Free ways to get fit and stay healthy in Sarasota

Each week, adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening activity, according to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 

The start of a new year means another chance to achieve the guidelines and be the best version of yourself. Fortunately, Sarasota offers numerous opportunities for fitness experiences that allow you to enjoy the outdoors without denting your wallet.

Visit The Bay Park

Ever since The Bay Park, at 655 N. Tamiami Trail, was in the planning stages, fitness was integral to the vision, said Park Guest Experience Director Diana Shaheen.

“How we look at it at The Bay, is that we’re trying to keep people moving and out in beautiful, green natural surroundings,” she said.

On Jan. 6, it debuted a new event, The Y: HIIT Fitness.

Standing for high-intensity interval training, the workout session, one of many events involving a partnership with the YMCA, uses bursts of intense activity, followed by short periods of recovery.

On Jan. 31, the park will test a program called Sunset Yoga Walk, a program inspired by an offering at Central Park in New York City, involving yoga moves during a sunset walk.

Shaheen said January and February will focus on health as well as physical, mental, emotional and social activities, including some for children, while March and April will bring the Good to Be Green months, highlighting how environmental health ties into the theme: “having good green space is good for people.”

But there’s always something on the park’s schedule of activities, created through its partnerships with community organizations.

Mondays offer a quiet day for walking and running.

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, the park offers The Y: Primetime , a combination of free weights, anaerobic and stretching exercises, and The Y: Bootcamp, an intense circuit training where participants build muscle, reduce body fat, and increase cardiovascular fitness at the same time, with modifications available for participants with health issues. 

Courtesy image

Wednesday mornings feature The Y: Tai Chi and The Y: Introduction to Pickleball. The latter offers participants a welcoming place to learn pickleball.

The first Wednesday of each month features the Dance at the Bay series of events, which includes events such as ¡Bailando at The Bay!, the second Wednesday features Zumba at The Bay with Ya’el Campbell and the third Wednesday features Bollywood Dance at The Bay, which is hosted by Megha Vaid.

Yoga is offered twice a week, on Thursday evenings and on Saturday mornings, while the Ride & Paddle kayak sessions are now available two days a week, having been expanded to include Friday mornings during high season. 

Shaheen said all the events have developed loyal followings.

“The reason we’re keeping all of them is that all of them are a hit.”

Back to the beaches

Of all offerings on Sarasota County beaches, beach yoga is by far the most popular, said Jonathan Poyner, beaches manager for Siesta Key.

“What more beautiful place do you need, right?” He said. “It’s mind body and spirit getting engaged in this practice. And I think it’s a way to re-center yourself and to connect again … to nature and to connect to others.”

The program is ideal for all ages, placing minimal strain on the joints, partially due to the soft sands in Sarasota, while there is the bonus of the sound of seagulls and waves in the background, he said.

Having taken place in Sarasota for over 15 years and closer to 20 years, the classes are held regularly at locations in the county that include Siesta Key Beach and Turtle Beach.

Some other beach programs on offer include pickleball and tennis on Siesta Key Beach.

Poyner noted that ordinances allow kayaking and surfing in other locations like Lido Beach and Turtle Beach. 

Explore nature

There are numerous opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors through the many natural areas the county protects, said Jamie Carson, Sarasota County’s director of communications.

The Legacy Trail is among the best known. It’s an 18.5-mile trail connecting Sarasota to Venice and incorporates a former portion of the Seminole Gulf Railway corridor.

The trail is an opportunity for people from all parts of Sarasota who are interested in all types of exercise. In fact, many people even use it as a healthy mode of transportation from one place to another, for tasks such as getting lunch or dinner, according to Megan Eidel, director of trails management in Sarasota County.

Photo by Eric Garwood

“The good thing about the Legacy Trail is that it pretty much spans our entire county, so there’s tons of opportunity wherever you live within the county,” she said.

The trail extends through numerous ecosystems, from bays like Roberts Bay and Dona Bay further south in the county, north to Oscar Scherer State Park, which Eidel calls a “gorgeous” section of the trail that exemplifies Old Florida, then farther north to the more urban areas around Sarasota.

Multiple trailheads offer visitors the opportunity to park, use the restroom, and hydrate before hitting the trail, which is accessible and open to all ages.

The city of Sarasota also offers the new Bobby Jones Nature Trails, at the newly created wetlands and nature park beside Bobby Jones Golf Club which opened in December 2023.

“You really feel like you’re out in the middle of nature,” said Mark Hamilton, Parks and Recreation general manager for the city of Sarasota. “It’s almost like you leave the city while you’re out there. It’s super cool.”

Check out Sarasota’s recreational facilities

Sarasota offers multiple facilities for fitness; however, awareness of what is available still needs to grow, said Parks and Recreation General Manager Mark Hamilton.

The facilities at Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex include a half-mile track for people to walk, jog, run and ride bikes and a free outdoor weight room built by a CrossFit gym, which Hamilton calls “very unique.” There are also fitness classes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and a pool that hosts classes too.

“Arlington gets quite a bit of activity. It’s really fun, but it can certainly handle more. It’s not overcrowded by any means,” Hamilton said.

The Robert L. Taylor Community Complex also offers a weight room. Hamilton said that while it is a smaller gym, it can handle more patrons during the day.

“It’s a very good deal, just $10 a month to use the weight room there, and it’s got all the standard equipment, free weights, Smith machines. It’s got squat racks, it has all the aerobic activities such as the bikes and treadmills, it has cable machines — everything that you expect typically.”

At Payne Park Tennis Center, people can play tennis day and night, while clinics and lessons are offered as well, with a pro shop and bar currently being installed. A half-mile track is also included at the facility.