It’s the beginning of spring and you’re already seeing countless blogs and social media posts urging you to get your body beach ready. “Start Now to Get Beach Ready by Summer,” “5 Simple Tips to Be Beach Ready,” or “10-Day Beach Body” to name a few. It’s been three months since those New Year’s resolutions and you still aren’t bikini or board short ready.
Even if you’ve evolved beyond caring about such hype, you probably still want to be healthy, strong, and fit. But, sometimes the mere idea of exercise may seem not only daunting, but pointless. If we’re honest, weren’t we just in this situation a year ago, reading the same articles? Cycle of life, right?
For some, the gym to us is like the veterinarian to dogs. We don’t want to go, and if you do get us there, there was likely some trickery involved. You know, you’ve seen those YouTube videos of dogs giving their owners the side-eye when they realize they’re outside the vet’s clinic instead of that park they were promised. Trickery. It’s like your friend asking you to go grab Ferrero Rocher in a waffle cone, but twenty minutes later you’re outside the gym wondering when they started serving ice cream.
Of course, there are some serious health and fitness junkies who consider the gym their second home. And while that’s great, if you’re not one of them, you may simply see the gym as a place where your dreams go to die. Maybe it’s time to refresh your workout.
So, say goodbye to the gym and opt for the outdoors. In a city where it’s almost always sunny and seventy degrees, San Diego is the ideal place to get fit in fun and exciting ways.
These four popular San Diego outdoor fitness choices will get you started.
Na’ Maste Outside
Yoga is more than a sweat-inducing, power workout. It is also a spiritual healing practice for many. So it’s no surprise that yoga studios everywhere are taking their classes outdoors and into nature in order to better connect mind, body and soul. From relaxing into Lotus Pose on the beach at sunset to striking Mountain Pose in Pacific Palisades Park under a full moon, studios like Bird Rock Yoga regularly offer these outdoor yoga experiences each month. The best part is, all you need to bring with you is a beach towel or mat, and a small donation.
SUP Yoga. Nothing, SUP with You?
A two for one workout, SUP yoga offers you a twist on traditional yoga by adding water and stand-up-paddle-boarding to the mix. While this outdoor workout might seem geared towards more seasoned yogis, companies like Bliss Paddle Yoga can assure you, all skill levels will find a place in the classes they offer. Each class starts with a lesson on launching, paddling, and turning before heading to a tranquil cove where the boards will anchor and the yoga begins. At the end you’ll enjoy a blissful aqua Savasana while the gentle waves lap at your board, followed by a paddle back to shore.
Put a Little Boot Camp in It
Boot Camps are some of the most popular outdoor workouts in San Diego. The idea is based on the Basic Training or Boot Camps that military members have to endure at the beginning of their military career. It’s where they spend roughly eight weeks in high-intensity training, usually featuring drills and obstacle courses.
In the fitness world this idea is slimmed down to a few hours of interval training, medicine balls, and partner drills galore, among other things. Though they are hard work, the group setting and typically high-energy trainers make it a fun and exciting experience. Companies such as San Diego Core Fitness and Wired Fitness offer classes in various settings like Balboa Park, Mission Bay, and Solana Beach.
Go For a Spin
Spin classes are some of the most intense, sweat-inducing, out-of-breath-having workouts of all time. If you’ve ever met someone who has been to a spin class they have probably relayed what sounds like a horror story. These classes are not only incredibly difficult, but they can oftentimes feel soul crushing when you’re in a cramped space with the world’s most in-shape people demonstrating exactly how slow you’re going compared to them.
So why is this on the list, you ask? Because, thanks to Spin and Go, you can now enjoy this experience outdoors in fresh air locations like Kate Sessions Park and Balboa Park where everyone can watch you. (Too far?)
If you get active enough outdoors and can tackle workouts such as yoga, SUP yoga, and boot camp, there’s no doubt that spin classes will be a challenge you can take on and conquer too. At the very least you’re outside breathing in the fresh air and basking in the sunshine. So be bold and give it a spin.
That wraps up our list of popular San Diego outdoor workouts, but there are plenty more. Go ahead and share your favorite outdoor workouts in the comments below.