The boutique fitness craze may have infiltrated Ballston—it’s hard to walk a block without seeing at least one well-known workout hot spot—but that isn’t stopping VIDA Fitness, a longtime favorite among gym-goers in DC from crossing the river and opening its first outpost in Northern Virginia.
The DC-based gym, which first opened in 2006, has locations from U Street to Gallery Place in the nation’s capital, and is expanding its reach into NoVA with a soon-to-open location in Ballston, and another on the way in Rosslyn, slated for 2021.
“If you look at how active the people are in the Ballston area, it just feels right,” says David von Storch, president and founder of Urban Adventure Companies, the parent company of VIDA Fitness. Von Storch’s reach in DC is expansive. The longtime entrepreneur started with a nightclub and eventually built an empire under Urban Adventure Companies that includes Bang Salon and Aura Spa (both located inside VIDA gyms), along with Capitol City Brewing Company.
For him, building the brand into Northern Virginia was an opportunity to tap into what’s “just generally recognized as an active community,” says von Storch. In fact, Arlington was named the fittest city in the nation in 2019 by The American College of Sports Medicine.
So, what does VIDA Fitness offer that sets it apart from the rest? Aside from weight training and cardio equipment, VIDA Fitness offers SweatBox, a high-energy, circuit cardio and strength workout that will “attack all parts of your body,” according to the website, and Coach-by-Color stationary bikes, where users can set the bike based on their fitness level and get the challenging workout they’re looking for in a group-class setting.
There’s also personal training, various group classes, including yoga and Pilates, nutritional guidance from a registered dietitian, the Aura Spa and The Fuel Bar.
The latter two, as well as the locker rooms, offer the luxury experience von Storch is proud of, with specialized facials, massages and skin care treatments, plus signature smoothies and fresh snacks for refueling after a workout. The locker rooms are also equipped with a sauna and steam room for post-workout rejuvenation.
The Ballston location is looking at a spring 2020 opening, but von Storch admits the company is already looking into other locations across the region. With two locations in the works, he’s eager to fulfill the area’s potential, but also to build an entirely new community in NoVA.
“We’re really excited.” says von Storch. “No matter what your fitness level is or what your background is, we really do make it a welcoming place.” // 4040 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
This post originally appeared in our April 2020 issue. For more fitness coverage, subscribe to our weekly Health newsletter.
