6 ways to get your fitness fix in South Calgary this summer

Sep 11 2019, 3:25 pm

During the warmer months, Calgary is known for its beautiful parks and pathways, as well as plenty of diverse indoor-fitness offerings to enjoy. What better time of the year to get out and be active?

(After all, that summer bod isn’t going to make itself.)

Regardless of your fitness level, there are plenty of activities to enjoy. Whether it’s walking, running, or biking through one of the city’s scenic parks, kayaking or swimming in a local lake, or even indoor rock climbing — choosing an activity will be the hardest part.

We’ve partnered with Sporting Life at Southcentre Mall to give you some of the best ways to get your fitness fix in South Calgary while wearing the best activewear.

Sporting Life is your one-stop shop for fashionable, practical activewear from your favourite brands including Nike, Adidas, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Canada Goose and more. After all, if you’re going to be working on your fitness, you’ll need to dress for success. (It’s true, psychologists have found that you can actually have a mental shift when wearing new and cute workout gear.)

It’s been found that starting with a new outfit not only makes you more inclined to be active, but you may feel more confident in your abilities, leading to improved focus, motivation, and of course, gains!

Sporting Life

Sporting Life

Visit South Calgary’s local parks

Calgary’s parks are a great way to relax and enjoy the local outdoors. Whether you want to go for a casual walk after work or want to head out on your daily morning jog, exploring South Calgary’s natural landscape is the perfect place to visit.

South Glenmore Park is the lush forested area surrounding the south side of the Glenmore Reservoir and is one of the best parks in southwest Calgary to soak up the summer sun outdoors. The park has numerous trails and pathways, as well as tennis courts and polo fields, so you can take your pick on how to spend your day outside being active.

The southern part of Calgary is also home to the second largest urban park in Canada, Fish Creek Provincial Park. With a variety of unpaved walking, hiking, and bicycle routes, the extensive trail system allows visitors to access plenty of outdoor facilities including a public lake for swimming. Not only that, the Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society, a non-profit volunteer group, provides wellness programs such as yoga, guided meditation, and running clinics to help people reconnect with nature through fitness.

Bike around the Rotary Mattamy Greenway

biking toronto

Shutterstock

Calgary is a big city, so it’s no surprise that it has a huge interconnected network of outdoor pathways. In fact, with the recent addition of 138 kilometers, the Rotary Mattamy Greenway has become the largest connected network of pathways in the entire world — biking the whole thing at one time would take you 12 hours!

So obviously it goes without saying you won’t be biking the entire Rotary Mattamy Greenway in one go (unless you’re into that sort of thing). With Calgary’s strong biking culture you’ll definitely find many locals getting their fitness on and biking the pathways. Need a bike? Swing by Sporting Life at Southcentre to shop their excellent selection of bikes and accessories.

Attend a fitness class

Sporting Life

For anyone who struggles to find their fitness motivation, the abundance of spin, yoga, or barre classes in South Calgary makes it easy to choose what you like or hop between a few different studios. It’s also a great way to socialize — after all, what better way to bond with someone than motivating each other to get fit and attend your favourite class together?

Try out spin studios around Calgary such as YYC Cycle or Soul Spin Studio, or get your namaste on and visit Breathe Hot Yoga. Looking to target certain muscle groups? Try out a class like Ass & Abs at Barre Belle.

Try something out of your comfort zone

Sporting Life

Even though Calgary is home to the Canadian Rockies, if free climbing in the great outdoors seems a bit too intense for you (don’t worry, us too), indoor rock-climbing might be the perfect activity to get started. Whether you’re a seasoned climber or just a beginner, the rock climbing and bouldering community will welcome you with open arms and offer a great way to get fit and socialize, too.

Head over to the Calgary Climbing Centre or Boulder Climbing Community for some of the best places to get climbing.

Go kayaking down the Bow River

september 2018

Bow River

Whether you’re kayaking pro or a complete beginner, renting out a kayak (or bringing your own) and enjoying a leisurely paddle down the river is a great way to take in the city and maximize the summer months. The Bow River begins in the Rocky Mountains and winds all the way through the City of Calgary.

Workout at one of the largest YMCAs in the world

montreal gyms

Shutterstock

Calgary is home to two of the largest YMCA facilities in the world — located in Rocky Ridge and Seton. Amenities at each facility include a fitness centre with cardio machines, strength-training equipment, ice rinks, climbing walls, aerobics studios, swimming pools, and gymnasiums.

If you’re dedicated to getting fit this summer and crave the A/C, head inside and experience the two largest YMCA facilities.


Visit Sporting Life’s Southcentre Mall location at 100 Anderson Road SE to find this summer’s coolest activewear.

For a limited time only, when you make a minimum purchase of $200 at Sporting Life’s Southcentre location, you can take your proof of purchase to the mall’s Guest Service desk and receive a Southcentre Mall gift card worth 10% of your purchase. (Promotion begins July 19, while quantities last.)

Daily Hive Branded ContentDaily Hive Branded Content

+ Health & Fitness
+ Sponsored
ADVERTISEMENT