Santa Monica Fitness | Gyms | Working Out
It seems like just about everyone in Santa Monica is in great shape, or at least wants to be great shape. Working out is more than a part-time activity here, it’s a lifestyle for many individuals. The area is filled with an unrivaled collection of excellent yoga studios, as well as great gyms, and other working out destinations. Use this guide to help begin your working out journey in Santa Monica.
While yoga studios have been taking the entire country and world by storm, make no mistake about it, Southern California is still one of the hotbed destinations for them. In Santa Monica, you’ll find dozens of different yoga studios, each of which brings something else to the table, and any of which can help you reach your health, fitness and wellness goals. From celebrity frequented spots to spiritual centers, pilates, hot yoga and more, it’s all here. Take a look at some of the most popular yoga studios in Santa Monica:
* Home Simply Yoga: This studio features Ashtanga Yoga with over a dozen amazing instructors and a variety of different classes, programs and levels. Studio is dedicated to being environmentally friendly. Located at 1547 6th Street and online at http://homesimplyyoga.com.
* Santa Monica Yoga: Features many different yoga types and classes, including Asahtanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, pilates and more. Each day is filled with dozens of different classes and programs. Located at 1640 Ocean Park Boulevard and online at http://www.santamonicayoga.com.
* Yoga Works: This California-based chain has two yoga studios in Santa Monica, one on Main Street, and one on Montana Avenue. A rotating group of instructors focuses on alinging classes with physical and mental goals. Learn more at their website: http://www.yogaworks.com.
* Power Yoga: Created by Bryan Kest, Power Yoga has two Santa Monica yoga studios, on 2nd Street and Santa Monica Blvd. Power Yoga combines the principles and practice of yoga with cardio and fitness for an intense and rigorous training program which can produce quick results. Located online at http://www.poweryoga.com.
* The Yoga Collective: The Yoga Collective is located at the 3rd Street Promenade and features a busy daily schedule featuring different instructors and their own focuses and types of instruction. From hot yoga to mantra and meditation, breathing, stretching, prenatal and many other varieties. Each instructor offers something else, and brings their own unique brand of yoga to the location, making it a true “collective”. Learn more at http://theyogacollective.com.
* Yogis Anonymous: Located at 1221 2nd Street, Yogis Anonymous is one of the larger yoga studios, and it brings some real energy, personality and fun into yoga. The yoga is legit, but the people are all enjoying themselves perhaps a bit more than you would find elsewhere. Find them online at http://yogisanonymous.com.
* Bhakti Yoga Shala: Located at 207 Arizona Ave, Govindas & Radha’s Bhakti Yoga Shala has a different feel than many of the other yoga studios in Santa Monica. It’s really dedicated to overall wellness, spirituality, positivity and healing as much as yoga itself, and features a large number of yoga teachers and kirtan guides. Online at http://www.bhaktiyogashala.com.
You don’t have to be into yoga studios though to be working out in Santa Monica. There are many other gyms and fitness centers. One popular destination is Equinox, located at 201 Santa Monica Blvd. It’s decked out with the finest and most modern workout equipment and additional amenities, it features a full-service spa, classes, a juice bar and more. Of course, yes, it has a yoga studio and pilates room included as well!
24 Hour Fitness is another popular place for working out in Santa Monica. There are two locations, each of which offers something a bit different. The “active” level club is at 1417 2nd Street, and the “Sport” club with an indoor lap pool, pro shop and other sporting focused areas is at 2929 31st Street.
The Easton Gym is located right on the Third Street Promenade and offers a wide range of fitness classes led by world class instructors. Burn Fitness is also located on the Promenade, and features personalized programs and hands on training, fitness classes, modern equipment and other unique amenities that make it a top destination for working out, and give it a more private and exclusive feel. Meanwhile you’ll also find Fitness Together, which is exclusively about one-on-one trainer to individual training and fitness programs, and is located at 1450 5th Street.
No guide on fitness in Santa Monica would be complete without one of the top destinations for working out. The best part of all? It’s open air, it’s celebrity endorsed, and it doesn’t cost you anything! It’s the Santa Monica Stairs, also known as the Santa Monica Steps, and they provide a workout intense enough for many of the biggest celebs in town to utilize to perfection.
These are two sets of steps, one wooden and one concrete, each with about 180 steps on a steep incline, located in the North of San Vicente neighborhood. The steps are commonly run in a circuit or loop, with the concrete stairs usually being the “up” side. Both are on Adelaide Drive on the top, with the concrete steps being at the intersection of Adelaide and 4th street. There is ample street parking available on 4th street and elsewhere during the day.
Be careful to abide by common courtesy while at the Steps. These are always busy with tons of people trying to get in a good workout. The right side of each staircase is for those going up, the left is for those going down, and the middle is for those passing and going at top speed. If you’re with a friend, you should stay single file to avoid other people, and this is a run you should take without your dog friend.
Of course, there are plenty of other fitness, health and wellness stores in the Santa Monica area. When you need to look good and feel good while you’re working out, lulumeon athletica offers high end workout clothing for ladies, and other outlets like REI are a good bet for active wear. GNC can help you with the supplements you need for a diet or fitness plan, the farmer’s market can help you out with local, organic food, and then you can cool down with a massage or trip to one of the numerous spas located nearby.
Santa Monica attracts many different individuals, from all walks of life. From surfers to students, celebrities to technology buffs, and everyone in between. The common denominator though is that almost everyone wants to look great and feel great about themselves. That’s why you’ll find so many top notch yoga studios, and other ways for you to succeed with working out, health and fitness. Use the above guide and get started for yourself, the sooner the better!
