Spending the summer in the city and wondering what you are going to do with all of that unbridled free time? Sure, one could blow off the summer shot-gunning beers all day and night at the beach, waking up the next morning with a massive hangover and semi-pornographic doodles on their face. However, why not sacrifice the debauchery every once in awhile by doing something that will benefit your health, rather than deteriorate it?
Fortunately, Chicago offers fitness activities that are either free or relatively cheap if you round up a couple of friends. Here are some activities that will keep you busy over the summer and allow you to take full advantage of the beautiful weather and city.
The Ray Meyer Fitness Center and Campus Recreation
Staying near to or on campus this summer? Campus Recreation and The Ray Meyer have several options for those fitness hungry students looking to fill their days with something other than lying out on the beach. Interested in doing a little maintenance and upkeep in your workout routine? The Ray offers membership at $39 for a student not attending summer school, and those who are in session have automatic access built into their tuition. The Ray also has summer volleyball and racquetball leagues.
Campus Recreation and the Ray are also joining up to offer several instructional classes. Different types of Yoga, Zumba, and new additions such as brick training, specifically designed for marathon and triathlon training, are being offered. A Beach Ready Boot Camp, which tones and sculpts to give you the beach body you’ve always wanted, is also on the schedule. Looking to bike your way to that festival in Grant Park or take a ride to the beach? The Ray is offering bike rental for an affordable $10 a day. For those adventurous types, camping equipment is also available for rental through the Ray. Registration information can be found online at along with dates and upcoming events: http://campusrec.depaul.edu/pgmserv/is.html
Free Workouts at Millennium Park
Enjoy free workouts every Saturday at Millennium Park’s great lawn, running through June 5 to Sept. 11. Enjoy four hours of fitness, starting from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., accompanied by live music with a different activity on the hour, such as Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and dance aerobics. The dance aerobics change every month and will range from Tahitian dancing to Hip-Hop. Be sure to check it out and learn some new moves. For the full itinerary, check out: www.milleniumpark.org.
Join a league
Groups around Chicago, like Players Sports Group and Chicago Sport and Social, offer leagues in sports ranging from cornhole (also known as bags) to baseball. Membership fees apply, but once divided across your team, the fees amount to $100 a person at most. Specialized sports leagues such as Chi Town Tennis offer memberships for a mere $34.95 for the summer session. For more information on pricing and locations visit the organizations’ sites: http://chicagosportandsocialclub.com/ http://playerssports.net/ http://www.chitowntennis.com/ Whether you are staying on campus, or living in various neighborhoods across the city, there are opportunities abound to stay fit, avoid that looming beer belly, and have fun doing it.