I write this as it is snowing up here in Spokane and I am about to go into the sad indoor hotel gym :(. Is that a correct definition of irony? All I know about irony is that supposedly Alanis Morissette’s song “Ironic” is not ironic - or so I’ve been told.
My dad has lived in Los Angeles his entire life and has never belonged to a gym. Why go run on an elliptical when you can jerry-rig your surfboard in your pool to turn it into a resistance paddling workout?! (Good thinking, dad - see below). Since moving back to California, I have been totally spoiled by the plethora of outdoor workout spots in LA, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions on exact locations (and parking!). The following workouts are rated by intensity and, of course, celeb-spotting opportunity.
1. Jogging or walking on the beach boardwalk
The length of this bike path extends from Malibu all the way down to the South Bay, so you really can run as far as you want. Or you can take a quick pitstop for some seal watching at the Santa Monica pier (below) or visit my Grandfather’s bench (also below) right next to the Santa Monica aquarium! Intensity: light to moderate. Celeb spotting opportunity: minimal.But excellent people watching nonetheless
Selfie at Grandpa’s bench
Taking the long way home and running down the pier
2. Hiking in Temescal Canyon
Probably my favorite form of exercises on the weekend. Park on Sunset Boulevard and do the four-mile loop up to Skull Rock. It’s a total oasis in LA! On a clear day (below) to your left you can see all the way to downtown LA and Century City. To your right, it is the gorgeous homes of Malibu and some of the coastal islands. Intensity: Moderate to hard – lots of uphills on the way to Skull Rock! Celeb spotting opportunity: Medium. Look for the folks in baseball caps and big sunglasses who sail past you as they run up the trail.
3. Biking Along the Beach Path
You can’t beat a vigorous (or very casual) bike ride down the beach bike path. It extends from Malibu to Manhattan Beach and beyond. Start up near the Palisades for some great ocean panoramas, go through the Santa Monica pier area to gawk at tourists, meander in and out of walkers on the Venice boardwalk area (and get a little workout music from the drum circles). You can make this even a full day of fun and bike all the way to Manhattan Beach and stop for lunch before returning home! Intensity: as hard as you make it. Celeb spotting opportunity: minimal, but they do film a lot of movies and music videos along this route!
4. The Dreaded Santa Monica Stairs
These, my friends, are not easy. They are for the seriously dedicated worker-outers. I think I snapped this picture when I was sailing by on my bike one day. But these stairs have become a mecca and meeting place for those committed to fitness and who really want to sweat it out. Intensity: hardddd. These stairs go on for a while. Celeb spotting opportunity: very high. Personal trainers often take their clients here!
5. The Rings at the Santa Monica Beach
So I guess I fibbed a bit on the title of this post, because I actually can’t do this workout. I pretty much do a loose hang before landing back in the sand. But there are some crazy folks (like my good friends at Hungry and Fit!) who have racked up the muscle mass to do so. You’ll see monkey-people swing from ring to ring, do acrobatics, and unbelievable feats of gymnastics. Swing by here for some fitspiration! Intensity: impossible. Celeb spotting opportunity: medium! There is an area near the rings where people are often doing bootcamps.
6. Of course, last but not least…surfing
No shame here, I went through a super awkward surfer girl phase after seeing Blue Crush - see picture below. I asked for a wetsuit for my 14th birthday and wanted to do some shreddin’. This made my dad super happy, as he grew up with the Venice Dogtown crew and still surfs every weekend, to this day! However, I outgrew this phase but this still remains one of the most fun workouts you can have. Especially if you’re like me, and just ride the white wash and just enjoy being in the water. If you are just looking for a place to watch surfers, drive up to Malibu for awesome views of cliffs and coasts. Intensity: just fun, brah. Don’t get in the way of the locals. Celeb spotting opportunity: Pretty minimal.
Thanks for stopping by! 
