Fitness in the city: 8 ways to have fun while staying fit in urban Makati

MANILA, Philippines — Makati is a city in perpetual motion. Particularly during the workweek, people are constantly moving up and down the city’s elevated and underground walkways to get from place to place.

There is no end to the stream of cars, buses and bikes plying the major thoroughfares of the city. The malls and commercial centers are bustling, and restaurants are busy firing up meals in the kitchens. It is the Central Business District of the metro, and business has to move all the time.

There is, however, another way that Makati encourages its residents — and guests — to move. It’s physical movement, also known as, exercising and keeping fit. And it isn’t the high-rise buildings and the ultra modern walkway system that would encourage this but the presence of parks and open spaces such as Ayala Triangle Gardens (corner Ayala Ave., Makati Ave. and Paseo de Roxas), Washington Sycip Park and Legazpi Active Park in Legazpi Village, Jaime Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, and the many physical fitness places Makati has to offer. 

Sway with me, dance with me

 If dancing is your idea of staying active and fit, Makati offers:

• Nude Floor at Ayala Malls Circuit — offers the gamut of dance disciplines, from ballet and vogue with ballroom culture to hip-hop, popping, house, soul and funk, and waacking (a circa ‘70s street dance).
• The Studio Dance Club in Legazpi Village — is definitely for ballroom dancing. Drink, dine and dance. There are dance instructors to keep you dancing all you want.

Kick it up a notch

Kicking your way to fitness?

• KMA Fitness and Martial Arts in Salcedo Village—offers Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, judo, boxing, arnis, and fitness kickboxing.
• Capoeira Kadara Philippines in Bel-Air—holds classes on the Brazilian discipline that marries martial arts with dance, aerobics, music, and spirituality.
• The Lab in Legazpi Village — is a boxing and Muay Thai fitness studio known for its highly skilled trainers and quality equipment.
• Elite Boxing and Muay Thai Gym in Salcedo Village—is a new workout spot for boxing and Muay Thai enthusiasts for fitness and weight loss purposes, but it is also capable of providing advanced training for professional athletes.
• Cycle House in Salcedo Village — is a fun, music-driven indoor cycling studio that combines cardio and strength training.

Looking for adventure?

Need a different kind of thrill or adventure?

• Left Behind in Ayala Malls Circuit —gives you 45 minutes to get out of a ladies’ restroom (Flushed), the basement of a house in the middle of a forest (The Basement), or a mine in the far north mountain of Amarok (The Mines). It should be a fun after-office alternative to your usual exercise routine and a great way to bond with family and friends, as well.

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