Exercising is a big part of my weekly routine, and there are plenty of reasons why. I’m a sucker for that sweet endorphin rush, and I don’t mind a good glute fatigue on the days that follow. I recently joined a run club, so it’s become social exercise too.
It’s for these reasons that my hand flew up to try Sculpt & Sip, a collaboration between the online-based duo of Pilates studio House of Sculpt and bottle shop Sip’er.
Three weeks ago, the two businesses launched the monthly membership, advocating for shameless enjoyment of both the burn and the booze, aiming to bring down the gate on toxically strict fitness regimes that leave no room for moderation.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWSo, what are you in for? Full access to House of Sculpt’s online 120-class-plus Pilates platform, plus two bottles of wine delivered straight to your door from the Sip’er crew each month. Classes range from cardio-heavy sweat sessions to those focused on stretching, strength or form.
“We want to make it easier for people to feel like they can do both,” Sip’er co-founder Bree Nicholls tells Broadsheet. “You don’t have to give up one to do the other and having it in that one membership [means] it’s something you can leave to us. And it’s a nice surprise when you get your wine.”
A surprise, as much as a gentle motivator. It was 1pm on Thursday afternoon when my bottle of Reed Alexia Granache was delivered to the office. A colleague joked that I should crack it open then and there. Although tempting, I knew this light and dry drop would be even more delightful after an arms-and-abs form class.
The red was created by Sierra Reed, a former US Survivor contestant who was filming a TV show in New Zealand when she had an “Aha!” moment and moved into the winemaking world. Reed’s wine story is just one of many that the Sip’er team are spotlighting.
Nicholls launched Sip’er with friend Jenny Cheng in 2021. The online boozer is dedicated to putting female producers of wine, beer and spirits – and their stories – in the limelight (and the fridge). It was a natural decision for the Sip’er crew to team up with House of Sculpt, a female-led business founded by Sydneysiders Sascha Olive and Nicole Clarke.
While House of Sculpt runs classes at the recently revamped Bondi Pavilion, the wine-laced $99-a-month subscription is exclusive to the online program (with the standard Pilates-only membership coming in at $49 per month). On signing up, subscribers will be asked to share their wine preferences so the Sip’er crew can flex their expertise, sending out a pair that could include a funky skin contact or a bubbly number, a traditional red or an experimental white. “We want to ensure people have a say in what kind of wine they get, and it’s not just us sending out the same stuff to everyone,” Nicholls says.
My own “Aha!” moment came at 7pm on my Thursday wine-delivery evening. Sunk on the couch, my shaky post-class arm lifting the well-deserved glass to my lips. Right after the first sip, I thought, “I should spend more nights just like this".
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