Summer fitness in Boston: 18 things you absolutely have to do
From poolside yoga to paddleboarding, outdoor bootcamp to a salsa party.
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Every summer, you make the same list. It’s filled with all the active things you want to do over the season. You tell yourself that this will finally be the year you start checking things off. Then, faster than you can say, “lobster roll,” summer is over, and the list remains.
This year, take advantage of the way-too-short season and let the city be your playground. Here are 10 ways to get started.
Go on a legit hike
In Waltham, there’s a hiking hidden treasure in the form of an old, abandoned ski resort. Prospect Hill Park (314 Totten Pond Rd., Waltham; 781-314-3475) is a 250-acre wooded park with 22 hiking trails. There’s two summits—the highest is 485 feet—offering views of downtown Boston. South of the city, the Blue Hills Reservation (695 Hillside St., Milton; 617-698-1802) is the OG of Eastern Mass. hiking trails. With centuries-old stone walls, boulders, and ponds for swimming, there’s always a new adventure to be found on the reservation’s 125 miles of trails. Great Blue Hill reaches 635 feet, and there are city and country views throughout the parkland’s 7,000 acres.
Paddlers head down Broad Canal from the Kendall Square location of Charles River Canoe & Kayak, in August 2015.
Get in the (not dirty) water
The water surrounding the city is actually clean now (in fact, Southie’s beaches were named some of the cleanest urban beaches in the country), so you can get in the water with no fear. At Charles River Canoe and Kayak (1071 Soldier’s Field Rd., Allston, and other locations; 617-965-5110), rent a paddleboard and stretch out your sea legs on your own, or take a lesson to get stable before hitting the river. If just paddling around the city isn’t enough, try a stand-up paddleboard yoga lesson at Sup Yo! (multiple locations near Boston; 978-361-5394), where you’ll incorporate even more balance and patience (watch out for waves!) into your oms.
Do yoga with a sick view
If you prefer your yoga on dry land, but not necessarily on the ground, the Colonnade Hotel (120 Huntington Ave., Boston; 617-424-7000) has opened it’s seasonal pool. In addition to swanky cabanas, a revamped seasonal menu, and, of course, gorgeous views, you can practice your postures while catching some rays. Join yogi and author Rebecca Pacheco on the rooftop to salute the sun (starts mid-July; Tuesday and Thursdays at 7 a.m.; $15 for yoga only, $40 for yoga and a pool day pass) for a pre-work flow that’s perfect for downtown office workers.
Your weekend mornings have never looked so calm. That’s because on Saturdays and Sundays this summer, you can practice yoga outdoors in some of the most gorgeous parks in the country. On Saturday mornings, head to Franklin Park (School Master Hill, Roxbury; 9:15 a.m.), for an outdoor yoga series held through September. On the first and third Sundays of the month, head to JP for outdoor donation yoga in the Arnold Arboretum (125 The Arborway, Forest Hills Gate entrance/near Dawson Pond, Boston; 9 a.m.) for a 60-minute all-levels class.
Namaste at the ICA (25 Harborshore Dr., Boston; 617-478-3100) is an all-levels, hour-long yoga class that takes place every Sunday in July and August starting at 9 a.m. Classes are held on the museum’s back deck overlooking the water and cost $20 each. Wearing and bringing SPF is recommended because shaded deck space is limited. The MFA (465 Huntington Ave., Boston; 800-440-6975) is also offering an outdoor yoga class on July 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the Calderwood Courtyard called Yoga en Plein Air, which will feature live music.
Yvette Philip, of Mattapan, and Darryl Robinson, right, of Dorchester, danced during “Salsa in The Park” at the Lawn on D in October 2014.
Just dance
Walking around the South End on Monday nights, you may hear salsa music in the air. Follow the tunes and you’ll stumble upon quite the scene: lights hung from trees, music playing from multiple speakers, dozens of strangers salsa dancing together, others singing and swaying on the sidelines, and city trucks providing drinking water. You can’t help but join in. Salsa in the Park (Blackstone Community Center; 50 West Brookline St., Boston) takes place every Monday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and is the perfect way to work off that pizza you just inhaled at Picco. The next evening, join Healthworks and the Esplanade Association for their annual free Zumba classes at the Hatch Shell, held Tuesday nights at 6 p.m.
Head to the islands for your fitness
Some of the city’s top trainers are joining forces to host the Summer Island Fitness Frenzy on Spectacle Island on June 26 starting at 10 a.m. For $20 (including your ferry ticket), there will be eight workouts, including coached running, yoga, and bootcamp. Also on Spectacle Island, starting June 18, instructors from South Boston Yoga will host Island Yoga, a free, gentle yoga class with the Boston skyline as your backdrop. Classes are Saturday mornings from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. A ferry ticket is not included, but you can buy one here.
Try barre by a waterfall (yes)
The sound of a waterfall can make any workout seem less grueling, right? Join the barre3 team at the historical Wayside Inn Grist Mill in Sudbury (72 Wayside Inn Rd., Sudbury) for a free, outdoor barre class on June 18 at 8:30 a.m. Bring a water bottle and a yoga mat.
A cyclist and a walker move along the path by a flock of geese at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in July 2012.
Make Boston (and beyond) your gym
You know you’ve always wanted to walk the Freedom Trail. Grab your oversized sunglasses and Red Sox cap and be a tourist for the day. Seriously, no one will know. The red-lined route is just about 2.5-miles and takes you by 16 historically significant sites. For an intense workout, head over to Harvard Stadium (79 N. Harvard St., Allston) and run the stairs at the country’s oldest stadium. It’s rare to have a facility of this size open to the public. Be sure to bring your own water, and look up in advance if there’s an event going on that day.
Boston also has a slew of beautiful running routes that are easily accessible by walking or taking the T. For a longer Saturday morning run, try the almost 7-mile stretch of beachfront running along Castle Island, Pleasure Bay, M Street Beach, and Carson Beach (starting at the Sugar Bowl around the manmade Pleasure Bay). The route is also dotted with water fountains, ice cream trucks, and hot dog carts if you’re in need of a quick, post-run nosh.
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