The Top 5 Parks in Long Beach for Outdoor Fitness Training
Updated: Nov 19
Living in Long Beach provides residents and visitors with a plethora of outdoor spaces to enjoy year-round sunshine and warm weather while getting in shape. If you’re looking to take your workout routine outside or want to mix up your regular gym schedule, Long Beach has some great parks for outdoor fitness.
As a Long Beach personal trainer, I’m always recommending my clients take advantage of the fantastic parks we have available in the city. Training outdoors provides some great benefits over indoor workouts, like getting a breath of fresh air, soaking up some vitamin D, taking in new scenery, and using the different terrains to enhance your routine.
Top 5 Parks in Long Beach for Outdoor Fitness Training
If you’re looking for the best parks in Long Beach for outdoor fitness training, here are my top 5 picks:
Shoreline Park
Address: 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
Website: https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/shoreline-aquatic-park/
Shoreline Park should be at the top of any list of workout spots in Long Beach. Located right along the oceanfront, Shoreline Park offers spectacular views of the Pacific while you get your sweat on. With several lawns, walking paths, and sets of stairs, it’s a prime spot for running stairs, doing sprints or intervals, holding an outdoor yoga class, or really any type of cardio or bodyweight exercises. The different levels and stairs also make it easy to incorporate plyometrics into your routine here. Shoreline Park also has outdoor fitness equipment like pull-up and dip bars tucked away in some areas. Bring your own equipment or just your body weight – Shoreline has tons of space and options for any type of outdoor workout.
El Dorado Nature Center
Address: 7550 E Spring St, Long Beach, CA 90815
Website: https://www.visitlongbeach.com/directory/el-dorado-park-nature-ctr/
For those looking to get in touch with nature while training, head over to El Dorado Nature Center. Spanning over 100 acres, this nature center has a vast network of dirt trails that are perfect for trail running. Challenge yourself with hill runs or intervals as you wind through the tranquil, wooded landscapes. The soft surface is also great for joint health as it provides impact absorption that pounding the pavement doesn’t provide. In addition to trail running, the network of paths is great for an outdoors walking or jogging routine. You can do sprints between trail markers then recover with a walk, challenging your cardio without needing to run the entire time. The dirt trails are also great for outdoor agility and footwork drills.
Heartwell Park
Address: 5801 Parkcrest St, Long Beach, CA 90808
Website: https://locator.lacounty.gov/parks/Location/3185478/heartwell-park
Situated right off of Pacific Coast Highway, Heartwell Park is another prime outdoor fitness spot thanks to its location. This small oceanside park packs a big punch when it comes to workout potential. Heartwell Park features a cool combination of staircases, ramps, and grassy lawns – perfect for mixing up your fitness routine. Run the stairs to elevate your heart rate then recover on the ramps and grass. Use the various levels for plyometrics like jumping or bounding work. The stairs are also great for single leg exercises. Heartwell Park often has a refreshing ocean breeze, especially on the ramps and higher levels, that will cool you down during your workout.
Long Beach Municipal Athletic Complex / Chittick Field
Address: 1900 Walnut Ave, Long Beach, CA 90806
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chittick-field-long-beach
For team sports lovers, head to Long Beach Municipal Athletic Complex, also known as Recreation Park. This 42-acre park features a huge green field perfect for sports like soccer, football, frisbee, or running bleachers. Use the bleachers for cardio stair runs or footwork drills. Challenge a friend to races up the bleachers or compete for the best bleacher stair workout time. Make sure to bring a stopwatch! When the field is open, take advantage of the vast space to meet up with friends for a competitive soccer game. The field has soccer goals set up and painted lines. Some other sports equipment is available to rent onsite. The grass field is ideal for sprints, agility ladder drills, high knees – you name it!
Bluff Park
Address: 2500 E Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90803
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bluff-park-long-beach
Last but not least, if you’re looking for great hillside trails with spectacular views, check out Bluff Park. The hilly trails winding through this park are an amazing change of scenery from typical flat Long Beach. Challenge your endurance and fitness with an uphill hike or trail run through the park. The elevation provides more resistance to tone your legs. Hop off trail to utilize the grassy open spaces and add exercises like crunches, lunges, or squats into your workout. When you reach the top of the park, take in the spectacular views of downtown Long Beach and the ocean as your reward! The vista is a perfect spot to cool down and stretch after a tough hike.
The abundant parks in Long Beach make it easy to soak up the sunshine and scenery while you train by yourself or with your local Long Beach personal trainer. So next time you’re looking for a place to workout and expand your fitness, ditch the Long Beach gym and head to one of these 5 awesome parks designed for outdoor fitness! Taking your fitness routine outdoors provides physical and mental benefits to boost your overall health.
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