Exercise Your Options With Real LYF Fitness
The pair behind the Hudson, New York-based Real LYF Retreat may not have invented the idea of the fitness retreat, but they have made theirs uniquely local and personally impactful by infusing the activities with local flavor and explorations of the area's natural beauty.
Real LYF Retreats founders Kylah Campeta and Rachael Kelly take their clients for yoga at Olana, workouts in the park, and on scenic hikes. They also house clients in a beautiful setting and cook all the farm-sourced healthy meals during the five days and four nights of programming. The first retreat was based out of a hip building on Warren Street in Hudson just down the street from Campeta’s LYF Fitness gym. The location put attendees right in the middle of everything happening in Columbia County. For the next retreat, the instructors are planning a more rural location as a lodging option and base of operations.
Real LYF offers an unusual amount of flexibility to their retreat attendees, from a full package for someone looking to have every aspect of their weekend taken care of, to a local day rate for their neighbors who want to squeeze the programming into a busy schedule. The retreat will no doubt fill up fast, so inquiring during the ongoing planning phase is encouraged.
“We wanted it to be open to everybody,” Campeta said. “We are in the process of planning a retreat for January. Our first retreat was Hudson focused, and this one will be more out in nature.”
While they also offer traditional lifestyle classes and coaching, the Real LYF retreats offer a novel way for both visitors and locals to experience the region.
“We really wanted to teach people lifestyle tools in a place where everything is offered, everything is in one place,” said Campeta. “We keep it pretty intimate, just eight to ten people and that means there are tons of options.”
While the exact pricing and schedule for the January retreat have not yet been finalized, Campeta and Kelly say it will be structured similarly to the Hudson retreat. The full package, which included a private single room, was $1,950 (or $1,650 with a friend). While that's already comparatively affordable for a five-day retreat, there was also a full package with dorm-style lodging for $1,650 and a rate of $899 for locals not staying on site. For those looking to make a shorter time commitment, there was a day rate of $250.
“There are lots of fitness retreats that happen in Spain or even closer ones in the Adirondacks — intensive 'detox' programs,” said Kelly. “We don’t market this as a quick fix. We are doing stuff to help people meet their goals and that will be safe for you to do on your own when you go home.”
The Real LYF attitude extends from the retreats into the regular one-on-one sessions and group classes Campeta and Kelly teach day to day at the Hudson gym. They also work in the growing market for fitness and lifestyle events, leading pre-wedding workouts and corporate events for companies like Etsy. And, they offer decidedly healthier options for bachelorette parties. “They say the gym is the new bar,” Kelly said with a chuckle.
“I think one of our strong suits is being able to teach a room full of people at different levels,” said Campeta. “Fitness can be scary for people. That’s why we call it ‘Real LYF,’ because everyone’s experience is different. At our last retreat, the age range was 29 to 67. The group becomes like a family at the end. If you’re interested in a retreat or a class, we just say ‘give it a go.’”
Real LYF Retreat
LYF Fitness
209 Warren St., Hudson, NY
(518) 929-2303
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