Keeping Fit in Palm Springs

When you move to Palm Springs, you might notice everyone’s wardrobe is about the same: shorts and t-shirts. Except for more formal occasions when folks opt for a polo shirt. For most months of the year, clothing is scanty. Expect to show lots of skin. Hence, the abundance of gyms, fitness studios, and outdoor activities of various kinds to help you look your best. In and out of clothes. Gyms The Palm Springs area – and for our purposes, we’re limiting ourselves to Palm Springs and Cathedral City – has many of familiar, chain gyms. They vary in size, price, hours and clientele. Most have aerobic classes of some kind, and maybe yoga or mat Pilates. Not all are mentioned here. A good practice is to visit each on a trial basis and see which one suits you best. Check them out on Yelp, but notice that all of them get some one-star reviews. Apparently, people have lots to complain about when it comes to gyms. Most gyms and fitness centers have websites and Facebook or Instagram pages. You can get some idea about the facility by checking these resources as well.  World Gym 1751 N. Sunrise, Palm Springs. www.worldgympalmsprings.com This must be the gayest gym in the world, especially for gay daddies and bears. Spacious and well-equipped, World Gym is known for its gay social scene. The bodybuilding crowd is almost all male. You’ll see more diversity in classes – aerobics, spinning, yoga and more. The usual after-work crowd doesn’t exist here, which figures: If you’re retired, why keep to that 9-to-5 schedule? It gets packed with men for gay weekend events. Nowhere else will you see so many guys wearing nearly pornographic outfits, some of which are ill-suited and age-inappropriate for the wearers. Eos Fitness 4070 Airport Center Drive, Palm Springs www.eosfitness.com/location/palm-springs/ Formerly Gold’s Gym, Eos took over this location several years ago, and it is basically unchanged. Except that it isn’t the gay gym in town anymore (World Gym now has that distinction). The space is tighter than others, but has just about as much equipment, and some serious bodybuilders. Enjoy the great views of planes taking off and landing at the Palm Springs airport from the cardio area. The crowd is more diverse than World; in other words, it’s more reflective of the greater Palm Springs community. There are different price levels depending on your needs, like whether to include some of their many classes. Eos focuses on rather aggressively on sales. Just make sure you understand everything before you sign. Planet Fitness 34461 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City. www.planetfitness.com/gyms/cathedral-city-ca The newest of the bunch as of September 2018, and like Eos is open 24/7 and has various pricing levels, depending on what features you want. There is also another location in La Quinta. And like many big chains, membership sales are king. But it’s a big, new club, with a broad and expanding membership. If you live somewhat further east in Palm Springs or in Cathedral City, this gym is worth checking out. In-Shape 35935 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City. www.inshape.com/gyms/cathedral-city-california-92234/ Advertised as a family fitness resort (it also has child care services), In-Shape has everything a gym should have, and, unique among the gyms in this list, it has an indoor pool. In-Shape has clubs throughout California and offers memberships that will work at its other clubs. Like Planet Fitness, the Date Palm Drive location is more convenient for those in Cathedral City or eastern neighborhoods of Palm Springs. Yoga & Pilates Most gyms, like the ones mentioned above have yoga classes. But if you’re interested in dedicated studios, there are plenty in Palm Springs, including: Power Yoga Urban Yoga Yoga Bliss Finding the right one depends on your personal preferences. The Desert AIDS Project also offers yoga. Check out the schedule here. Take a look at Yelp for reviews and download the MindBody app for schedules, prices and special offers.  Since Pilates requires equipment that isn’t found in most gyms, you’ll need to find a studio. Again, if you check Yelp or MindBody, you’ll find several establishments, including: Ecore Fitness Pilates Plus Club Pilates Hiking & Biking With its almost year-round sunshine and mild temperatures, Palm Springs is a favorite for hiking and biking. Tourists and residents alike enjoy the outdoors and stay in shape on virtually limitless trails and bike routes. As we’re nearly surrounded by mountains, canyons, national forests and park lands, beautiful hiking trails come with the territory. From easy to strenuous, it’s simple to find scores of scenic trails right on the edge of town. When it’s too hot in the desert to hike, you can travel up the tram to 8,500 feet within minutes and hike in the cool forest. Tourists are drawn to the Indian Canyons, and you might find those trails busy, particularly in spring. Try AllTrails.com or download the AllTrails app to find lots of area trails. Expand the map to cover the nearby San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains, Joshua Tree, Mecca Hills and Anza-Borrego. Trails are rated for effort, and information such as whether the trail is dog-friendly, or suitable for bikes, is included. Besides possessing nearly perfect biking weather, the Palm Springs area is almost flat, making biking a breeze even on a simple cruiser. The forward-thinking city has put in bike routes all over town, making cycling safer and more enjoyable. Of course, there are plenty of challenging mountain bike routes, too. You may have trouble making excuses for being a couch potato in Palm Springs with so many opportunities to keep fit. Besides the above, remember that Palm Springs is a mecca for tennis, golf and swimming, too.  If you're looking to learn more about all that Palm Springs has to offer,  please contact Geoffrey Moore online or call (760) 641-5689 today