the NYC wellness routine of a physical therapist & pilates instructor who thinks the city’s run community needs to calm down.

“The love and joy of running here is insatiable, but the carnage is off chops.”

In my humble opinion, I think everybody should know Alice Baquie, physical therapist and app founder of forRunners.app, a pilates training app for runners to reduce injury risk. She’s a ball of energy, very fun, very funny, and one of the warmest people I’ve ever encountered. (We’ve literally only met like three times but she made me feel like an instant friend every time.) She also comes full of strong opinions and an extremely balanced perspective that I think a lot of intense New York runners may need to hear.

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.’

Occupation: Physical therapist, tech founder, Pilates master instructor

Neighborhood: UWS

Astrological Sign: I’m a triple Leo. LOLLLLL. Strap TF in. looool.

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.