> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # With so many free options outdoors, many are shunning the gyms - URL: https://www.smdp.com/with-so-many-free-options-outdoors-many-are-shunning-the-gyms-2/ - Published: 2006-10-28T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:52:34.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Taming the ‘Stairs’ is a local tradition* CITYWIDE — Forget the StairMaster. For a great workout, Marcos Alvarez tries his best to master “The Stairs”— 180 steep concrete steps tucked away in the back of a quiet cul-de-sac marking the northern end of Fourth Street. “It’s the best workout in town in my opinion,” said Alvarez, 29, on a chilly morning last week, while gasping for air, his thighs burning following a grueling climb. “I start my day here and my day just tends to go well. I mean, the setting is just awesome. You’re right next to the beach, there are palm trees and nice views. You really get to connect with people too. “You really have to beat it up,” Alvarez added.“If you don’t, The Stairs will beat you.” With cool ocean breezes, wide open spaces, stunning views and a solid reputation for being both green and lean, Santa Monica may seem ideal for those looking to break a sweat outside of the gym to revive both body and mind, or just snap a stale workout routine. “We seem to have everything here,” said Kathy LeProvost, manager of community programs for City Hall, which actively promotes healthy living by offering hundreds of exercise classes at local parks and encouraging people to get out of their cars. “There’s the beach, the bike path, Muscle Beach, lawn bowling at Douglas Park,” LeProvost said.“We try to offer a whole host of activities to get people out there and enjoy the environment.” The City Council went so far as to incorporate the concept of active living in this year’s budget. “Conceptualization of city services and the design of capital projects will encourage fitness activity in the daily lives of residents,” the council’s directive states. The combination of nature’s blessings and City Hall’s commitment to reversing a national trend towards laziness and obesity lures fitness fanatics from every corner of Los Angeles County, from celebrities and high-powered attorneys, to housewives and weekend warriors. All seem to have their favorite places to plug in their iPods,lace up their running shoes and get their hearts pumping. And the best part about most of the locales is they’re free. “I used to have a gym membership, but I don’t need it anymore,” said Conrad Koulet, a regular visitor to Muscle Beach, along the boardwalk just south of the pier, where he climbs steel poles, swings on rings and does push-ups on parallel bars. “It’s a free gym. You have the ocean. You don’t have to listen to construction, all the noise of the city... I hate gyms and being indoors.” Just steps away is the bike path where Terry Gillman, a resident of Marina del Rey, likes to ride and pump up his cardio. Gillman, 59, loves the peaceful nature of the ocean and the feeling of freedom he gets from pedaling in the open air. “It’s really all about the views,” Gillman said. “It’s beautiful, tranquil. You can’t get any better.” PUBLIC PARKS For runners and power walkers, there may be no better spot to raise the heart rate than Palisades Park, one of Santa Monica’s most picturesque locations. With 26.4 acres, Palisades is the city’s largest park, stretching from Colorado Avenue north along Ocean Avenue to the city limits. Parents often bring their children to frolic in the grass, while young professionals jog from one end to the other, occasionally taking time out to watch the sunset. Then there are those who come for a different kind of scenery. “We’re looking for all the hotties,”said Ana Arteaga, who was walking her dog, Gesepi, down a dirt path at the park, something she does regularly with her roommate, Jessica Jacobson, who was with her dog, Bernard. “One day,we came here and we noticed a lot of cute guys, but there’s been a drought lately,” Jacobson said with a smile.“But really,Palisades Park is a nice place to come out and walk in the evenings.You’re close to the beach,there’s a nice breeze and the views are incredible.” Santa Cruz transplant Caesar Cachi, who moved to Santa Monica a month ago, said he enjoys jogging at Palisades because of the clean air. “I guess I tend to think the air is fresh by the ocean. You don’t have as much smog,” Cachi said. On the eastern edge of town lies Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd., the city’s second largest at 17.9 acres. It offers plenty of open areas for organized sports, a volleyball court, and a course with 15 different stations that include a balance beam, hurdles and a bar for doing pull-ups. Santa Monica has more than 20 parks, each with their own amenities. At Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Ave., basketball rules the day, while over at Reed Park, 1133 Seventh St., tennis is the game of choice for most, as it offers six lighted tennis courts. “Our park system is heavily used, and whenever possible, we try to use the open space that we have to encourage people to come out and enjoy themselves,” said Elaine Polachek, the director of open space management for City Hall, who chooses to walk around Clover Park when she has free time. “We design parks with the goal of getting people to become active,” Polachek added. “And that could include something such as working in the community garden or taking their dog for a walk in one of our dog parks, which gives our four-legged friends some exercise too.” Exercising in Santa Monica is just as much a about being physically fit as it is being socially connected. Bonds are formed amongst those who sweat together. That even applies to regulars at the Santa Monica Swim Center, a state-of-the-art facility that includes two deck-level pools engineered to minimize waves and water resistance — a 50-meter Olympic fitness pool and a recreational splash pool for kids. While it is considered to be one of the most solitary forms of exercise, swimming can be a very sociable activity, particularly at the Swim Center, 1700 Pico Blvd., which has areas where friends can gather and tread water while they dish. “This is my favorite place to workout in Santa Monica, hands down,” said Willow Evans, who was swimming with her girlfriends, Erika White and Amanda Cunningham. “You’re outside for one. I don’t really enjoy swimming indoors. Also, you get a chance to hang out with your friends and just really start you day off with energy.” Residents can use the pool for a reduced fee, and for those who can’t afford that, financial aid is available. “Swimming is just awesome because it’s the only exercise that works every muscle in your body, and it’s low impact,” White said. “But really, no matter what you’re into, I think Santa Monica has it. When you think of Santa Monica, you just automatically think of being outside, enjoying the nice weather. People are more conscious about their health, so you have a lot of support wherever you go to stay healthy. “It’s like you’ve got a personal trainer around you all the time, reminding you to keep pushing it.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102806.pdf?ref=smdp.com)