Explore Charleston - as a Wellness Guru
If you are not keen to stumble down King Street in a drunken stooper or indulge in buttermilk biscuits or greasy collards, there are ubiquitous wellness options in exploring this beautiful city I call home, I promise. Perhaps not necessarily featured in main stream media or as instagram click bait, Charleston offers an incomparable wellness community and scene, dense with boutique fitness, farm to table culinary options and various ways to stay on track with your wellness program for any traveler.
MOVE & breathe
Downtown Charleston is dense with water, grass, trees, open skies and happy people. Downtown Charleston is also dotted with top notch boutique fitness. Beautifully designed and contemporary spaces with large, energetic communities are ubiquitous here, so pick one that fits your schedule and personality. Here are a few I frequent:
THE WORKS is a bright, white space with flooding natural light, posing a perfect space to experience its dynamic blend of powerful vinyasa yoga, cardio, meditation, plyometrics, sculpting, and core used to tap into your breath and your strength. A high intensity movement sequence, you will leave feeling strong yet light as a feather and drenched in sweat.
HYLO Fitness (just over the bridge in West Ashley or Mt. Pleasant) is also a personal favorite and offers Barre, Pilates and Yoga in an infrared room. This beautify designed and curated fitness center also offers a steam room, sauna, and showers. A fully-equipped open gym combined with original classes and expert trainers, unrivaled amenities and a supportive community makes for a perfect wellness experience in the Holy City.
In spring and fall, when the weather tempers and the air is crisp, experience Rooftop Yoga at the Restoration Hotel. Located in downtown Charleston on iconic King Street, The Restoration Hotel is a luxurious boutique with a perfect rooftop for yoga sessions every Tuesday hosted and curated by CHARLESTON POWER YOGA.
FORM is a boutique pilates studio at the Jasper with only seven machines in its gorgeous, light filled space. Trainers offer personalized attention to each client — both new and seasoned — and the result is to help clients move slowly, holding and pulsing, which creates muscle fatigue and failure. Also, shop their merch and sock section before heading out the door - chic and comfy apparel for workouts or just leisurely days.
If getting outdoors in the sun and wind is your jam, enjoy a long walk or run on the coastline, throughout a downtown maze or along the Arthur Ravenel Bridge path.
Bike or run the Arthur Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River ; Charelston, South Carolina
NIBBLES & clean eating
We think of the American South as a the Mecca of fried foods and butter, but farm to table movements have helped both the Southerner and visitors see our culinary scene via fresh fruits and vegetables essentially grown and harvested in our own back yards. We are spoiled on the coast with access to fresh seafood right out of our local waters and the many creative ways of serving shrimp, crab and more. Below are a few of my personal favorite restaurants that seem to represent local farms and waters of South Carolina at its best:
BASIC KITCHEN offers diverse flavors and you will find TONS of local produce, whole grains and legumes, a rainbow of spices and vinegars, lots of healthful oils, wild-caught seafood and sustainably raised meat. Basic Kitchen prides itself on curating food that is good for you. Located in the heart of downtown Charleston, Basic Kitchen is relaxed and casual with floor to ceiling windows and a covered courtyard filled with plants and herbs used by the kitchen. Guests can enjoy a rotating daily menu featuring simple, seasonal and delightful dishes.
FIG (Food Is Good) is a neighborhood bistro from James Beard Award-winning Chef Mike Lata and partner Adam Nemirow serving seasonally and locally inspired cuisine. Though the city has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades of being here, FIG is still a personal favorite and I always refreshingly run into a familiar face.
XO BRASSIERRE offers Chinese cuisine with Cantonese and Sichuan-influenced flavors, all served in an elegant and inviting atmosphere. Its menu features a range of dishes — many vegan — that celebrate the flavors of Chinese cuisine, using the freshest and highest quality ingredients available. XO Brassierre offers small plates and larger formats for family-style sharing, which will provide something for everyone.
THE ORDINARY is a seafood and oyster bar on King Street, centered on traditional Southern hospitality with coastal Carolina charm. Located in a beautiful historic building that was once a bank, The Ordinary is a bustling Lowcountry oyster bar and brasserie from Mike Lata and Adam Nemirow. The food is divine, the atmosphere is bustling and the locals call it a top spot.
The Ordinary, ‘Uptown’ Charleston, South Carolina
SOMETHING SWEET
A sweet tooth can be satisfied with a variety of local honeys, dairy free ice creams and smoothies - and I am a huge fan of these local joints all located downtown on King Street or just off the main drag:
If you are walking around and exploring Charleston, take the guesswork out of eating healthy. BEECH strives to create a fresh, fast, and healthy menu — such as, Poke Bowls, Acai Bowls, Cold Pressed Juice and Smoothies. Located in the middle of downtown on King Street, it’s a quick drop in, drop out spot with refreshing options, particularly perfect in the heat of summer.
PLAYA BOWLS offers a selection of items that recharge, refuel … and refresh! Its smoothies, bowls, and juices are the perfect way to keep cool and stay energized.
JENNIE’S ice cream all is made from original recipes and many flavors are wildly creative. Free of anything fake. Full of the best ingredients Jennie’s can find from producers and growers who do what they do best — including fresh fruits and vegetables to Fair and Direct Trade chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Located “uptown”, it is a great spot to drop in and grab something sweet and cold with old and new friends.
OFF TRACK ICE CREAM located just off King Street in the heart of downtown Charleston, creates traditional and vegan/dairy free ice cream in classic and inventive flavors. They make ice cream from scratch using the freshest, Lowcountry-sourced ingredients (honey, fruits, herbs, etc.) and never use any artificial flavorings, additives, or stabilizers. It has been my latest craze and something I recommend to anyone coming through town.
Latest craze: Off Track ice cream, right off King Street.
