5 Best Locations for Outdoor Fitness in SF

Do you hate gyms? Do you want a change in scenery? Take your workout outside! We went around the city and gathered some data on the various parks we have. We came up with a list of the best spots to do your outdoor workout. This was based on parking, views, park amenities, weather and people traffic.

1Are you looking for less people, no wind, easy parking? Then the National AIDS Memorial in the Golden Gate Park is for you!

You can park your car at the parking lot of Robbin Williams Meadow. Free three hour parking is offered and it is just a short walk away. We picked this park because it is surrounded by trees, and lower in elevation which is what makes this one of the least windiest places in SF. There is a huge grassy area with benches bordering the entire park. Another perk is that every time we teach a class here there are hardly any people. It’s like a ghost town! There’s also a long set of stairs going up to the main road, which makes for a great warm up! So to sum up the pros and cons…

Pros

• Easy parking
• Less people
• Plenty of open space
• No wind

Cons

• Lacks hills
• No gorgeous city views

2Are you looking for stellar views, easy-ish parking, and hills? Then Alamo Square is for you!

This park offers views of the city like no other. Not to mention the historic value of the painted ladies! But my favorite part of this park is the dog section! You can enjoy your butt-kicking workout while watching puppies run around with other puppies! Does it get any better? The parking spots border the edges of the park, and they’re free! It just gets tricky to find a spot during prime hours. This park is on a major hill, so get ready to sweat! There are also a number of stair cases in different sections of the park. The park offers rails to do push ups, etc. We would recommend to workout here either early in the am or later in the evening. This place can get busy with tourists!

Pros

• Gorgeous city views
• Free parking
• Hills for days
• Dogs for eye candy

Cons

• Gets busy
• Can be tricky to find Parking
• SF windy

3Are you looking for less wind, same beautiful views? Then Mission Doloresis for you!

The Mission district is known to be a less windier part of the city. This park has most of the same qualities of Alamo Square minus the wind. This park also gets busy, so again go early morning or later in the evening. The views at the top of Dolores is what makes it all worth it. You can pretty much find a good workout spot on any side of this park. They also have stairs, platforms for box jumps, tricep dips,etc. The one major downside to this park is the parking. There is the J-Church muni that runs through it, which makes it easy to access via public transportation. But if you are on a car then it may take you some time to find a close spot.

Pros

• Sunny side of SF
• Hills, platforms, stairs
• Spectacular city-scape views
• Lots of space to chose from
• Great public transit

Cons

• Hard to find parking
• Park gets crowded, especially on weekends

4Are you looking for something completely different than the rest? Try Ocean Beach!

Any SF local will agree that Ocean Beach is a magical place. The beach stretches along Great Highway with so much empty space to spare. You want to be surrounded by people? Ocean Beach has it. You want to be the only person in sight? Ocean Beach also accommodates. Best of both worlds. Parking is free and easy to find north of the windmills. There is a designated parking area for beach goers. It gets busy on the weekends, but Ocean Beach is so large you can always find a quiet spot, preferably on the southern side closer to the zoo. A workout on the sand can be 10x harder. Even just walking through the sand can get tiring! This would also be a great place for beach yoga or pilates.

Pros

• Plenty of open sand space
• Free parking on north side
• Beach vibes
• Breathtaking sunset

Cons

• Windiest part of the city
• Weekends get busy for parking

5Last but not least, are you looking for the hardest workout SF has to offer along with the best views in the city? Then Coit Tower is for you!

This workout will have you waddling around for days. The amount of stairs you have to go through in order to make it to the top is unreal! We recommend for you to start at the cross section of Sansome and Filbert st. Take the stair case up and follow it all the way to the top. Once you make it to the top, you are only half way there. Take a right and follow the road all the way down. You will find another staircase and take that all the way to the top. You made it! Once you make it to the tower, you feel like you’ve had a great work out. That’s only the warm up. Near the tower there is plenty of space to set up camp. They have platforms, and around the corner there is a good size grassy area for burpees and sit ups. The views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge will take your breath away. If you come here later in the evening, it is easier to find parking in FiDi.

Pros

• Views of the bay
• Stairs and more stairs
• Beautiful run up the famous Filbert steps
• Less windy on the bottom

Cons

• Won’t be able to sit down for days
• Windy on top
• Parking is hit or miss

And there you have it! 5 best spots to workout outside in San Francisco. These aren’t the only good ones, but in our opinion, the top 5. Don’t forget to check on our page https://www.lubbdubb.io/search for outdoor fitness classes in your area!

Fitness instructors: we are always adding new classes to our roster. JoinLubbdubb to post your classes either in a studio or out in nature. Have questions about posting? Email us anytime info@lubbdubb.io

Good news! You don’t need a permit to host an outdoor class in San Francisco. “It becomes a problem when you use amplified sound or you’re disturbing the peace”- SF Parks and Recreation Department.

Cheers,

Karolina of LUBBDUBB