Your Best Outdoor Workout: Philly Boot Camps for Every Kind of Fitness Nut
The November Project Philly | Photo courtesy Suzanne Allaire
For the early bird: CoreFitness
This is the kind of wake-up call you won’t mind answering: a wee-hours-of-the-morning workout on the pretty Water Works Pier overlooking the Schuylkill River. Trainers from CoreFitness run classes there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. While every class is different, the high-intensity workouts typically feature conditioning exercises, core work and cardio. $20.
For the camaraderie: The November Project
Twice a week, this always-enthusiastic “tribe,” as they call themselves, meets up for 6:25 a.m. workouts, at the Art Museum steps (Wednesdays) and Lemon Hill (Fridays). You’ll pant, sweat and sprint your way to a serious calorie burn, with plenty of high-fives, hugs and cheers along the way. Free.
For a change of scenery: GoalsFit
This studio hosts outdoor workouts at five locations in the city and ’burbs, from Lloyd Hall on Boathouse Row to the track at Roxborough High School to Marshall Square Park in West Chester. The bodyweight workouts incorporate the locations’ environments and terrains, which means you could be dipping on a step, sprinting on a track or doing push-ups on a bench. One thing you can count on: You won’t stop moving for the entire 60 minutes. Class packages start at $60.
For the goal-oriented: Unite Fitness
These guys run a 10-week Accelerator Boot Camp program three times a year. In addition to outdoor boot-camp-style workouts, the program includes access to unlimited indoor workouts, nutrition coaching, and before-and-after fitness assessments. The goal? Real, measurable results that will actually stick. Starts at $299.
For the cash-strapped: Clark Park Fitness
Did you know that on Wednesday mornings, fitness-oriented community members meet at this West Philly park for a one-mile walk/run and core workout? The hour-long workouts start at 7 a.m. and are suited for all fitness levels and ages. Just be sure to bring a mat or towel for the ab work. Free.
For double the workout: Valley Forge Fitness
Head to the picturesque trails near the Please Touch Museum on Saturday mornings for a Yogastenics class: 30 minutes of a fast-paced boot-camp workout followed by 45 minutes of yoga. Talk about the perfect two-for-one. $25.
This article first appeared in the 2015 Be Well Philly print magazine. To get a free copy for yourself, go here.
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