” These are thousand-year-old social and cultural traditions. It’s what people have been using to take care of themselves and others long before a $10T industry existed.

I came back to New York not only craving that, but also questioning what “wellness” even means here. So often it gets peddled at us in the form of $60 cold plunges, a $100 supplement stack, a $300 studio membership. I like to call this big-W wellness: the industry’s manufactured idea of what we need to be well. Sure, some of those things make us feel good, but so does dancing at a rave with your friends, getting lost at a museum for an afternoon, or camping upstate with no service.

CUL DE SAC is a marriage of those threads. It’s our attempt at creating the city’s first outdoor community sauna with a cultural footprint. A place that’s affordable, accessible, and open-ended about what it means to live well. A place where everyone undresses and becomes just a New Yorker sitting next to another New Yorker. For the past 9 months, we’ve been running pop ups transforming the city’s parks and plazas into open-air bathhouses as a way to prove the concept, grow our community, and talk to people about what they actually want from a space like this.

There is a dizzying number of bathhouse and contrast therapy spaces in New York. But heat, cold, water, sound, and movement have always existed – and always will – without any industry. We’re challenging the idea that a place like this is a luxury good, that it has to be indoors, or that it should exist within the silo of what’s commercially considered “wellness.”

What’s in your (metaphoric) gym bag? (ie. the products, gear, etc you use all the time)

I’ve drastically reduced my footprint over the past few years, mostly because I loathe the idea of needing to buy something in order to feel well. I spent way too much time in my twenties building a rigid protocol of supplements, products, gear, wellness hacks, and other esoteric routines to achieve *peak* human performance, whatever that is. These days, the bag is small…

• A good pair of running shoes – Hoka Cliftons (I’m in a very cushy era of my life)

• Light, breathable training gear (I run hot) – a bunch of old Satisfy pieces

• A good mineral-based SPF – Freaks of Nature

• Natural, plastic-free sauna shorts – I basically live in Norse Sauna’s Bambu shorts

• Electrolytes – Trace ZeroLyte (great flavors and not too salty) or LMNT when I’m at CUL DE SAC

• An old pair of wired headphones

What do you do to take time for yourself when life gets overwhelming in the city?

I’m a bit of a broken record at this point, but nature is very grounding for me. If it’s winter time, I’ll try to escape for a weekend in the mountains with my splitboard. If it’s warmer months, I’ll throw something ambient and experimental on the headphones and get on my bike for a long ride to Coney Island. Generally speaking, I’ve found that moving my body and being in nature trends toward panacea territory.

What's the most overrated thing in wellness right now?

Supplements in general are way overhyped. IANAD, and of course there are sound reasons to supplement with different vitamins, minerals, tinctures etc. depending on personal circumstances. But the industry has gone way out of pocket shilling unregulated sugar pills and convincing people they need a fancy “stack” to feel good. Reddit (and increasingly Substack :/) is a minefield for this.

Maybe 8 months ago I stopped taking most of my daily supplements - multivitamin, B-complex, vitamin D+K2, CoQ10, vitamin C, Lactoferrin - and, after a week or two of my body recalibrating, I felt the same. If not better. Now I spend less money and have a way chiller morning without a fistful of rando pills to start my day.

My 2c: ignore the supplement-du-jour and put that energy into natural interventions – sunlight, nutrition, sleep, movement, stress management. Optimization culture is consumerism masquerading as self-improvement.

What song have you had on repeat lately?

I’ve been on more of a Soundcloud kick lately, focusing on deeper, more intentional listening vs. the usual Spotify shuffle. I find the transitions between songs in longer sets to be magical moments where you can not only appreciate the DJ’s technical skills but also discover entirely novel sound experiences through the mashup of different tracks.

Current set on repeat: Eli Escobar’s Romance Mixtape. NY 4EVER <3

Honorable mention: Carpet (F.L.H.P) at CUL DE SAC

What have you found lately—books, newsletters, podcasts, accounts—that have stuck with you and why?

Books: Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Gregory Bateson (free link). Pretty foundational and shaped how I think about physical health within the broader context of well-being.

Podcasts: Dharmapunx NYC

Substack: , Sasha Chapin

I spent a few years going really deep with meditation, partly facilitated by a yoga + meditation studio called Three Jewels in the East Village. Someone asked me the other day about my relationship to meditation and my answer was… “estranged.” I want to get better at meditating regularly – I could write endlessly about why – and the algorithms know that. Every now and then I’ll find myself on Substack/Twitter in the depths of esoteric discussion on consciousness and smile at the nuggets of wisdom that somehow find their way to me.

What’s a gym, spot, or trainer in the city that's underrated and deserves more love?

It shocks me that this could be in the realm of gatekeeping but…

The Y. Best value for a gym in the city. Cardio, weight room, swimming pool, and a sauna for $70/month. And there’s one in almost every neighborhood.

New York is notoriously expensive for pretty much everything, but especially fitness and wellness. What would you do to take care of yourself in a day if you only had $40 to spend.

Start the day with a long run in Prospect Park or along the WSH. Around mid-day, a donation-based yoga class at a community garden (Chelsey at Elizabeth Street Gardens or Renata at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden are both wonderful) or some calisthenics at Columbus Park in Chinatown. Late afternoon, a wood-fired sauna + cold plunge session at CUL DE SAC to wind it down. And honorable mention to what Joe Holder has been doing at Seaport – weekly guided outdoor workouts, all waterfront, all FREE.99.

Health and wellness /= spending money. Despite what the algorithm tells you, you do not need to join a fancy membership club or get NAD+ injections to live well.

And at the end of the day, you’ll still have some left over to pay cover at Nowadays.

<3

Also of note this past week, we launched the first of a new Q&A series about the wellness routines of New Yorkers you should know. If you checked it out, we’d love to hear what you liked or any feedback for future editions.

