If you’re planning to visit Garden City, you already know many of the wonderful attractions the oasis of Southwest Kansas has to offer. Maybe you’ve even planned out everywhere you want to go and all the restaurants you would love to experience. But one thing that often gets forgotten during our trip planning is fitness.
For some people, fitness is a boring chore, for others, it’s an engaging hobby. No matter how you feel about exercise, one thing is for sure: it’s necessary for optimal health. Medical experts agree that if you could take all the benefits of fitness and put them in a pill, you would be rich.
Okay, but if you’re going on vacation, do you really want to spend time working out? Well, that’s up for you to decide. But just in case you are a dedicated fitness buff, or you’re someone who wants to take advantage of a break in routine to start a new habit, we’ve put together a list of some great fitness options available in Garden City.
No matter if you are a seasoned veteran or if you haven’t stepped foot in a gym a day in your life, Garden City has a solution for you. Read on to learn more.
1. Core Fitness
Core Fitness is operated by the Garden City Recreation Commission, so it’s clean, organized, and well-maintained. The facility is equipped with a full range of strength training machines, free weights, and cardio machines so you can get a complete workout. Plus, trained staff is on hand to assist you.
No matter what your fitness level, Core Fitness is a great place to get in your workout. While this gym is great for everyone, it’s best for those visitors who already have a good idea how to train and how to go through their own workout. In that sense, it’s more of a traditional gym, but without the aggressive, hardcore culture you might find at other facilities.
One great feature that is especially beneficial for travelers is that Core Fitness offers a daily rate of just 5 dollars, which makes it easy for visitors to get in a workout without needing to haggle with staff. For just 5 bucks a day, you have access to the entire facility.
Location: 941 Lareu Road, Garden City
Contact: (620) 277-7894
2. Evolve Fitness
Evolve Fitness offers a variety of fitness tricks to keep you interested, motivated, and challenged. As with Fit Body Boot Camp, Evolve Fitness classes are perfect for beginners and people just passing through town.
Classes are 35 minutes long, designed to focus on a particular aspect of fitness such as lower body strength, cardio, aerobic boxing, interval training, etc. They post a schedule on their Facebook page so you know what to expect on any given day.
Plus, since the classes are short, you can get in your workout and still have plenty of time left to visit and explore Garden City. Fitness doesn’t have to be a grueling slog. You can get all the benefits you need from just 35 exciting minutes of training.
Evolve Fitness has a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for beginners, so you don’t need to worry about showing up and joining in, even as a visitor. Just be sure to contact them ahead of time so they know you’re coming.
Location: 1135 College Dr, Garden City
Contact: (620) 234-4999
3. TRX Training at the Dome
The Dome is a covered sports facility operated by the YMCA, which hosts a wide variety of youth and adult sports. But as you may just be passing through town, you won’t be able to join up with a team and lead them to athletic glory.
Instead, you can join up with a fitness class held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (6:00 to 6:45) at the Dome. The class uses a novel fitness device called a TRX suspension trainer, which you might have seen in other gyms or on TV.
The device is basically a pair of straps hanging from a fixed point, which provides support for a variety of bodyweight exercises. However, don’t let the simplicity fool you. A TRX workout can rival even the toughest gym sessions but can also be easily adjusted to accommodate beginners.
This workout is best for those who like to get their workouts in early and love the idea of using their own bodyweight as resistance. Plus, working out in the dome is just a cool experience if you otherwise dislike the idea of going to a gym.
Also, be sure to call or message before you go, just so they know to expect you.
Location: 1706 E Mary St, Garden City
Phone: (620) 275-1199 ext. 101
Email: [email protected]
4. Elite Fitness 24/7
Elite Fitness 24/7 is a fully equipped gym with a complete range of strength training and cardio equipment. The facility is designed for patrons to train themselves with a focus on traditional bodybuilding and strength training.
The culture here is along the same lines. Some people love the intensity of a real gym and need that environment in order to maximize their effort. On the other hand, some people find hardcore gyms with clanging barbells and grunting trainees off-putting. Just keep that in mind as you choose a place to train.
The gym also has a staff of trainers that can be hired to lead you through a workout, however this works best for those who plan to train here for an extended period. For a one- or two-day visit, it’s best to have your own plan. The facility also has exercise classes.
Elite Fitness offers a full range of supplements so you can buy your protein powder and vitamins right in the same place you train.
This gym is best for bodybuilders and strength athletes already on a regular training program and don’t want to miss a workout while on the road. If you’re a total beginner, we recommend sticking with the options listed above.
Location: 2514 Johns St, Garden City, KS
Contact: (620) 260-2104
5. Project Fitness
Project Fitness is Garden City’s local CrossFit affiliate. If you haven’t heard of CrossFit, it’s basically a multi-mode training method that combines exercises from powerlifting, weightlifting, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and calisthenics into a hardcore, semi-random workout routine.
While Project Fitness is open to all ages and fitness levels, CrossFit might not be something you want to jump into on a whim while on a road trip. For CrossFit athletes, training is serious business. Plus, the learning curve can be quite steep.
However, if you are already committed to the CrossFit tribe, then Project Fitness is a great place to get in your workout of the day if you happen to be visiting Garden City. Just contact them and let them know you want to come by to train.
Project Fitness is best for serious trainees and CrossFit athletes who want to make sure they keep up with their training while traveling.
Location: 921 W Mary St, Garden City
Contact: (620) 271-0935
Conclusion
As you can see, Garden City offers a variety of exercise options suited for all fitness levels and interests. If you’re visiting Garden City, you’ll have no problem finding a place to continue your normal workout routine, or even become inspired to get started on one.
Garden City is a beautiful place, after all. A visit to our lovely oasis in Southwest Kansas may be just the thing to get you out of a rut and back on track toward a healthy lifestyle.
If you enjoyed this article and are interested in learning more about what Garden City and Finney County have to offer, feel free to check out some of the other great content on our site.
