I’ll admit it. I’m not a big gym-goer. I don’t like running, and lifting weights makes me nauseated. I’m embarrassed to say I’m not as athletic as the next person my age. But nonetheless, I make it a point of going outside and getting active whenever I can. My absolute favorite thing to do to get sweaty is hike. Whether with a friend or my boyfriend, hiking is the perfect way to keep your cardio interesting, your resistance engaging, all while stimulating all the other senses. Whether on an overcast morning or sunny afternoon, these three trails will leave you sore in all the right places!
Chantry Flat // Arcadia & Sierra Madre, CA
Pictured: My boyfriend and I pose at the water's edge of Chantry Flat
The Chantry Flats is a combination hiking and cabin/picnic area located at the base of Big Santa Anita Canyon between Arcadia and Sierra Madre. Along with the multitude of picnic tables, the hiking trail is lined with cabins for people to rent out. In the winter and spring months, water flows from the falls at the top of the trail down over the sides of large concrete walls and into mossy pools of rock and decaying organic matter. Admittedly, this trail is easier than the rest, it is still worth going for the scenery.
Abalone Cove Shoreline Park // Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
The rocky shores of Abalone Cove are the best place to go to the beach for a workout without the worries of crowds and outrageous parking fees. You have to park in a lush, green area, but the trail takes winds around the vegetation and leads you down a steep zig-zag path to the water's rocky edge (wear your best hiking shoes). I haven't walked the entire path, but my last excursion was two hours out and an hour back. It took an extra hour starting because my boyfriend and I kept stopping to look into the tide pools and stare into the massive blue horizon. Each crack and crevice has its own little sea critter!
Griffith Park // Hollywood, CA