This week: US Open events, a new endeavor from Life Time, and a recap of what we saw from the trail scene at UTMB.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday September 1: Antevasin Move x Good 5K and Conversation (Dumbo), 6PM, donation-based

Antevasin is cool: In a sea of people using “community” as a buzzword, their Move x Good initiative exists to actually inspire conversations about what building community actually means. Tuesday, join for a 5K, followed by conversation with founder/nike coach Maga Villarreal, runner/marketing expert Olga De Andres, and psychotherapist/podcaster Pamela Garcia. Events are donation based, with this one supporting Venezuela and Colombia’s recent earthquake recovery.

Tuesday September 1: Adidas x Jennie Launch Party (LES), 7PM, free

Adidas is hosting a launch party of its new collection with kpop phenom, Jennie, this week at Extra Butter, a sneaker shop in LES. RSVP doesn’t guarantee entry, FYI, but you’ll stay up to date on the info you need to know for your best chance of getting in.

Wednesday September 2: Grind House x Kove Studio Cycle and Recovery Night (Williamsburg), 630PM, $20

We love seeing partnerships between gyms + recovery spaces because that means better deals for you than spending $40 on a single class. Instead, take a 45-minute cycling class at Grind House and follow it up with sauna/cold plunging/compression therapy at Kove for half the price.

Thursday September 3: 2026 OSR Proto Series: OSR1 1-Mile Unsanctioned Race (Midtown) 1AM, $60 race registration

Most of OSR’s unsanctioned race series involve the chaos of navigating an unmarked route through the city to hit certain checkpoints. This one is more straightforward: Run one mile through Midtown as fast as you can. At 1AM. Everyone is running the same route, and most runners will probably be pretty damn speedy. If you want to get involved in the unsanctioned race community, you can also sign up to volunteer.

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Thursday September 3: Ice Cold Club Just Chill With Us (Gowanus), 630PM, $30

Last week we talked about how Ice Cold Club regularly gives away a few spots in their cold plunging series for free to the first few sign ups on Forte. This event has one free spot left at the time of publishing this newsletter. Otherwise it’s ticketed, but worth it for the welcoming crew and rooftop sunset vibes.

Friday September 4: Rooftop Yoga at the Brooklyn Grange (Brooklyn Navy Yard), 830AM, $10+

Good news: The rooftop yoga classes hosted Brooklyn Grange, an urban farm in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, don’t sell out nearly as quickly. Bad news: They’re no longer free. You can book the name-your-price class at a minimum of $10 and spend a Friday morning surrounded by greenery with city skyline views.

Saturday September 5: Goldfinger Track Club Long Run (Brooklyn), 7AM, free

Need some extra motivation to get your long run in this week? (I know I sure do.) Join this all paces long run with GFTC that hits multiple bridges so you can get your hill training in if you’re running New York this fall.

A lil Chamonix recap:

NYC’s fitness scene doesn’t exist in a bubble. That much was clear when I touched down in Chamonix for UTMB this past week. Beyond the mountain backdrop and the ten thousand times I heard “that is not possible” in a French accent, the brands and people who attended the race looked very much like a demographic you could catch walking around Williamsburg on any given day.

For one week, this tiny mountain town (population: 8700, race day pop: 100k) becomes the center of the trail running universe: I watched the crowd go wild under the iconic arch when Ben Dhiman broke the course record for the 107-mile route by over an hour, and when Lauren Gregory pulled ahead in the last mile to win the 37-mile OCC route with Naomi Lang tailing her by only three seconds.

But brands also descend of the town to get in on the action. There were shakeout runs, parties, limited-edition merch, product launches and more “activations” than I could count.

I saw runners decked out in Nike ACG camo fits, Hoka Tecton x 4s with airbrushed flames on the toebox, and oversized, graphic cotton Satisfy tees reading Off-Road Supply. I don’t necessarily think that means those things are trending so much as it shows which brands were most successful at getting their stuff onto people.

I was a trail runner long before I lived in New York, so it’s a little strange to watch the hype-y collision of running and fashion make its way onto the trails. But at the same time, a lot of the running and sportswear trends that we see in the city start in trail culture and trickle down. Pit Viper brought back Y2K wraparound, bug-eyed shades years before people started snatching up vintage Oakleys on DePop, and Salomon’s rugged trail running sneaker inspired an entire aesthetic of streetwear that continues today.

At this point, it’s hard to tell which way the influence is actually flowing now (or if we’re all just in one big Instagram feedback loop.) I just hope the trail love gives city runners permission to stop hating on running vests now.

happenings around town

• If you want to continue the summer of sport and watch the US Open on a big screen, head on down to Hudson Yards where there’s a weeklong public fan zone. They will have evening DJ sets and the iconic (ie. notorious) Honey Deuce cocktail available for $22.

• Life Time is launching a new invite-only social club, Life Time Social (waitlist open for members on the app.) It’s another example of the increasingly blurry line between working out and going out: Lifestyle brands are moving into wellness, while fitness brands are trying to own more of your social life.

• SharkNinja and Who What Wear are hosting a pop-up—The Serve—to capitalize on the US Open energy. It’s open Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 6PM, with hairstyle stations, a skincare lounge, and a slushi bar.

• Former Solidcore coach and The Class instructor James Crawford Barnett is opening his own reformer pilates studio, TerraCut Studio, in the East Village. Preview classes start on September 8th.

• You can still sign up for unsanctioned hybrid fitness competition, Urban Iron, on September 13th. Hit three gyms (in the right order), perform a short circuit at each, and accumulate about 8 miles of running in between them. Like all good NYC fitness events, there’s a recovery party at the finish line.

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meanwhile…

I wish I never had to write the word activation again.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Meet Kennyth “Ken” Montes de Oca: the founder of Ken Pilates, a boutique spring-resistance Pilates brand which began in a second bedroom during the pandemic. In the often overly-homogenous NYC fitness—and especially pilates—scene (sorry but you know it’s true), Ken Pilates is a BIPOC and queer-owned studio with a devoted, diverse community.

