If you were a fitness junkie who usually spends time inside a gym, there would be days you would like to trade in your air-conditioned gym for some fresh air. Who wouldn’t appreciate working out outside, appreciating wide, open spaces and the sun hitting your face? Nothing beats busting a sweat outside.
Wondering where to you can burn some calories outside the realms of your favorite gym? Here are a few parks you can head to for your next workout.
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
One of the parks fitness enthusiasts go to is in Bonfacio Global City. While the place is peppered with high-rise buildings, it also has its fair share of greenery to compensate for the structures surrounding every street. BGC, despite being one of the busiest locations on workdays, still manages to have open spaces for joggers to run in or parks people can use to do their exercise routines in.
One of the many parks you can work out in would be Track 30th. It is specifically built to give joggers a peaceful place to break a sweat in plus a meditation garden with interactive art installations for people to enjoy. The park is also conducive to yoga practitioners as a lawn they can practice in is also readily available.
If playing football or Frisbee is your workout choice, you can round up the gang and go to Turf BGC for some weekend fun. The place might get packed, especially during weekends or weeknights so better give them a call at (02) 816-2372 for a reservation.
If you’ve got kids and want them to get active, head to Terra 28th. You and your kids will definitely enjoy the playful art installations that are reminiscent of popular Filipino street games such as piko, luksongbakaand habulangtaya. Unfamiliar? Get a Filipino kid to teach you and get playfully competitive.
Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City
The Quezon Memorial Circle is a huge park with different fitness activities to try. If you want to switch things up by skipping running, you can join the Zumba classes being offered in the park for a small fee of Php50. You can check out the scheduled classes online. But if aerobics are more of your thing, you can go to the Planas Garden for free. Lastly, there is the basketball court, which you can use for a minimal fee of Php20. Shoot a few hoops, play a round of volleyball or give badminton a go!
Since not just fitness enthusiasts but also families with kids frequent the park, there are food booths to purchase snacks and drinks for when you get hungry or thirsty. There are benches to leave your stuff as well.
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City
A favorite of local joggers, the University of the Philippines is a great place to run and enjoy the breeze hitting you. With tall trees found all over the university, it’s no wonder joggers and cyclists enjoy breaking a sweat here. If you’re done, sit on the grass fields of the Sunken Garden or grab a few exotic street foods and enjoy the view.
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
Makati residents and workers usually frequent the Ayala Triangle Gardens for a quick run. With about 20,000 square meters, different types of people go here either to workout, practice yoga or walk their dogs. The park also has a strip of restaurants to dine in post workout. Weekends are much more active with people alongside their coaches to practice tai chi, arnis or hula-hoop.
Legazpi Active Park, Makati City
Located inside Legazpi Village, this park has monkey bars and jogging paths you can use to shake up your exercise routines. The park recently reopened last December 2017, with changes done to improve every recreational runner and fitness enthusiast’s needs. If running at night is more your thing, then this park is suited for you. There are benches you can use and washrooms for freshening up after sweating it out. Legazpi Active Park also has playground amenities kids can use to stay active.
La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City
The 23-hectare forest right in the heart of Quezon City is a perfect place to go for a run. But cyclists also enjoy this place because of the uphill trail they can venture out into. Same as with the Quezon Memorial Park, La Mesa Ecopark has food kiosks to grab a couple of snacks and drinks from. If you’re also just in the mood to meditate, the place is huge enough for you to find a quiet spot to stay at.
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