Après gym life: New Yorkers may eat food portions twice the size that restrained Londoners do, but you wouldn’t know it from their size. Fit and slim, they run, rollerblade, bike and work out like nobody else in the world. Although gyms were
invented by the Germans, New Yorkers added their own twist on the concept with their urban gyms, with 24/7 opening hours being launched in the ‘90s. New York gymtech is ahead of other cities, with free passes to any gym being commonplace. The pop-in no-contract culture with a 24/7 gym located in key places has also free wi-fi, so as not to put the always-on millennials at risk of
FOMO.
Madison Square hosts one of the best gyms, where class booking is fully automated so there’s no queue at the reception. Simply swipe your free pass, choose your class and pay through the self-pay card readers. A printed receipt is then produced, which trainers accept as proof-of-payment. BootyBarre was the most fun, with participants wired up to the nines with their
‘connected shorts’ and fitness apps on their iPhones giving feedback during the session. The UK’s Sweaty Betty is the go-to for après gym clothing – and obviously, the brand, which only moved to NY a few years ago, has been already embraced by fitness worshipping urbanistas.