Mantas Zvinas: The Guy Behind SurfYogaBeer

BY OUT OF OFFICE NY

Photo via IG @mantaszvinas

While fitness is key to our well-balanced lifestyle, we will admit it often takes a little extra convincing to get us going… Our roommate and bestie Yuf, AKA Brunch and Crunch knows all the tricks for getting us to shut the laptops for a second – one of which is a workout with a fun twist. This summer she has successfully gotten us into SurfYogaBeer (yes, that is actually the name of the company and yes, we agree it’s awesome). SYB hosts a run club that happens every Monday in the city as well as many other events sponsored by brands like Lululemon and Bandier. You can read more about SYB’s run club here or check out the website here.

But there is something else we love about SYB, and that’s the energetic fitness guru who started the thing…Mantas Zvinas. As a celebrity trainer, Soul Cycle instructor and founder of Surf Yoga Beer, Mantas is a definitely influential in the NYC fitness scene.

While he runs SurfYogaBeer from New York City,  Mantas has not lost touch with his southern Cali ways. His surfer bro attitude is certainly refreshing in the (sometimes harsh) concrete jungle.

So, after running at what Mantas refers to as a “sexy pace” (i.e. socially jogging) followed by sipping a cold brew, we started wondering just how he started SYB. Well, we got some answers!

“SurfYogaBeer started in November 2014 with the idea of doing the three things I loved most for a whole week in Costa Rica. Turned out that everyone who went loved it so much they wanted more, so we began doing more adventures to more places,” said Zvinas.

SYB has already had trips to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Nicaragua, Mexico, the Hamptons, and in August they are going to Colorado for a full week of hiking, rafting, biking, water painting, bootcamp, organic food, breweries and yoga!

We told Mantas about our struggle to stay fit with our crazy schedules (hello everyone in NYC), and as a profesh motivator, he gave us some expert advice, “Nobody likes doing squats for fun, you probably like the results you get from it. I believe to stay fit you need to make it fun! Once you find a way to forget you are working out you will keep doing it because it’s fun and not because of results.” said Zvinas. Hence SYB, amirite?

His best tip for the 20-something NYC gal is to “have friends or a community that you hang out with that does fitness things, but do it because you want to see them and not just because you want to see results.”

If you are looking for a group of friends who like to have fun and be fit, SurfYogaBeer is a great place to start! Watching people connect through SYB is actually Mantas’ favorite part of the retreats.

“I see it repeatedly on every adventure – everyone meets at the airport and is a little hesitant to speak, and by the time we are at the airport heading home everybody is laughing, hugging and crying goodbyes. The experiences we have create connections for a lifetime.”

We couldn’t agree more with this philosophy! Check out some of our other fitness posts to find more fun workouts you can do with your crew in NYC.