The business has grown: Ken has two locations in Hoboken, plus he’s opening a Manhattan flagship in Chelsea in September. He is the creator of the SpringSculpt™ method, which teaches contemporary, three-dimensional movement on the Pilates Tower/Springboard. (We need to try this!) And he has strong thoughts about the reformer, which has dominated the pilates scene in the last few years.

A movement professional, dancer, and artist, Ken has been teaching group fitness since 2017. He has performed with Ballet Hispánico’s BHdos and OCA Dance, with credits including the Joyce Theater. Ken also co-produces Hoboken Dance Fest and serves on Hoboken’s arts advisory committee and business alliance.

1. Tell us about your personal approach to taking care of your body?

I like water. This might sound obvious, but we need water. What I like about water, in theory, is how clear it is. It helps me clear my mind. It helps me clear my body. So I like to hydrate a lot. I like to go to the beach, take a shower, do a cold plunge. Water is healing, and sometimes just being near a body of water, I can feel my body resetting in real time. It connects to where I’m from. I’m from the Dominican Republic. The beach wasn’t that far away from me growing up.

In Pilates, we talk a lot about alignment of the body, and sometimes that can be anxiety-inducing… to feel like everything has to be in the right place at all times in order to feel great. But at the end of the day, if you find alignment, you will find flow. I think that life is all about flowing, and if there’s something that gives us the biggest lesson on what flowing is, it’s water.

That even goes to how I sequence for clients. It’s about how it flows. Like in yoga, getting lost in a vinyasa flow can be meditative and physically empowering. Being able to flow, like water, is how I approach taking my body every day.

2. Where do you actually workout, recover, and relax in NYC right now?

I’m loving the bathhouse culture booming in the city! I love Bathhouse for a long day; I switch between working on my computer at the in-house cafe and hopping into a sauna.

Othership is fantastic for a quick sauna and cold plunge session in between meetings.

I love Restore because it’s a one-stop shop place for recovery. I love compression boots, and I’m quick for an IV. (Actually, an IV sounds great right now…) I love places that have it all.

I’m really looking forward to Furoya opening on 13th and 6th, right next to Ken Pilates NYC.

And, all that said, I’m still a Hoboken girlie, and many of my workouts are in the Mile Square. I love Real Hot Yoga, Project Sculpt, and my own instructors at Ken Pilates Hoboken.

3. What’s in your (metaphoric) gym bag?

A workout journal; a Burga Canary Yellow Water Bottle; LMNT electrolyte packets; a crystal (the specific type depends on my mood); Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 and Dior Homme Cologne; a pair of grip socks; and ATOBARRIER365 Hydrating Milky Cream Mist (it’s life changing - I carry it everywhere).

4. You opened your studio, Ken Pilates in Hoboken and you’re soon expanding into Chelsea. What is the importance of BIPOC, queer-owned businesses in NYC’s current fitness and wellness scene?

When I opened my first studio in Hoboken, it was out of survival. During the pandemic, I lost my fitness job and my dancing job. I moved to Hoboken to reduce costs, and I taught Pilates on Instagram Live, on Zoom, and on a Reformer in my second bedroom. It was never my goal to grow this big. But it really showed that creating empowering spaces for people was in demand.

I have loved seeing the Ken Pilates studio become what it is. The growth has felt so organic and true to who we are. Some of my favorite memories at Ken Pilates don’t even involve fitness: we’ve hosted queer comedy night, book club, bachata night, outdoor socials in our studio garden. Over the years, I’ve found that our studio is most successful when we produce events based on community. Whereas I feel like in NYC, a lot of fitness programming can feel capitalistic and artificial, leaving clients to search for that sense of community somewhere else. I want my space to be that somewhere else.

The importance of me building this business my way is because there’s somebody out there that looks like me, that feels like me, that wants to feel empowered and have access to community. Wellness is a billion-dollar industry. But Google it for five minutes and it’s pretty clear who that industry is being built for. Just how I love to give access to their body, I also love to give people access to dream and feel a sense of life. Even Joseph Pilates acknowledged that this practice is a “return to life.”

Building it my way also meant not building it on a Reformer. In Hoboken we have two spaces: a private studio where we do one-on-one training, and our group studio on Washington Street (one room, 15 people, all on the Pilates Springboard). The Springboard gives you the springs and the mat at the same time, so we can move three-dimensionally and teach a contemporary style instead of only classical. Fewer spring changes, more flow, a much bigger repertoire. That’s SpringSculpt, and it exists because I was a dancer long before I was an instructor.

Chelsea is that same idea with room to breathe. Three rooms at 541 Sixth Avenue: a private studio, a hot room for heated classes (sculpt, Pilates, strength, dance), and a Tower Room where we’re taking SpringSculpt to the next level. Everybody gets real space, their own station of props and weights, and a class that moves the way we actually move.

I’ll be honest, though: it has taken us almost two years to get here. Two years of the DOB, architects, contractors, mega landlords, brand designers. We are still legally a small business trying to do big things, and the red tape teaches you discipline whether you asked for the lesson or not. Which… fine. I do teach alignment for a living.

I see this expansion as an opportunity to shake up the industry. I want to show all the work we’ve put in to create an empowering space for Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ people. My goal for the company is for other people to find success from within.

5. What do you do to take time for yourself when life gets overwhelming in the city?

Honestly, watching live theater and concert dance. I recently saw Philadanco at The Joyce. They brought so much joy to the stage, and you can feel the energy of the City of Philadelphia and its vibrancy. I felt like I vacationed just by going to a show. When life is overwhelming, I like to feel like a tourist.

But really, whatever the art form is, I search for active acts of presence. In this day and age of AI and technology, it’s healing to see people be real and genuine, and doing what they love with passion and authenticity.

I’m also involved in Soulskin Dance Company, and this is another way I can shut off my brain and turn off my phone. My castmates in that company are all teachers of somatic practices. I like that we all get to share that with each other. What I like about it the most is that every performer in there is there for the same reason. It’s our time to make art. We can put all this information we know about our bodies into something real and can make people feel something.

6. What’s the most overrated thing in wellness right now?

I hope I don’t regret saying this… Reformer Pilates. I love it… but it’s overrated.

