It’s so easy to keep those New Year’s resolutions to get fit when you can do it in L.A. for free!
Just head to Venice Beach to see the different ways folks get fit without spending big bucks for exercise equipment and annual gym fees. Once you’ve had fun envying the buff bods in tight outfits rollerblading, lifting weights and vying for Mr. & Mrs. Muscle, check out these FREE fun fitness suggestions from archery lessons to zen yoga sessions:
Feel like stretching those biceps? Try archery — for FREE! The Pasadena Roving Archers is just one archery club that offers a FREE beginner’s class for ages 10+ and they’ll provide you the equipment, too. Or head to the Rancho Park Archery Range, built for the 1984 Olympics, where the Rancho Park Archers offer FREE safety and instructional lessons. Mariano Agustin, range master, sees archery as the upcoming break-out sport.
FREE yoga in Los Angeles is a no brainer. Dozens of yoga studios offer FREE first-time classes. Some yoga instructors offer FREE classes outdoors on a regular basis such as the Free yoga sessions in Runyon Canyon Park. Stretch to salute the sun every morning with a yoga instructor at this rustic “urban wilderness” just 2 blocks from Hollywood Blvd. Joni Yung, the Accidental Yogist, keeps track of FREE classes in the L.A. area and has even written a guest post for Free Fun L.A. You might come across a donation box, so consider a little ching as you ring in your new self.
Exercise on the ultimate FREE StairMaster — the Santa Monica 4th Street Stairs. Actually there are two sets of stairs near Adelaide Drive — one with concrete steps and one with wooden steps. The run up and down is popular so try it on a weekday instead of a weekend. You’ll even run into a celebrity or two.
Think lawn bowling is boring? Think again! It’s a classy way to burn some calories and have some fun. The Holmby Park Lawn Bowling Club is the official lawn bowling club of Los Angeles and the ONLY lawn bowling club operating in the City of L.A. Watch the action for FREE then save May 9 for their FREE open house when you can learn how to play the game for FREE.
Need something a little more strenuous? Take a night hike with the Sierra Club in L.A.’s urban oasis, Griffith Park. Two-hour hikes are Tuesday & Thursday with levels for beginners to very strenuous. Meet at the Upper-Merry-Go-Round parking lot (free). Hike starts at 7PM. New hikers should arrive early to sign the liability release form prior to hiking. Sturdy shoes with good traction are required.
