YOGA ON THE BEACH: SPA AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES FOR MIAMI TOURISTS

Some of the world’s most beautiful people reside and visit Miami.  If you’re planning a visit, you best start getting in shape and learning healthy habits now.  Once you get there, you’ll be conditioned to continue the better lifestyle and do as Miamians do to keep themselves looking and feeling great.

Bike, Blade, and Board

Miami is located at the tip of southern Florida, so there’s plenty of sunshine and reason to stay outdoors.  Natives search for ways to maintain cardiovascular fitness while keeping a golden-brown tan.  Head to DecoBike, a new city bike share program.  Riding from Miami Beach to South Pointe Park burns calories and presents plenty of time to have the sun’s rays make you look more like a native.  If biking is not your thing, throw on a pair of Rollerblades, renting them from South Beach or Bayside’s Bike n’ Roll Miami.  Rollerblading is sort of a throwback to the early 90s, yet it still gets calories burning and is a lot of fun to do alone or with a group.

If you’re more traditional, you’ll opt to take a jog or run.  Check the Raven’s Run website, a club dedicated to the healthy pastime.  It’s free to join or meet with the club, and you’ll find nice (and fit) people who may lend added exercise tips.

Sorry, if you’re a surfer, you’re better off heading farther north, yet plenty of Miamians rent larger boards and paddle at Sunset Harbour Marina.  If you’re looking for something a bit different, wait until nightfall and join the Miami Beach Paddle Board’s Neon Tours.  Natives and tourists wade through Sunset Island channels with paddle boards fitted with neon, LED lights.

Yoga

Miami is a city filled with yoga enthusiasts.  Since it’s mostly gorgeous throughout the day, you can find groups and instructors getting fit at parks and beaches.  If you’re an early riser, head to 3rd Street Beach, where classes meet each day at 7am.  If you rather catch extra winks at your Hipmunk hotel, it’s no sweat; you can join a later class at 5 pm.  Other groups meet at Bayfront Park; get your yoga on for free during classes that meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 pm.

Healthy Eating

As fitness gurus know, staying healthy isn’t just about what you do to your body; what you put in it matters too.  Juice bars are ubiquitous throughout the city, and Under the Mango Tree is a crowd favorite.  Located in South Beach, the venue supplies eager drinkers with fruit smoothies, veggie juices, and bowls of acai.  Alternatively, head to Choices Cafe, located in North Bay Village.  The entire menu is healthy and vegan, so keep your meat-loving friends and family members at home for this meal.  If you’re planning on eating at home at your rental, you’re sure to get fresh produce at the Coconut Grove Organic Market or Yellow Green Market.

Nature

Those who make a positive connection between body and mind, fill their souls by becoming one with nature.  Head to Oleta River State Park for plenty of fresh air and hiking trails.  Actually, why leave when you can have everything you need to keep healthy in one place?  Bring your fresh produce along with some fish, and take advantage of the outdoor community grills.

If you want to break away from the glamour and noise of the city, go to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens filled with glass sculptures, museums, and outdoor cafes perfect for a romantic getaway.  If you’re feeling the gardens vibe, keep it going at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, replete with acres of finely-kept gardens and a mansion estate.

Spas

Okay, you’ve been exercising, eating, and getting closer to nature.  Now, it’s time to relax at a number of Miami spas.  The Standard Spa features a bayside restaurant, outdoor pool and jacuzzi, and accepts reservations for those who want to make their stay here a weekend-long excursion.  Alternatively, the Exhale Spa provides a long list of spa treatments, yoga classes, and fitness groups.  Lastly, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is among Miami’s best, offering some of the city’s best Cuban cuisines and purifying facial treatments.

Jennifer Osbourne is an event planner. She loves to share her insights on the web. Her articles appear on many travel and business websites.