Feeling Fit. Where Wellness Begins.

Welcome to a new world of wellness. Gurney’s Montauk takes pride in providing our guests with the best experience possible, whether that's relaxing by the beach, dining at our restaurants, or getting in a great workout at our state-of-the-art fitness center. We have always been passionate about fitness and staying active by going for a hike in one of the local state parks or taking a kayak out for the day. Montauk is such a beautiful place to explore and enjoy the outdoors, making it the perfect place to go to prioritize your health. The fitness center located within The Seawater Spa is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week exclusively for our resort guests and members, and we offer multiple daily fitness classes led by our fantastic in-house trainers.

On the heels of the 1st anniversary of The Seawater Spa’s $20 million renovation, we have been focused on self care, mindfulness and holistic wellness. More and more people are realizing that fitness isn't just about working out, it's about taking care of your whole self. Our location and the sense of community in Montauk really make the experience at Gurney's so special. There's nothing like working out with a group of people who are all there to support each other and have fun.

We recently welcomed Kat Ruiz to the team as the new manager of fitness at Gurney’s Montauk. Kat has been a student of yoga for over 20 years and teaching yoga, meditation and breath work for more than 15 years in New York City, the Hamptons, and internationally. In 2005, Kat left her corporate role on Wall Street to complete her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yogaworks NYC in June 2007, while on summer break from her master's in Education at NYU.

We sat down with Kat to get her take on the latest trends, favorite activities, and what she loves about Montauk.

What inspired you to pursue a career in wellness? 

Growing up in Southern California, I spent a lot of time being active outdoors. I have always been into movement, dance, sports, gymnastics and was a cheerleader and basketball player in high school. When I worked in finance, I realized how challenging it was to have a balanced lifestyle. When I left my career on Wall Street, I realized how passionate I was about wellness and decided to enroll in a yoga teacher training. The rest is history!  

Tell us a bit about how you came to join the Gurney’s team.

I have been coming to Gurney’s as a guest for years and during the pandemic, I moved permanently to Montauk from Manhattan. People have been asking me for years why I didn’t work at Gurney’s. The timing was not right until now. Last winter I reached out about hosting a winter wellness retreat at the property and that is how I was introduced to the Seawater Spa team. Soon thereafter I was offered my position.      

What do you think are the key attributes of a successful personal fitness program? 

There are 3 main attributes to a personal fitness program. 1) Creating space and time 2) Consistency 3) Finding something that brings you joy. If you enjoy what you’re doing, it doesn’t feel like work. 

What do you think sets the Gurney’s trainers apart from other health and wellness specialists?

Gurney’s trainers have a lot of experience in the fitness industry and that really sets us apart. We offer a wide variety of fitness & wellness experiences from a sound healing meditation to a mindful beach walk, HIIT to Pilates Fusion and everything in between. 

What makes fitness and wellness so special to you?

Fitness & wellness is special to me because it’s made a huge impact in my life both physically and mentally. Fitness & wellness is something that is accessible to everyone, it just requires helping people find the right program that works for them. I love sharing my passion with others and helping people find their calm amongst the chaos. Everyone needs wellness in their life, and I find joy in helping people access it.

We're proud to have such dedicated and passionate instructors at Gurney's Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa. If you're in the area, be sure to book your stay and check out one of our fitness classes – we promise you won't be disappointed!

See what classes are on the schedule this month.