3 ways to instantly upgrade your outdoor workout

You don’t need a crystal ball to know that 45-minutes into an outdoor workout, sweat and endorphins are a given. But focusing less on the former and more on the latter? Therein lies in the challenge.

The solution is simple, really: Get your hair did, vary up the setting, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And on August 2, we put the theory to the test with a better-than-you-can-dream-it #SummerSweatSesh led by Le Sweat creator Charlee Atkins on the rooftop of Williamsburg’s The William Vale hotel.

As soon as 75 Well+Good readers arrived 22 floors up for the one-of-a-kind workout, jaws (and stress levels) instantly dropped. If you’re wondering if gazing at the Empire State Building can cure workout boredom, the answer is yes—an idea that applies even if you’re switching up your go-to running route.

Gearing up for the high-intensity sets, braid pros from Stylisted delivered another assist with fishtails and French braids equipped for before and after selfies (all the more reason to push through that last squat).

And then that brings us to recovery. As workout warriors captured double-tap-worthy cityscapes, the beverage bar was fully stocked with ice-cold BODYARMOR LYTE Sports Drink (the buzzy coconut-water-based hydrator in naturally sweetened flavors like Blueberry Pomegranate and Peach Mango) and BODYARMOR SportWater, packed with electrolytes and a pH level of 8+. Hydrating never felt so good.

Keep reading for recovery and workout-ready hair tips, plus a peek into one of the best places to break a sweat in NYC.

First order of business of the night: Grab a pre-workout bev to cool down (it is August, after all) and a new friend to gush about the stellar views.

Before the workout, fitness devotees grabbed a seat at the braid bar. With hair secured, attendees could keep all focus on their moves instead of dealing with stray hair in their face.

Hair pro Adrienne Grace Wallace was on deck creating exercise-ready, fuss-free styles. “What I would recommend for a workout (and what looks cute) would be the twin braids at the top around the crown, a halo braid, a bun, or a braided bun,” she says.

In true Le Sweat fashion, the full-body blast started out with high fives with new besties. “The best part about working out is working out with other people, especially strangers,” Atkins says.

Getting a solid sweat with the Manhattan skyline front and center beats the gym any day.

After a couple high-intensity segments, guests tapped BODYARMOR LYTE Sports Drink (made with potassium-packed electrolytes and natural flavors) for speedy hydration. “If you work out for longer than 30 minutes, that’s when you should be having a sports drink,” Atkins says.

After the hydration break came a quick hit of ab moves.

To finish off the #summersweatsesh, Atkins lead everyone through restorative stretches. Her advice for recovering after an intense workout? “Other than hydrating, it’s all about stretching and getting a good meal,” she says.

Everyone was invited to chill out and apply summer-approved watermelon and monstera-leaf Flash Tattoos while enjoying the killer views.

Selfies were a must before grabbing swag bags filled with BODYARMOR goodies.

Sky-high sweat seshes complete with fast-tempo tunes, a well-stocked hydration station, and a braid bar? That’s pretty much the new definition of rooftop happy hour—and all the inspo you need to add some magic into your own workout situation.

In partnership with BODYARMOR 

Photos: Elena Mudd