How to keep fit and stay active in York
Keeping up a fitness regime can be a struggle, especially when you’re lacking knowledge of the local area. Our team have pulled together some simple yet effective ways to inspire, motivate and keep you active during your stay in York.
Walking and Running
Walking and running are ideal sports for improving your fitness whilst enjoying some fresh air and getting those endorphins pumping round your body.
No visit to York would be complete without walking around the City Walls. This is great if you’re wanting to fit some exercise in as well as seeing some great views of ‘hidden York’. The walls are 3.4 kilometres long, with a dozen places to climb on or off. This means you can walk as little or as much of the walls as you want and you can even enjoy a leisurely coffee or a spot of lunch. The Perky Peacock café and DYLS café are great places en-route for a pit-stop. Stay at Micklegate apartment, located a 2-minute walk away from the Micklegate Bar - a great access point to start your City Walls walk.
Museum Gardens is a wonderful green space in the heart of York that must be explored during your stay. With our office located just around the corner on High Petergate, the team love to take a leisurely stroll around the gardens at lunch.
A popular running route amongst locals is the River Ouse. This is brilliant as again; you can tailor your route to your fitness level. Another running route which is close to the city centre is around Rowntree park, just off Bishopthorpe Road. This is a 2km loop from the Millennium Bridge, on traffic free paths - fantastic for a city centre jog!
Cycling
Thanks to the Tour de France and Le Tour de Yorkshire, cycling has become a popular sport and means to commute amongst the locals in York. York is a ‘cycling city’ and there are numerous cycle routes, which is great as you don’t have to rely on public transport and instead can enjoy the fresh air!
If you’re looking for a flat cycle ride that the whole family can enjoy, there is nothing better than cycling along the River Ouse. This easy, mostly traffic-free, route starts at Lendal Bridge in the centre of York and heads North through some stunning meadows along a cycle path to Beningborough Hall . There you will find a great Farmshop Café, serving a delicious afternoon tea – an indulgent treat that is perfect to refuel on before biking back to the city centre.
‘Cycle Heaven, York’, a bike shop and café in one, is a must for cycling enthusiasts. Cycle there via Scarborough Bridge which has recently been adapted for cyclists, then browse the latest biking equipment and enjoy a hot drink.
If you head over to the ‘Travel York’ website, you can download a leisure route map in order to discover York’s popular cycle routes and accessible green spaces by bike.
Dog walking
If you have brought along your furry friend on your trip to York, a dog walk or a run is the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air as well as some exercise. We have a couple of dog friendly properties conveniently located near to the River Ouse for example 22 North Parade and 23 Bishopgate Street. Your pooch can enjoy a quick paddle and run around fantastic open green spaces along the River including St Peter’s Fields or Clifton Ings. The River Ouse is also great for dog friendly cafes and pubs on route - Circles Cafe and Gin Bar on Lendal Bridge, and the Cock & Bottle pub on Bridge Street are to name a few.
Another great area for a dog walk, as well as a run, is the Hob Moor local nature reserve, which is part of the Knavesmire, our team member Amanda loves to take a stroll and enjoy the beautiful sunrise – she claims it’s even more picturesque in winter so be sure to take your camera to get some great snaps!
Fancy going a little further afield? You can access some great places on the North Yorkshire Moors in less than an hour. Click here to discover a variety of route guides available to download for free. For example, Sutton Bank National Park is home to Yorkshire’s White Horse which is a 45-minute drive from York Minster. There is a short walk along the top of the Bank, where you will be able to see the best view of Yorkshire. This is especially good on a clear day. Afterwards, there is a little café to grab some lunch or a quick coffee, and there is also a gift shop.
Gym and Fitness classes
With a multitude of gym facilities to choose from, with many offering day passes and access to classes, you can keep up to speed with your fitness regime whilst staying in York.
Supersonic gym is a brand-new fitness, wellbeing and lifestyle ‘sanctuary’ in the very heart of York’s city centre. Supersonic offers fitness class passes for £18 per person for 3 classes or £50 for 5 classes with no membership needed, so that you can still keep on top of your fitness whilst staying in York. Supersonic is also home to one of the very few infrared saunas in the UK. Infrared saunas are proven to improve circulation, the immune system and stimulate metabolism. There is also a café serving up scrumptious healthy food including freshly made salads and smoothies.
1 The Old Mill is one of our new 1 bed apartments, located only a 2-minute walk away from the Supersonic gym on Pavement Street. Another great property is Walmgate Riverview, this is a contemporary 2-bedroom apartment a 5-minute walk away by the River Foss.
Foss Island is only a 10-minute walk away from all the city centre action and it is home to a variety of gyms; family run Swift Fitness, Foss Fit and recent addition UltraFlex. All three gyms have a great variety of cardio and weight training equipment. But if classes are more your thing, Foss Fit and Swift Fitness have a great choice including HIIT, spinning, and yoga! Our Cocoa Suite studio apartments are only a 2-minute walk away from all three so there’s no excuse to not work up a healthy sweat.
We hope our recommendations have you feeling confident and motivated to get active, whether that’s taking in the beautiful scenery outdoors or challenging yourself at the gym. Whatever you choose make sure it’s fun!
Thinking of visiting York soon? Take a look at our property page and begin planning your stay with us.