I’m going to let you in on a little secret, dear Well+Being readers: Friday is my off day, or what I like to call Friday Fries Day. Every Friday, I stow away any guilt-ridden thoughts of not working out and treat myself, whether it’s a heaping pile of French fries at lunch or a glass of wine (or two) at night.
But when the exclusive Georgetown hotel Capella offers you the chance to work out on the rooftop, with views of the Potomac River and the Kennedy Center, Friday Fries Day must be rescheduled.
The caveats? The workout is at 6 AM, and it’s sure to leave you waddling around like a penguin for a day or two.
Last Friday my coworker Sophie Gilbert and I somehow managed to wake up at 5 AM for Sunrise Pilates at the Capella, part of the hotel’s health and wellness program in partnership with the Dupont Circle studio Fuse Pilates. The private classes are held every Monday and Friday from 6 to 7 and are taught by Fuse Pilates instructors. Guests choose from the studio’s range of options, from Fuse Foundations for beginners to more advanced levels.
The sun was just beginning to rise to our left as we rolled out our mats on the rooftop. As is typical at Fuse Pilates classes, instructor Lisa Lowenstein asked us what we’d like to work on that morning. “Core and legs, please!” we decided. If we were going to sacrifice sleeping in, we wanted this workout to leave us with rock-hard abs and toned legs.
For the next hour, music streamed through Lowenstein’s portable speakers as we huffed and puffed through countless core-busting Pilates exercises, from the hundred to the roll-up. Our quads screamed as we lifted our legs over and over, abs quivering with each slight movement.
Although it was a breezy 65 degrees that morning, this Pilates session had both of us wanting to jump into the black slate infinity pool to our right to cool off. But by 7, with the sun risen and the empty streets of Georgetown beginning to bustle, we said goodbye to the panoramic views of DC and headed off to work.
If I’m really being honest, Friday Fries Day still went off without a hitch later that day. That’s what happens when you work out at dawn on a Friday.
Sunrise Pilates is a guest-only class offered at Capella Georgetown on Monday and Friday at 6 AM. Visit Capella’s website for more information.
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