And this is coming from someone who has been teaching on that apparatus since 2017. It’s how I learned. It’s literally what was in my second bedroom.

I only say this because the Pilates industry is growing rapidly right now, and this one apparatus has a chokehold on it. And it’s changing how the industry works. It’s no secret that some studios will hire an instructor after one weekend of training. Clients feel it, and studios feel it, too.

To be fair, there are a lot of people who are creative on the Reformer, and kudos to those instructors. I love people who challenge the limits of the apparatus by being intuitive and incorporating different somatic practices in one class. Those are the classes I love to take. People who aren’t afraid to move in different planes of motion, incorporating the principles of Joseph but trying new ways to use the equipment.

It’s also exactly why we built our group studio on the Pilates Springboard instead (springs and mat at once, three-dimensional movement, fewer spring changes, more flow). And why Chelsea is getting a whole Tower Room.

So from the client side: don’t be scared of the rest of the equipment. If you really want your ass kicked, try the Pilates Chair. Or test your alignment by booking a private on the Pilates Cadillac. Treat yourself to a class on the Pilates Tower, or take a chance on the Pilates Springboard.

Like… girl! There is a whole system of apparatus out here and the industry is behaving like there’s one. I’m not trying to run a basic b*tch studio.

7. What song have you had on repeat lately?

4 Minutes by Madonna.

It’s literally a manifestation song. “If you want it / You already got it / If you thought it / It better be what you want.”

Confessions II has been on in the studio all summer and it sent me straight back into her catalog. She’s done the work. She still does the work.

Madonna pushes the industry by being bold, and that boldness has meant something real for the LGBTQ community. She disrupts, and then everybody else catches up. That’s the career I want.

8. What have you found lately—books, newsletters, podcasts, accounts—that have stuck with you and why?

These aren’t really fitness related (lol), but they’ve stuck with me:

Ryan Walker. He creates high-quality travel review videos. I’m so busy, I feel like I’m traveling with him.

The Art of the Brand. As I’ve been growing my own brand, I’m obsessed with hearing different perspectives on how people build theirs.

Lushious Massacr. She makes me laugh whenever I need it most!

9. What’s a gym, spot, or trainer in the city that’s underrated and deserves more love?

The adult dance classes at Gibney, Ailey, and Ballet Hispánico, just to name a few. Dance is fitness. Dance is joy. I’m a professional dancer, and dance is what lets me move my body in different ways, which is what fitness is all about. If you are a non-dancer, I recommend it!

Many of these spaces are non-profits, too, so it’s a great way to support the arts.

10. New York is notoriously expensive for pretty much everything, but especially fitness and wellness. What would you do to take care of yourself in a day if you only had $40 to spend.

$40 = 3 dirty martinis and a walk on the High Line

…Okay, the honest version: a drop-in adult dance class and the biggest bottle of water I can find. Movement and water. It’s always movement and water.

Thanks for reading, we hope you found some little nuggets to bring into your own life. Have someone you think would be a great fit for this series? Send us an email!

<3

This week: A new app that tracks which blocks you’ve walked, a free run club led by Dan Churchill, and a new workout series from a former AARMY coach.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday August 24: Ice Cold Club Breathe and Flow Ritual (Williamsburg), 630PM, $30

Yesterday, I stopped by the gorgeous rooftop garden of The Dime where Lauren Schramm holds her Ice Cold Club. This event is a guided session of breathwork and then plunging led by Jen Frodsham, and what’s even cooler is that for all of their events, they have three to five free slots before they start ticketing, so if you pay enough attention to Forte, you may eventually snag one of these spots.

Wednesday August 26: Crew Love with World’s Fair Run Crew, Mile Style, and Hoka (Midtown), 7PM, free

Two cool run clubs—Queens-based WRFC and Bronx-based Mile Style—are joining forces to host a run club out of the Hoka Flagship store in Midtown this Wednesday. You can demo some Hoka shoes and stick around for light bites.

Friday August 28: The Morning Disconnect (NoMad), 730AM, $25

This price is sort of a steal for an outdoor boxing workout from Stable House plus recovery at the intimate, “speakeasy-style” Finnish sauna and ice bath Elahni. Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday morning before work.

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Saturday August 29: Nike Who Runs NYC? Street Race (LES), 12PM, free

All week I’ve seen the news about Nike hosting a street race, and the winner gets a month of rent paid for. Unfortunately, the race is already full (so unless you’re already registered you can’t race for a chance at the prize), but you can head down to Orchard Street to spectate. If I was in town, I’d definitely go cheer and dance to the DJ sets.

Saturday August 29: The Yard Williamsburg Community Session (Williamsburg), 850AM or 10AM, free

The Yard, an Australian-based group strength and conditioning gym with a location in Williamsburg, is a great place to learn compound barbell lifts alongside hybrid style movements, like wall balls and ski erg. Their Saturday “Pay Day” sessions are free and open to the public so you can check out what their community is like without paying a drop in fee.

Saturday August 29: Love All Street Open Tennis Event (Elmhurst), 2PM, free

Get into the U.S. Open vibe with tennis clinics and competitions at this block party event through All Love Racquet Club, in partnership with Jordan for the brand’s new tennis collection. There’s both kids and adults programming (the latter starts around 4:30PM). Tennis is for everyone!

Sunday August 30: Force of Nature Athletic Club (Flatiron), 730AM, free

Head to the On flagship store for a fun morning with Force of Nature Meats including a 5k or 10k run led by hybrid athlete/chef Dan Churchill, coffee and breakfast tacos, and a panel about fueling for performance/recovery. RSVP in advance!

happenings around town

• On Sunday, Ugo Peter-Obiagwu, a former AARMY coach who stepped away from the gym this summer to do his own thing, hosted his first workout session of his new I Go U Go series. I attended, and man, the class kicked my ass. (I’m bad at anything involving muscular endurance—high reps, low weight is my personal hell.) He programmed mostly fast-paced strength and conditioning using just a few resistance bands (I was surprised at how hard he could make it just using bands) with a little boxing sprinkled in, all to the rhythm of Afrobeats. It’s definitely geared toward a more advanced exerciser: There aren’t a ton of form cues and it moves quickly. It’s similar to AARMY’s bootcamp classes but with a much more welcoming and fun atmosphere. Excited to see what’s next for Session 002 in a couple of weeks.

