Roll your eyes now to just get it out of the way, because we’re about to tell you about a new place in New York City where you can work out then have a glass (or four) of wine — importantly, in that order.
Uplift, in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, is a gym with benefits. “Women who make it through 45 minutes of ‘intense cardio strength training’ get to sip on unlimited wine and cocktails, relaxing and chatting around the studio’s communal table,” reports HuffingtonPost.com.
Are you thinking what we’re thinking?
Yes, research has shown that “Heavy drinking can slow down the body’s recovery after a strenuous workout,” includes HuffingtonPost.com. So don’t check your Gatorade at the door, and mind co-founders’ Helena Wolin and Katie Currie’s philosophy that: “Being in shape and having a robust social life are both harbingers of happy, well-adjusted women. We want to strike a balance.”
There’s that word again: balance — the great mitigator. Hey, it’s not like you’d be drinking and working out at the same time.
The truth is, combining the two activities isn’t at all new. Can you say “Princeton or Harvard Club”? Social clubs go way back and are a great weigh station (no pun intended) between the office and home. Uplift has just done some dusting off.
Are we concerned about women working out, drinking, then hitting the elliptical until they burn off calories that they just imbibed, or skipping dinner because they drank at the gym, or blowing off their boyfriends, husbands and friends in favor of camping out at the gym all night? Sure. But we’re spoil sports like that. And we haven’t yet warmed up to the idea. When we do, I’m sure we’ll be among the Uplifted. It actually sounds like a lot of fun.