Let's Talk Fitness And Wellness With "Sweats And The City"

Article Updated: 1/28/2021

Sweats and the City is an Instagram account run by two girls with a passion for fitness and wellness. They left their 9-5s to run their Instagram full time. With a lot of myths in the industry and sites constantly telling you to run yourself to the ground to achieve results, these girls are a breath of fresh air.

Brittany: I've been following you both for a while and love your healthy lifestyle and fitness recommendations. For our readers who aren't familiar with you, can you tell us a little about yourselves?

Elizabeth + Dale: Thank you so much! We are Elizabeth and Dale, founders of @SweatsandtheCity. We were set up as blind roommates a few years back and while living together developed a strong passion for boutique fitness. We loved the community aspect and the "me" time that these workout classes allowed us to carve into our 9-5's. We found ourselves coming home each day and discussing the classes we went to and wishing there was a platform that reviewed these studios (along with helpful tips so we wouldn't go into class not knowing the drill!). After searching (and with basically no success), we set out to create our own! From there, we've expanded to an all-encompassing health and wellness blog.

Brittany: What was the most challenging thing about leaving your jobs to pursue your Sweats and the City Instagram full time?

Elizabeth + Dale: When you leave a secure job to work for yourself, it's incredibly scary! Nothing is guaranteed, but you also don't grow by staying in your comfort zone. We reached a point where it became clear to us that we were missing out on a lot of things by being cooped up and unable to build our business every day. We put a lot of planning into the timing of this, and we're so glad we took the plunge!

Brittany: A lot of people are traveling for Christmas. What are your top tips for long flights?

Elizabeth + Dale: Totally - flights are our favorite time to catch up on sleep because no one wants to get to their destination tired and unable to take advantage of the day! We always pack a supportive neck pillow, an eye mask, and our airpods (and often listen to the "White Noise" app on loud to tune everything else out). We also love "Sleep" gummies from Olly, they're all natural, and they SERIOUSLY work. A good book is also very important! In terms of food, we highly recommend bringing meals from home that you enjoy. We have never regretted bringing a bag full of Hu Kitchen with us on a flight!

Brittany: Recently, more and more sites are saying you really don't need so much cardio to lose weight. Do you both do cardio or prefer more low impact workouts?

Elizabeth + Dale: We are ALL about the low impact workouts! While cardio absolutely has its place, we're at a point where we've realized our bodies respond best to just one or two cardio classes per week. We spend the remainder focusing on barre and pilates style workouts.

Brittany: Okay, let's settle this. Which city in the U.S. has the best fitness scene?

Elizabeth + Dale: This is a tough one! We'd have to say it's a tie between NYC and LA.

Brittany: What do you like to do for workouts when you're not in a major city like NY or LA?

Elizabeth + Dale: We're big on online streaming: OBE and P.Volve are two of our current favorites. However, we've also been seeing more and more boutique studios popping up around the country, so we do try to check into those first as we genuinely enjoy exploring new fitness territory!

Brittany: Best coffee in NYC?

Elizabeth + Dale: Sant Ambroeus is an all-time favorite of ours. We will always go out of our way to grab one when we're on the Upper East Side or in SoHo. We also love The Elk and Blue Stone Lane.

Brittany: Celebrities like Ariana Grande try to get in at least 12,000 steps a day. In Europe, many people stay healthy by walking, and the fitness industry isn't as big (it was hard for me to find a place to workout in Rome). Do you think it's more important to do a hard workout or spend more time during the day moving?

Elizabeth + Dale: We're ALWAYS on the move, and we think walking is one of the best ways to stay fit, especially while traveling. We always make an effort to walk as much as possible because, on top of exercise, it's a great way to see a new city. When in NYC, we try to walk as much as we can...long distances fly by when we're listening to a great Podcast or our Sweats & The City Playlist on Spotify.

Brittany: What's a typical morning for you both?

Dale: I wake up and immediately make my bed (sometimes even before I go to the bathroom!). Then I freshen up, turn on my Nespresso and foam my almond milk. I'll sip on my coffee while packing my bag for the day and getting dressed. Then I will make my breakfast and watch the news! After I put myself together, I will turn my phone on airplane mode and catch up on texts, DMs, and prepare any content that needs to be posted. After that, I will usually head to a class to start my day!

Elizabeth: I always make my bed first thing, too! After that, I head to the kitchen and heat up some water for my 'morning tonic' - usually just warm water, ACV, and raw honey. I avoid using my phone until I've had my entire tonic, done my morning meditation passage (I love this book), and journaled (usually this just entails writing down three things I'm grateful for). I find this trio to really set my intention for the day.

Brittany: Will we ever see a clothing line, protein powders, or workout essentials like gliders/ankle weights from the "Sweats and the City" brand?

Elizabeth + Dale: We have a collaboration with Riley Versa, our "Sweaty Stuff Bag," which was SO exciting for us. This bag was a really special collaboration because it was not just a new design, but a new product idea that we had envisioned from start to finish with the brand. We also have a partnership with Nike Women, and a curated collection with Gilt City.

Brittany: How often do you both workout?

Dale: 5-6 times per week, usually one or two will be a really light workout and more for stretching like yoga.

Elizabeth: 4-5 times a week, but this truly varies weekly for me! If I'm traveling, I'm not afraid to take a big chunk of time off.

Brittany: Your favorite way to balance a healthy lifestyle?

Elizabeth + Dale: A major priority of ours is leaving time for activities we enjoy outside of just working out! We love to travel and experience different food and cultures, so when we're away, we try not to worry too much about sticking to our routine. We love to eat out and believe in the 80/20 rule, so that we can enjoy ourselves, too!

Brittany: Aside from fitness, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Elizabeth + Dale: We're big readers, and are frequently discussing the books we're reading on our IG Stories. We also love cooking and exploring self-care wherever we are - some of our favorites are the FFF facial at Russak Dermatology and Lymphatic Massage.

Brittany: Your go-to healthy recipe when you have a busy day?

Dale: I love to make Palmini pasta when I'm in a time crunch: it's such an easy, quick and healthy option! It only takes a few minutes to cook, and I throw in tons of vegetables, herbs, Rao's tomato sauce, and a protein like ground turkey or shrimp.

Elizabeth: I'll throw a piece of frozen fish (generally salmon or cod) in the refrigerator at the beginning of the day so that I can just pop it in the oven when I get home at the end of the day. I'll usually coat it in olive oil, sea salt, and lemon slices, and pair it with two sides like green beans and sweet potatoes or quinoa.

Brittany: What's a fun fact no one knows about you?

Dale: I'm left-handed! In boxing classes, this can get annoying, especially when the entire class is generally going one direction and I have to go the other.

Elizabeth: I get INSANE goosebumps. Anyone who knows me has made fun of me for this at one point or another. I'm not sure if I'm just always cold or if I'm very reactive...maybe both? Haha!

Brittany: Any New Year's resolutions?

Dale: Improve my ability to be present and put my phone down, especially when I'm with people who matter most to me! It's so hard to do this when your business revolves around your phone, but I think with better time blocking skills I can make it happen. There's a lot of back and forth talk that happens via text that can totally be cut out during the day, or saved for an in-person conversation.

Elizabeth: Meditation and yoga multiple times a week. When anxiety and stress build up, it keeps me from performing at my full potential. I'm trying to shift my view on these two things from a 'check the box task' type of thing to necessities that help me stay happy and sane!

These two are #FriendshipGoals! Follow Sweats and the City on Instagram for more great tips.