• There’s a fascinating debate going on about whether or not a little plaza outside of Guastavino’s, a private event space on E 59th St and 1st Ave, is actually public property. Apparently, its lease with the city says it is public space, but the business has been kicking out people who hang out there. Guastavino’s also appears to have deactivated its social media, presumably after getting flooded with negative comments. Time for a picnic?

• I’m the type of person who wants my Strava heat map to be outlined with orange across every block in NYC (peep my progress below), so I’m delighted to see this new Walk NYC app that automatically tracks each block you walk without you having to start an activity. It functions like the pedometer on your phone. My completely unnecessary quest to walk/run every street in New York just got easier.

  

• Moss, a members-only club that opened in Midtown this past December, has an “aquatics and athletics” club downstairs called Bedrock, complete with a bathhouse, vintage-inspired gym, pickleball courts, and spa treatments. I visited this past week and it was one of the most peaceful places I’ve been in NYC—only saw a handful of other folks in my 6+ hours there.

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meanwhile…

For the past few months, there’s been a growing conversation about whether the boutique fitness model actually works for the coaches. The topic has picked up steam after news circulated about Barry’s non-compete policy for some instructors: If trainers only work pay-per-class and don’t have full time/benefits options through a single studio, but are also limited in where else they can teach, it becomes pretty difficult (ok, actually wildly difficult) to make fitness a sustainable career.

This post offers an interesting perspective on that, and gets at another idea I think about a lot: Stringing together a bunch of random classes at a bunch of different gyms (which the current model encourages) might be fun, but it isn’t necessarily training. If your goal is to actually get stronger, faster, or better at something, progression and consistency matter. And for that, it helps to have one good coach who you love.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Some fun news this week:

We’re giving one subscriber a pair of the new Saucony Paramount Max.

I’ve been living in this new pillowy, max cushion running shoe for nearly all my runs, so we were stoked when Saucony asked us if we wanted to partner to give away a pair to one person in our Rundown NYC family. We think you’ll love them: They have a fun 2000s sneaker look that we haven’t seen in a performance shoe before, and they’re also very soft yet decently speedy. Great for easy runs.

You’ll have to fill out the Google form to enter. Want an extra entry? Send it to a friend. If they subscribe + enter, have them put your name in the referral field.

ENTER HERE!*

^{*Must be subscribed to win. Love you. We’ll email the winner on Thursday AM!}

This week: Organized trail runs, a free boxing class, and a firsthand account of a failed activation from a new fitness dating app.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday August 18: Usal NYC Run Crew Trail Run (Prospect Park), 7PM, free

The third Tuesday of every month (aka this Tuesday), cool kid group Usal hosts a 4.5-mile trail run winding through Prospect Park’s forests and along the lake. I’ve somehow never figured out how to string together that many miles of actual trail in Prospect Park, so even if I can’t make it, I’ll be stealing their Strava route.

Tuesday August 18: Soft Bar x Crunch Chisel + Happy Hour (Chelsea), 6PM, free

Soft Bar has been showing up in so many fitness collabs lately, and next up is Crunch. I just visited the Chelsea location this week for a leg day and to check out their recovery room, and it’s a very nice gym with high ceilings for the neighborhood! After a special 40-minute workout, there will be an NA happy hour from the team at Soft Bar.

Thursday August 20: Mind Reset Yoga Class (Williamsburg), 6PM, free

A beginner-friendly yoga class set to a bossa nova soundtrack, with Caipirinhas post-sweat? Ok cool! It’ll be at Mother HQ in Brooklyn, and based on their retrofuturistic IG aesthetic, I’m itching to see what the space looks like.

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Saturday August 22: Hike Clerb Staten Island Kayaking with Merrell (Staten Island), 10AM, free

Usually we don’t include sold out events, but it may be worth joining the waitlist for this free kayaking excursion from Hike Clerb and shoe brand Merrell (who is actually walking the walk in terms of outdoor inclusivity more than any other brand, IMO).

Saturday August 22: Walk The Length of Manhattan (Manhattan), 10AM, free

The other day a girl asked me who on earth would spend their time browsing Partiful. (She didn’t know I write this newsletter.) But gotta say, there are some weird and wonderful events on there, like this invite to walk the length of Manhattan, which has over 1300 RSVPs. It’s hosted by Comet Sports Club, the team that hosted the childhood nightmare-inducing pacer test in Central Park a few weekends ago.

Saturday August 22: Dirt City Brooklyn Connector (Brooklyn), 730AM, $20

Prospect Park gets all the attention, but Brooklyn has way more trail than people realize. Miler Running’s Dirt City series is hosting long runs (three different length options), and the longest takes you from Fort Greene, down to Prospect Park, over to Highland Park, through the trails at Forest Park, and ends at a brewery in Ridgewood. There will be aid stations, and the registration fee is donated to Natural Areas Conservancy, a local environmental nonprofit that champions urban natural areas in New York City.

Sunday August 23: Sunday Social Bike Ride (Queens), 9AM, free

Le Tour de Queens is hosting a 19-mile social bike ride that takes you across three boroughs with a chill crew. It’s open to all bikes and all experience levels, so it’s a great opportunity for people who want to get more confident with city cycling.

Sunday August 23: Ice Cold Club Yoga to Plunge (Williamsburg), 10AM, $30

A rooftop vinyasa flow followed by a guided cold plunge sounds like a good way to spend a Sunday morning. Cold plunge guide Lauren Schramm has such great energy that she could possibly get me to take a dunk, even though its my worst nightmare.

