Finding Your Fits: Maintaining Your Fitness Routine in a New City

By: LL
As I stated here and here, my husband and I are relocating to Kansas City in a few weeks, and we have been working to ensure that it will be a smooth transition. After two months of preparations, everything appears to be in order, except for my fitness plan, which is definitely going to require some work as I head to a new city.

Since I am a very organized person, even this slight bit of "unknown" is driving me crazy and screaming for my attention. I am sure that any fitness buff who has moved more than 30 miles has had a similar experience - how do you make your fitness routine work for you in a new city? Here are some tips that I have compiled for my reference and yours.

Finding the Right Gym

1. Make a list of the things that you want in a gym. Do you prefer to run on a track as opposed to a treadmill when running inside? Do you need access to a pool to train for a triathlon? Do you like to take group fitness classes? Do you want a flexible membership (i.e., only during the winter months)?
2. Do research of what gym chains are available in your new area. Most cities will have a YMCA and some sort of 24-hour fitness facility. I also encourage you to look into local fitness venues and studios (especially if you only take yoga or spin classes).
3. Map out where the gyms are located in relation to your home and work. It is important to find a convenient gym. If it is close to work, make sure that they have good shower facilities so that you can go straight to work from a morning workout. It will be a plus if you find a gym that has multiple locations that you can use - one located near work and another by your home.
4. Visit the gyms to get the feel of the facility and verify whether you vibe with the crowd. Whereas you might not be looking to romantically meet someone at the gym, it is always good to make gym friends - individuals that will hold you accountable to your workouts and make the experience social.
5. Find out the hours of operation, and make sure to ask about peak workout times to see if you will be battling crowds every day.
6. If you think that the gym might be for you, look into a trial period and ask whether they have new member incentives (i.e., one week of personal training). Also, make sure that there are not any hidden costs. If you have to pay extra to attend classes, you will want to factor that into the bottom line on the front end.

Finding the Right "Club"

If you are into sports clubs - run clubs, tennis clubs, biking clubs - most national club websites will have links to local clubs (for example: RRCA Find a Running Club). Depending on how large the city, you will normally have a few options to try out. From my experience, and that of others affiliated with this blog, not every club is the same. Make sure that the club has the right dynamic for you and that you get the opportunities that you are looking for in a club. Do not pay to join a club until you have the chance to feel them out. And, ask around for recommendations.

Finding the Right Outdoor Spaces

Many fitness activities require the right outdoor space, so it is important to take that into consideration even prior to choosing a place to live. My husband and I choose our new place due to the proximity to good and safe walking/biking paths. For us, we could judge this simply by observing and by asking our rental agent. However, if you are looking for outdoor space that might be a bit harder to assess, I recommend stopping into a local sporting goods/outdoorsman store. Most (not all) individuals who work at these stores are pretty knowledgeable about the surrounding areas and can point you in the right direction.

Since fitness is such an important part of my life, I am approaching its place in our relocation very thoroughly, which you definitely might not want to do. However, I just hope that some of these tips might help you if you ever have to relocate and move your fitness routine to a new city.