The Best Places To Get Fit And Break A Sweat In Madrid

Spending time in Madrid is all about enjoying some of the best cuisine the country has to offer. However, after a few weeks, days or even hours of eating all patatas bravas, tortilla española and enough ham to last you a lifetime, you may feel the need to work it off. Here are the best places in Madrid to break a sweat.

Box It Out

Park

Led by a professional boxer and Gambian refugee Gibril, this outdoor boxing workout will have you sweating in no time. Jab Cross Training, which is done in English, includes circuit and strength training as well as sparring and boxing. The class meets from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday at the Retiro Park (meet at the Line 2 metro exit a couple minutes before). The class is beginner-appropriate and costs six euros. Make sure to give them a shout on Facebook and let them know you’re coming so they’ll have enough equipment for you.

Go For A Run

Park, Store

Heading outside for a jog is the easiest and cheapest option if you need a quick calorie burn. You can jog through the city center itself or lap around a park. If you need a group to get motivated, The Nike + Run Club meets every Thursday at 8:00 pm at the Nike Store on Calle Gran Via. Get there a few minutes early to warm up and introduce yourself. You can do the shorter distance run, 4-6 km, or the longer one, 6-10 km.

Hit A Low-Cost Gym

There’s a new trend in Madrid and budget-conscious visitors will love it: the low-cost gym. Similar to the low-cost airline, the budget gym charges for all the extras: 50 cents for a shower and plan to fork out for a towel too. Often, there aren’t any fitness classes, they cost extra, or they’re led by a robot on a TV screen. However, you can pay as little as 16 euros per month, in some cases, to join one of these gyms, so if you’re spending a few weeks in Madrid, it’s not the worst idea to join for a month. Or, you could simply pop in for a day and see if they’ll let you ‘try’ the gym once for free. Some of Madrid’s most popular low-cost gyms are McFit and Basic Fit.

Combine Biking, Ballet and Boxing

B3B is a new gym in Madrid that combines three things into one 45-minute class: 15 minutes of biking, 15 minutes of boxing and 15 minutes of ballet. This combo of cardio, endurance and strength training will have you burning off that delicious Spanish cuisine in no time. Depending on the current promotion, you may even get your first class free. Sorry guys, this one is only for the ladies – the studio is female only.

Swim, Workout Or Take A Class At a Fancy Gym

If you need some group motivation, head over to one of these fancier gyms for Zumba, Body Combat, Yoga, Step or even water aerobics class, like Viding, Gymmage or O2. Many of the nicer gyms in Madrid have outdoor pools and a spa zone with sauna and steam room, so you can take a whole day of wellness: do a class or head to the weight or cardio room, relax in the spa and sit outside in the sun by the pool or have a swim. The weight rooms are expansive and there’s lots of new and up-to-date cardio equipment. While these gyms are costly per month, many offer a day pass for a around 20 euros. Or, if you have a friend that’s a member – see if you can score a free pass.