Sunday August 23: Sunday Boxing Club (Hudson River Park), 10AM, free

Boxing was my first true fitness love (I did it for 6 years but just can’t seem to find a gym close enough to me that I like here….open to suggestions), and I always recommend it for anyone who wants to get some cardio while learning a valuable skill. It’s fun and totally engrossing! But boxing gyms can also be intimidating (if not off-putting) energy, so this park class with Sunday Boxing Club/Candace Alai seems like a great intro.

happenings around town

• Summer Streets comes to Brooklyn and the Bronx this Saturday. Eastern Parkway will be closed to cars for 2.5 miles from Grand Army Plaza to Buffalo Ave in Crown Heights. In the Bronx, you can run/walk/bike Grand Concourse between East Tremont Avenue and Mosholu Parkway.

• had a great write-up this past week about the car crash that destroyed Noir Yoga’s soon-to-be-open new studio space. The team had just finished renovations the week of the crash, and will now have to rebuild once approved by the Department of Buildings. Stoked to hear it will have a garden area for outdoor classes.

• Don’t be surprised if you continue to see the ancient practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) show up everywhere. Last year, ear seeding had a moment (including at Remedy Place), and now wellness center 113 Spring has energy mapping sessions at their Qi Bar, and Service95 just published a piece about Shanghai’s “punk wellness” TCM scene. As The Cut covered back in February, all this newfound cool-factor comes with a predictable downside: people with little connection to—or understanding of—the tradition are bound to start repackaging it for the wellness crowd.

• The Center for Archaic Networks is starting a series of week-long, tech-free residencies (yes, that means no WiFi, no phone, no computer) upstate this winter. Prices are pretty affordable right now ($400/week), and residents can choose how they want to spend their time, whether that be on the typewriter, learning an instrument, joining a work session, or in conversation with one of the three others staying at the same time.

• Urban Iron—the hybrid, unsanctioned race where you run 8 miles, stopping at three gyms to workout along the way—just announced they’re expanding to LA after success in NYC, Chicago, and Austin. The NYC race will be September 13th, and you can still sign-up.

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See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

This week, I rearranged my room and I will say it was one of my favorite activities for my mental wellness in the last month. That, and a library card.

Wellness for me lately also looked like skipping my long run, resting my body, and lounging at the pool/learning Mahjong for the launch of Premier Protein’s new sparkling sodas. (Grapefruit is actually good and not chalky, I wouldn’t lead you astray.)

This week: A new fitness dating app concept event, a ladies’ run/cold plunge, and an interactive art/sports installation at Rockaway Beach.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday August 11: Soft Bar x Emergen-C The Drink of Summer (Williamsburg), 5PM, free

Ok, I really hate that they used AI to make this poster (Emergen-C is a giant brand! Pay someone!) but this is a cute idea and an excuse to go drink some mocktails in a beautiful NA bar in Williamsburg. We love to see more brand events like this open to the public rather than just media/influencers.

Tuesday August 11: Young Savage Fitness Queer Workout Class (LES), 7PM, $25

Standard gyms aren’t always welcoming/inclusive spaces, but this one hour all-levels strength and conditioning class is. Hosted by nonbinary trainer Liana G, this class will teach you the basics of resistance training, or if you’re already experienced, give you a fun, supportive environment to practice.

Wednesday August 12: Reckless Run Crew x Ice Cold Club Run to Plunge Ladies Night (Williamsburg), 630PM, free

For the girls: A run club and recovery night just for you in this partnership between Reckless Run Crew and Ice Cold Club. It’s supposed to be nearly 85 degrees on Wednesday, so a post 5k ice bath doesn’t sound half bad.

Wednesday August 12: Leg Day’s West Side Highway Run-In (West Side Highway), 6PM, free

We reported on Leg Day—a new fitness-based dating app that so far is only available for Equinox users at select gyms—a few weeks ago, and now they’re hosting an “open event” where you download the app, walk/run on the West Side Highway during certain hours, and have the opportunity to connect with other people in the area on the app. If you match, you’ll be invited to a post-run event. Just keep in mind with over 2500 RSVPs, this is NOT an organized run.

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Friday August 14: Crust by Carson x Motto Run Club (Chelsea) 8AM, free

When I was writing a piece for GQ about why I’m going to eat more carbs this year, my editor put me on to baking and running influencer Crust by Carson. He’s hosting a run club in partnership with Motto (a hotel in Chelsea), where they’ll end the run with breakfast and coffee.

Saturday August 15: Free Peace Awake NY Meditation Club (LES), 9AM, free

What better way to start your Saturday morning than with a meditation/breathwork session led by Kenji Summers set to music from a New York artist.

Saturday August 15: Outsiders Caribbean Bike Ride (Manhattan), 12PM, $25

Starting at Columbus Circle, this 22-mile route into Brooklyn stops at Caribbean-owned small food businesses along the route to give you a taste of the best oxtail, jerk chicken, and patties in the city. Ticket doesn’t include food costs, and if you don’t have a bike, rentals are available at the starting location.

Saturday August 15: Street Lights NYC Adult Recess (Murray Hill), 4PM, free

We absolutely love the idea of this event: “Play til the street lights come on.” They’ll be playing childhood favs like freeze tag, double dutch, and dodgeball, and stress that it’s not about networking or fitness, it’s about play as a fundamental human experience.

Sunday August 16: Skyline Sculpt with Claudette (SoHo), 745AM, $35

We’re not usually a huge fan of sculpt workouts (because they’re often marketed as strength training when they’re not), but set in a gorgeous location (ModernHaus rooftop) and led by an instructor we trust, Claudette Sariya, this seems like a great way to start your Sunday morning.

happenings around town

• Narc NYC (Not a Run Club), ATEAM, and Snow Peak are teaming up to host the NARC Nature Camp on September 18 through 20th. The weekend will be at a dreamy farm in the Catskills for three nights and two days (transportation and tents provided) where you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to camp, hike, trail run, swim. It’s sold out with a waitlist, but ATEAM is having a giveaway for tickets so maybe its worth signing up now.

