Finding groups for outdoor fitness
‘Tis the season to get out and enjoy the sunshine, take selfies with friends on the beach, and cancel your gym membership in favor of fresh-air adventures. But if you don’t already have your outdoor fitness class schedule all set for the summer, here are a few ways to find like-minded exercisers in your neighborhood.
- Stalk fitness-y friends on social media. Instagram is already your go-to for trending fashions and Facebook your first spot for news, so it makes sense that you’d start here to see what’s happening in the world of outdoor fitness, too. Everyone has at least a few squad members who are fitness fanatics, so begin with their Insta accounts and see what’s getting them outdoors this summer. Chances are they’ve already done the hard work of researching group fitness for you, and you can just jump aboard the bandwagon.
- Check TimeOut. If Insta, Facebook, and Twitter somehow fail you, you can always rely on trusty old TimeOut. The global publication has an outpost in every major city across the world and in the U.S., from New York to L.A., and each year, it publishes a fresh list of outdoor fitness classes. Lists usually come out in the beginning of May, so your city’s cyber branch of TimeOut probably already has one posted for this season. Do a quick search to see what yoga classes and boot camps are coming to your neighborhood in the next few months.
- Look at local fitness studios and outdoorsy stores. Lots of local yoga studios, independent gyms, and even fitness-centric stores host classes outdoors throughout the summer season. REI stores, for instance, host running clubs and other outdoorsy excursions designed to promote fitness and foster new relationships. Search Facebook and Google for outdoor yoga classes and boot camps put on by local studios, too, because chances are there are weekly offerings at parks near you, and they’re probably free.
- Check out your parks and rec department. Most cities’ parks and recreation departments hold summertime classes outside, and since they’re aimed at the community at large, they’re often cheap and relatively easy. So if you’ve never tried Pilates before, now might be the time to round up your crew and enroll in an eight-week series. Aqua-aerobics at your local pool would also bring the summer fun and ridiculous Snapchat opportunities. Don’t forget to check out options for social sports leagues, too, since these often include beer and cocktails after the game.
- Try MeetUp. When all else fails, you can always count on Meetup.com to connect you with other runners or cyclists in your area. It might be a little old school, but MeetUp remains a good way to branch out and create new relationships while you get your miles in under the summer sun.
So the next time you go to lace up your sneaks for a solo run this summer, consider locking down a new workout group using one of these approaches instead. Burning calories is much more fun in a crowd.