Sweat and the City: My NYC Fit Trip Adventure
As two best friends who genuinely love all things related to fitness, we’ve been incorporating fitness into our travels together for as long as we’ve known each other. However, we are officially ready to coin the term, “fit trip.”
What is a Fit Trip?
Fit Trip (noun): A sweat-filled adventure where wanderlust meets workout! A fit trip is the ultimate fusion of fitness and travel, designed for those who love to explore while keeping their bodies in motion.
Whether it’s sunrise yoga on the beach, a high-intensity boot camp in the city, scenic hikes, or dance classes in a new culture, a fit trip is about moving with intention while experiencing new places. It is not just a vacation; it is an energizing, feel-good journey where flights are booked, and muscles are worked! (This differs from a “fitventure,” which will be covered in another blog post.)
A fit trip lets you experience the culture of a place. On your way to your class, you might stop at a charming café for coffee, a locally-owned bookstore for a new read, or visually save a fancy restaurant for dinner.
So, where are we fit tripping? - New York City!
I just got back from my latest travel and fitness trip to New York, full of energy. I started planning this trip pre-pandemic, and now, five years later, I finally got to check off a couple of studios on my social media wishlist.
I also added the extra challenge of running the New York Road Runners United Airlines Half Marathon. A few years ago, I ran the Rock & Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas. The finish line is on the Strip and it is one of only two times out of the year that the Strip is closed to traffic. Once I read that the course New York Half is one of only a few times out of the year where Times Square is closed, I decided to go for it. This is also the first race I’ve chosen to fundraise. I spent the last four months raising funds for Team For Kids - a nonprofit that funds health and fitness programming for youth.
Needless to say, in my own true fashion, this trip was a bit ambitious but worth every moment. Normally, I love to purely strength train and boot camp my way through a city. However, given I was running 13.1 miles around NYC in the middle of this trip, it led me to book a more balanced slate of workouts. Here are my top two recommendations for where you must visit if you want to check out a workout or two while in the city.
Humming Puppy
The New York Half was an adventure on foot from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to Central Park in Manhattan. I'd originally said I'd use all day Saturday to rest up, head to the expo to pick up my bib, eat pasta, and get to bed early.
During some last-minute research for workouts in New York, I saw a recommendation for Humming Puppy. It was described as "one of the most beautiful studios in the city." I decided to check it out and figured a little yoga ahead of the race would be helpful (we will talk about my delusions and rationale later, y'all).
This was one of the best decisions. Humming Puppy was a treat! On first impression, entering the studio and getting settled was a bit hectic. The crowd coming out of the early morning class and the arrival of clients for our class meant the studio was buzzing. However, once we entered the room for yoga, all the hecticness melted away.
I took the "Unified Hum" class, a balanced practice of effort and ease. The class was taught at a steady pace and was great for all levels. Our instructor offered three options for each yoga pose so that every patron could have the practice they needed to kick off their Saturday morning. All classes are guided alongside a curated "Hum", a soundscape designed to enhance focus. The icing on the cake was the sound bath at the end. Our instructor had an amazing voice and after a slightly sweaty practice, it was the perfect way to wind down and zone out before getting back into the hustle of the city.
An Added Gem: On our walk from the studio to the race expo, we passed by and popped into the Poster Museum, the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to posters. We didn’t visit the exhibits but stopped in the gift shop on the first floor. We found some unique souvenirs and I snapped a photo of these books to add to my collection soon.
Tone House
I like a good challenge. A few years ago, I read an article that listed Tone House as “the hardest workout in NYC.” In fact, it went so far as to say Tone House may be the hardest workout anywhere. That’s a bold statement!! It was also all that I needed to hear for this studio to make my list of workouts to try.
Prior to this trip, I’d easily say the hardest workout I’ve ever tried was Cut Seven in Washington D.C. I wanted to see how this compared.
Tone House has a no camera policy inside the workout studio, but I did snag a photo of the recovery room.
While the workout was tough, I had a blast! I signed up for an intermediate-level lower body workout at Tone House. Everything about the experience was what I love in a workout space. The instructor came in with a very encouraging and energetic energy. The music was great. The workout was hard, but structured and achievable. What I loved most was the atmosphere.
Clients were split into groups of four across four “stations.” The workout included heavy back-racked squats, sled pulls, hex bar deadlifts and sandbag walking lunges. In between sets, we completed high rep sets of lower body exercises using dumbbells, like curtsey lunges. My group was made up of all women – two of us were first-time visitors and two regulars. Our group spotted each other during the heavy sets and cheered each other on throughout the workout. It was probably the most welcoming environment out of the studios I visited in NYC.
There is no doubt that I will check out another class the next time I’m in the city.
Want to know what other studios made my list to visit in New York? Well, you have to head over to IG for the full rundown. Check it out and let me know in the comments if a “fit trip” sounds like something you’d add to your travel plans in the future.
CaCera