• Kula Yoga Project in Williamsburg is now on ClassPass. I have mixed feelings about this after having seen Classpass’s long term negative impact on studios. But in a market as saturated as New York is, it’s hard to stay visible without being on their platform. And despite being one of the oldest and most established studios in New York, Kula somehow feels like a secret that you’re only in on if you’ve been practicing for a long time or were lucky enough to hear about it through a friend. It’s where you go if you want to learn yoga well rather than just dabble. Even as a teacher, every time I take class there I learn something new or feel a detail I’ve never felt. I’d love for newer yogis to experience us and I’m optimistic that the move to Classpass can facilitate that.

• The US Open Tennis Championships are coming to NY, and it’s fan week August 23 through 29th. Even if you don’t have tickets to the tournament, you can watch players practice and catch qualifying matches for free before the main events.

• If you find yourself in the Rockaways at some point, head to Beach 67 and check out this art installation of playable, sculptural art ping pong tables from six different artists. You can borrow paddles/balls for free on the weekends, but weekdays you’ll have to bring your own.

• Last week, reported that Brooklyn is getting yet another wellness club, teased via a cryptic, artsy website and job listings promising “a new kind of third space.” (Never heard that one before.) Add that to the equally mysterious Marshlands slated to open a “sanctuary” in DUMBO in 2027. How many saunas, cold plunges, and vaguely defined opportunities for connection can one borough sustain?

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meanwhile,

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

This week: Run clubs with shoe demos, free Central Park family camping, and a field day in the park.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Tuesday August 4: Vivobarefoot x Othership Runner’s Night (Williamsburg), 8PM, $35

Sauna/cold plunge space Othership usually costs over $60 for a single session, but this monthly collaboration with barefoot shoe brand Vivobarefoot gets you in for nearly half the price. Join the free 5K beforehand if you just want the run, or stick around afterward for sauna, cold plunge, and a social hour.

Tuesday August 4: The Crate Run Club Track Tuesdays with Adidas (Jamaica), 7PM, free

Track workouts are more fun with a crew, and while Williamsburg is packed with run clubs, there aren’t too many options in other neighborhoods, especially Jamaica, Queens. This week, The Crate Run Club is teaming up with adidas so runners can demo the brand’s most popular supershoe, the Adios Pro 4.

Wednesday August 5: Pétanque at Washington Square Park (Greenwich Village), 12PM - 3PM, free

If you’re the type of person that likes to collect new experiences, well here’s your chance to try a new activity: Pétanque, a French lawn bowling game that dates back to the early 20th century. Every Wednesday in August, you can learn from experts at Washington Square Park.

Wednesday August 5: Reckless Run Crew x Urban Iron at Ray’s (Williamsburg), 645PM, free

Reckless Run Crew has one of the coolest aesthetics in the oversaturated market, and they host a monthly run from Ray’s in Williamsburg. There’s free food (nachos!) and drink specials. But this month they’re also teaming up with Urban Iron, a hybrid race where athletes run between some of NYC’s iconic gyms and complete a workout at each. Show up and run for the chance to win two tickets for the September race.

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Thursday August 6: Outdoor F45 Pop-Up (Dumbo), 7PM, free

Thinking about signing up for Hyrox? This is a free way to try one of Hyrox's official training partners—F45—before committing to a membership. Head down to the turf on Pier 2 for a fun outdoor “bootcamp” (as much as we hate that word) style workout with F45 Dumbo. Don’t expect sled pushes or ski ergs at this class, but it’s a good way to suss out the instructor and vibe of the gym.

Saturday August 8: Summer Streets Manhattan (Manhattan), 7AM - 3PM, free

If you sadly missed last Saturday’s summer streets (like me), don’t sleep on it this week. From 7AM to 3PM, you can run, bike, dance, walk your way from Inwood to Brooklyn Bridge on car-free streets. This year I’m planning to run less so I can actually stop and enjoy more of the activities along the route.

Sunday August 9: Peak and Pace Field Day (Prospect Park), 3PM, $10

Tap into childhood with a fun field day hosted by run club community Peak and Pace. You can expect all the classics like tug-of-war, sack racing, capture the flag, kickball.

happenings around town

• CityPickle is opening a new space with 11 courts and food trucks in Anchorage Plaza under the Brooklyn Bridge, which led me into a research rabbit hole. Pickleball courts are going for $90/hour+ rentals in NYC? This is absurd. You can get around this pricing by joining in on their $5 community play hours, of which there are many at Wollman Rink this week because of a partnership with Blackstone.

• Summer of sports isn’t over!! Here’s a niche one: The 2026 Ocean Race Atlantic, a transatlantic high-speed sailing race, On September 1, six mixed-gender teams will launch from the East River and race high-speed carbon fiber sailboats all the way to Lorient, France. You’ll be able to watch them sail beneath the Brooklyn Bridge as one of offshore racing’s biggest events kicks off.

• Every year, NYC Parks opens up free camping for families in urban parks like Central Park and Blue Heron Nature Center in Staten Island, and although they’re wildly popular, it’s worth throwing your name in, because the lottery registration opens for some dates today (and each subsequent Monday.)

• Planet Fitness offers a High School Summer Pass program, where teens aged 14 - 19 can work out for free until August 31st. Personally, a deterrent to join this gym, but great news for parents. Some locations even offer free personal training.

• I never thought I’d say it, but golf keeps creeping further into cool-kid culture. The latest example is Hypebeast’s Hypegolf NYC Clubhouse in SoHo running through August 19th. They say it is “designed as a place to practice, explore new equipment, discover emerging brands and connect with the golf community.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported on golf’s growth for younger generations.

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meanwhile, online:

The creator of Hot Girl Walk is in the middle of a trademark battle over the phrase, sending cease-and-desists to small run clubs and independent meetups. I gasped when I heard her claim that before COVID, "walking only existed as the post-dinner thing your mom made you do."

That’s all for this week. If you make it to any of these events, we want to hear about it. Let us know in the comments. And if you come across something worth featuring, send it our way or drop it in the community chat!

