You wanna be in the Mile High Club? How about the Mile High Run Club!?! Fortunately- or unfortunately- depending who you ask, the two have nothing to do with each other. But just like the Mile High Club... there's a lot of buzz around Mile High Run Club in New York City too!  It's a running boutique fitness studio. Founder & CEO Debora Warner says some folks come for fun or stress relief... others come to trim down. "Running offers the highest caloric burn of any type of cardio for those who are looking to lose weight. Calories will vary depending on the person and class type, but the minimum number of calories burned in class should be around 500."  

Manhattan can be downright bitter cold during the winter months... so if you're a runner... it's key to find an indoor venue to feed the beast! Haha! I started going to NYC's Mile High Run Club (MHRC) in NOHO a couple years ago. It is a treadmill based group exercise workout similar to the spin classes that are all the rage... just instead of turning the resistance dial below the handle bars... you are increasing your speed or incline.  Feeling like a rat on a wheel on a treadmill is no fun! And personally thats how it can get for me if I'm running long distances on a treadmill... or if I'm doing shorter distances on a regular basis. So... MHRC is a great switch-up. Having an instructor lead me through the 45 minutes breaks up the monotony. Some classes are 100% running... others have a strength component.

You'll see serious and recreational runners of all shapes and sizes and coming in and out of MHRC... Some wearing their FitBits and trendy (also useful) compression socks and matching workout kits... others with an old t-shirt and grass stained sneakers. But everyone comes to get a good sweat. Warner tells me folks are getting on hooked on MHRC for several reasons... "The variety of instructor coaching styles, music, and interval structures at MHRC keep runners coming back. No two classes are the same. The other thing is that MHRC's classes are so fun, participants don't realize how hard they're working until it's over. Our customers claim they would never push themselves as much running solo, and they're also learning about proper running form in class which carries over to their solo runs." 

Along with the top end treadies in the workout room... the staff is very welcoming and the facilities are great. I discovered some of my favorite bath products there... Red Flower... The products smell so nice and the locker rooms are outfitted with the lovely goodies... from shampoos... to conditioners... to shower gels... to body lotions. I got addicted and now I order them online regularly!

If you're resolving to get fit... or fitter... in the new year... Warner has a few tips... "The best way to stick to fitness goals in the new year is to create realistic goals to begin with. I think it's helpful to have a range, like a "reach" goal which is harder to attain then a lighter goal on the lower end of the spectrum + something in between."  

"Running is the oldest form of human movement. It's an extremely accessible sport that only requires a pair of sneakers." I think what Warner says is definitely right on the money... It's one of the reasons I think running is such an easy hobby to keep up. We don't have as many excuses not to get it in. Even when we travel... it doesn't require taking a ton of equipment. But... if you are planning to take a MHRC class... it will def cost more than the pair of sneakers you'll be rockin. The first class is free... but then you'll pay $32 for 1 class... $150 for 5 classes.... or $280 for 10 classes. Those numbers may sound high... but you have to remember it's all relative... everything in NYC costs more. 

MHRC also offers some outdoor runs if that's more yo thang! On the cork board in the lobby... you'll also see advertisements for group running trips all over the world. So get fit and stay fit with your friends... or make new like-minded runner friends. Sounds like a great concept, right?!  milehighrunclub.com