✨ Exclusively for Metropolis readers✨
Get 1 week of unlimited free classes here!
When something grows as quickly as Urban Heroes did through word of mouth alone, you know there’s something good going on. Launched in March 2021, Urban Heroes started out as a one-off workout session hosted by the group’s founder, Anna Jung, in a Minato-ku park. It was a casual meetup for a couple of her friends to get active outside and enjoy the fresh air. Afterward, her friends then told their friends, who told their friends, and within a year the group had rocketed in growth to hundreds of members and 10 certified, English-speaking personal trainers.
Though the grassroots group defines itself as an outdoor gym where you meet like-minded people who share a love for fresh air and a passion for fitness, it now also hosts a broad spectrum of indoor, outdoor and online sessions, and specializes in everything from HIIT workouts, relaxing yoga and challenging spartan races, as well as pre and postnatal fitness.
Asides from health and the outdoors, the group’s biggest factor is the community that makes it all possible. Welcoming the Metropolis editors with open arms, we joined a morning HIIT workout session in Arisugawa Park. The two down-to-earth coaches knew every attendee’s names, goals and body conditions, and tailored the sessions to each person’s unique fitness level and needs, offering personalized advice while keeping the energy of the group workout on fire.
Post-workout, we grabbed a coffee with some of the group members, who told us how much they loved the flexibility of the classes, as well as the mental boost a fitness community like this gave them. You can browse classes a month in advance and sign up for whatever you feel like, plus you’re free to cancel until one hour before the class begins. Whether it’s a 6 am, 7 am or 9 am class, or an afternoon session, parents can easily fit their sessions around their school runs and work hours and enjoy meeting a community outside of their coworkers and school-run circles.
Special family workout sessions invite everyone to come and have fun, while more challenging events such as the spartan race and Mt. Fuji hikes bring adrenaline and adventure to those ready to step out of their comfort zone and achieve — thanks to the guidance and encouragement of the experienced trainers — new fitness milestones.
Their website homepage sums it up pretty perfectly: “We love what we do and we get energy from seeing our community get fitter and healthier every month.” The positivity is infectious. The group believes that we can achieve our goals and we can do more than we ever thought possible. The effects aren’t just physical, they’re mental too. Expect classes to be energetic, fun, friendly and supportive. You will feel awesome after every session — even if you do have some sore muscles!
View this post on Instagram
The trainers are clearly passionate about their work and about helping you be your best, but the group thrives even further by extending its connections beyond its in-house staff and into the wider community of Tokyo. Partnerships with TRUNK Hotel, the United Nations University, local hiking guides, Le Pain Quotidien (the delightful cafe that the “Coffee and Squat” attendees head to post-session for a well-deserved natter) and countless gyms and clubs across the city regularly open up new opportunities to the group. Expect such collaborations to bring about new taster classes for sports the group doesn’t currently host weekly, and plenty of new activities, day trips and other fitness experiences.
✨ Exclusively for Metropolis readers✨
Get 1 week of unlimited free classes here!
urbanheroestokyo
@urbanheroestokyo
If you have any questions about Urban Heroes Tokyo, or want to get involved, call Anna and her team at 080 9556 4704 or drop an email at sweat@urbanheroestokyo.com.
#403 ARISUGAWA HILLS, 3-23 Minami Azabu 5-chome
urbanheroestokyo.com