Know someone who'd love this newsletter? Forward it their way.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie

Before heading out of town, I stopped by Saucony’s pop-up at Soft Bar, a non-alcoholic bar, for a run led by fellow journo and trainer to test out the new Paramount Max shoes, a delightfully marshmallowy shoe with a wide base for a super stable feel. I’ve been wearing them for every run this week. The partnership goes through Wednesday, so check out Saucony’s Forte page for specifics.

This week: Lots of beginner-friendly run clubs, the BKLYN Mile race, and a summer pick-up kickball game.

on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events

Monday July 27: Seaport Fit x Joe Holder We Move NYC Series (Seaport), 6PM, free

Runners often love to skip strength training or any type of work that helps with injury prevention, so we love the idea behind this free “Run Strong” workout class from Joe Holder. Expect cross training, prehab, strength movements to prepare you to ramp up the mileage.

Wednesday July 29: Mornings in Motion x On Group Run (Williamsburg), 615PM, free

Women’s-only movement collective Mornings in Motion is teaming up with running shoe brand On for a 4-mile run or 1.5-mile walk. You’ll have the chance to demo shoes, too, if you want. As with most run clubs these days, there will be complimentary bevs from Hint water.

Wednesday July 29: WTHN UES: A Night of Mind, Body, and Community (UES), 630PM, $5 - 15

WTHN, a wellness boutique rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, recently opened a new studio on the Upper East Side, and this event is a great introduction to their offerings: acupuncture, ear seeding, coaching prompts. Suggested ticket price is $15, but minimum is $5.

Wednesday July 29: Here & Now: A Phone-Free Experience (Williamsburg), 630PM, $25

Kanso is back with another phone-free experience (because some of us need to be forced to stop scrolling), this time with a jazz band backdrop on the gorgeous patio at FourFixSix cocktail bar. You’ll check your phone at the door and rotate through conversations, for which they’ll provide prompts. We love their premise that in the world of AI, “human connection is the new luxury.”

Wednesday July 29: Cannavita Yoga Night (Astoria), 730PM, free

1, Ya’ll love a free yoga class (we check the most clicked links for each newsletter to better align with what you guys are digging) and 2, dispensaries have been getting in on the wellness action lately, which is a fun evolution. We can’t personally vouch for the quality of the teacher, but Cannavita has done a solid job partnering with other local Astoria wellness businesses + practitioners.

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Saturday August 1: F45 x WEL Burn and Brunch (Dumbo), 1130AM, $20

Bless whoever decided this workout didn't need to start at 7. (Not an early AM workout girl over here….) Circuit training gym F45 is hosting a 60-minute, full-body strength and cardio workout, with light bites like oatmeal bites and a peach matcha refresher after. Not quite brunch in the classic term, but we still think the price is fair.

Saturday August 1: Gorp Girls Hike Club with Ursa Major (Van Cortland Park), 1030AM, $15

Cutie girl group Gorp Girls—who also has branches in Tokyo and LA—is hosting an urban hike up in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. Go touch grass on a four-mile easy hike with other people who love nature!

Saturday August 1: BKLYN Mile Shakeout Run by Hoka (Williamsburg), 10AM, free

Race weekend is upon us, and even if you’re not participating in the iconic BKLYN Mile race, you can join in the energy for a casual shakeout run from Brooklyn Running Co. If you’re planning to race next year, it could be an opportunity to scout out the course.

Sunday August 2: Slow Girl Run Club x Hungry Llama x WEL (Meatpacking), 9AM, free

If you’ve been thinking about joining a run club but want something a bit more beginner-friendly, this one’s perfect. It’s a two mile route and all paces are welcome. Stay for mocktails, coffee, hang outs.

Sunday August 2: Brooklyn Summer Kickball (Williamsburg), 1245PM, free

Summer isn't complete without at least one kickball game. The league is usually sold out, but they're opening this pickup game to anyone. Seems like a fun group, as they go drink frozen margs after the game.

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happenings around town

• This past Wednesday at The Edge, adidas hosted one of the wildest product launch performances we’ve seen for the new Originals Sport collection, a women’s training/lifestyle line. A group of aerialists dangled on ropes on the side of the mirrored building and seemed to defy gravity as they ran horizontal and tossed each other in the air. As a former climber who’s spent a decent bit of time rappelling, the level of control and grace was gorgeous to watch.

• Summer Streets, where the city closes major streets so they’re pedestrian-only, is one of the best parts about summer. And one of our favorite routes returns this Saturday: From 7AM to 3PM, you can frolic from the Brooklyn Bridge, down Park Ave, all the way up Broadway to Dyckman Street in Inwood without worrying about cars. Last year, I stopped for free donuts at the Great Lawn rest stop by Grand Central and watched a mariachi band on a side street. Maybe a good chance to check out the Met Cloisters while you’re up there.

• The BKLYN MILE—a one mile race along Kent Ave in Williamsburg—is this Sunday. Even if you’re not registered, it should be a good time to spectate.

• Luxury gyms aren’t the only ones adding recovery facilities. Crunch, known for their group fitness, recently introduced a new Relax & Recover space to their Chelsea location, included with the standard membership, which will run you about $120 a month. You won’t get the same aesthetic as a pricey wellness space, but there are pod-style red light saunas, massage beds, and a dry cold plunge?? We're honestly not sure what a dry cold plunge is either, so we'll report back.

• Ton Pilates, an infrared reformer Pilates studio in Astoria, opened in early July. The studio heats the room with infrared panels, making the workout noticeably warmer than a traditional reformer class. They have a three class intro deal for $75, which includes the infrared option.

• The free Athlates core mat pilates classes from Monad Pilates sell out fast, and the next one with available tickets is on August 30th.

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That’s all for this week. If you make it to any of these events, we want to hear about it. Let us know in the comments. And if you come across something worth featuring, send it our way or drop it in the community chat!

Know someone who'd love this newsletter? Forward it their way.

See you next Monday.

— Hannah & Maddie