Best of the Vail Valley: Exercise and the Outdoors

The majority of people who travel or reside in the Vail Valley seek nature, physical activity and the ideal scenario: a combination of the two.

With those interests in mind, the valley has become home to a number of indoor and outdoor fitness environments, and this week we round up the best studios, slopes and ski runs, golf courses and venues. Valley Drive, elected by over 74,000 community votes in this year’s Best of Vail Valley.

Best workout place

Wherever you are on your fitness journey, there is something for you at this year’s Best Training Spot category facilities.

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Crosstraining Fitness of Vail, located on the north side of US Highway 6 in EagleVail, is more of a workout community than any old gym. The emphasis is on improving the whole body through a wide variety of cross training exercises that are performed in a motivating group setting. Each class is different and the workouts will keep you on your toes.

At Endorphine in Eagle, located in the heart of Eagle Ranch, movement is their drug. The instructors just want your blood to pump. And if you want to work out at 3 a.m., you can also do so at the only 24-hour fitness center in the area. Endorphine offers a variety of exercise equipment, workout and class options, from indoor cycling and yoga to high intensity interval training, strength training, barbell, kinesis, weight classes. fusion and more.

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The Avon Recreation Center offers over 40,000 square feet of fitness options, whether you want to lift free weights, ride a stationary bike, ride the treadmill, participate in a yoga class or swim in the pool at five lanes. In addition, there is a freshwater slide and a lazy river to float after hard training.

Best golf course

The Vail Valley is one of the few places where you can ski and tee off in the same day, and we do both in style. These golf courses offer recreational enthusiasts numerous opportunities to maintain an accurate analysis of slopes and terrain during the warmer seasons in picturesque settings.

The EagleVail Golf Course is a challenge for those looking to master dogleg fairways and test their accuracy around and over bodies of water on 12 of the 18 holes. For those looking for something more beginner-friendly, the Willow Creek Par 3 course offers a scenic alternative.

With one of the longest seasons in the valley, the Sonnenalp Club offers a private golf experience like no other, as well as great opportunities to practice your little game with the irons. Bring one of their certified instructors with you to help you navigate the contours of this pristine private course.

Eagle Ranch Golf Course has become a valley favorite for its long pars, deceptive greens and stunning views. This Arnold Palmer Signature design course opened in 2001 with the development of the greater Eagle Ranch area and has always been a favorite among our readers.

Best yoga studio

Whether you are looking for a place to stretch your sore muscles after a long day in the mountains, want to build strength and flush out toxins from sweat, or are looking for inner peace and a calm mind, there is a yoga studio in the valley designed to meet your needs.

Yoga Off Broadway in Eagle offers classes that use a variety of methods to help you feel better. These include barre classes, hot yoga, and Yoga + Beats classes that thoughtfully incorporate energetic music into practice. They are also adding red light and infrared light therapy to many of their vinyasa and other flux classes, which provide a number of additional health benefits.

Those looking to build strength and endurance through their practice need look no further than Revolution Power Yoga at Avon. This studio specializes in Baptiste Yoga, an athletic style of vinyasa yoga that incorporates a defined series of postures, linking determined breathing and movement in a studio typically heated to over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Minturn’s Anahata Yoga Studio takes a mindful approach to their practice, using breathing techniques, meditation, and energetic connections to promote physical and mental well-being. Classes on offer include lunar and solar flux, fireside dining practices, basic beginner classes, and restoring classes focused on heat-generating namaskars and longer holds.

Best Pilates Studio

The Synergy Center for Wellness in Avon has been the home of private and group Pilates classes since 2002. Small-sized classes and equipment such as Pilates reformers, Cadillacs and towers, Exo chairs, Bows and rollers OPTP foam are used to help you get the best results. They also have a team of physiotherapists and massage therapists to help you on your way to vibrant health.

In addition to the lap pool, weight room, and various equipment offered by the Westin’s Athletic Club, you’ll find a dedicated Pilates studio and classes designed to help you experience your best. Increase your flexibility, strength and endurance during a class or private session on mat, Pilates chair or reformer.

Yoga Off Broadway has had a huge presence in the yogi world and runs classes for everyone and everyone. Yoga Off Broadway encourages members to complement their routines not only by doing yoga, but also by mixing Pilates and barre practices into a class that allows participants to increase their fitness to new heights. Feel the burn as you work the micro muscles in this class.

Best Nordic trail

The NordicTrack branded machine did not receive any votes in the Nordic Track competition in the Vail region. Locals seem to prefer outdoor Nordic activities, including the trails in McCoy Park and Vail Nordic Center.

East of Vail, the Nordic Center of Vail offers beautiful views of 13,180-foot Mount Valhalla in the Gore Range. The area is used as a public golf course in the summer.

McCoy Park in Beaver Creek will continue to provide Nordic skiing opportunities during the 2021-22 season despite the development of 17 new downhill trails and two ski lifts in the area.

Best mountain trails – Vail

The crowd favorite in Vail has always been Riva Ridge, which commemorates the nearly 1,000 members of the 10th Mountain Division who were killed in action while fighting in the Italian Apennines during World War II. Vail claims the race is now four miles long (this measurement has changed over the years), but nonetheless it is certainly Vail’s longest race.

Next door is Riva Glade, a more natural setting that officially opened in 1974 after being an anonymous favorite for years.

And next to that is Christmas, an easier run in an area that was once known to be a good source of holiday trees for locals.

Best Mountain Trails – Beaver Creek

Rose Bowl, Centennial and Little Brave are crowd favorites in Beaver Creek.

Centennial made prime-time television in 1989 when it became the track on which the Alpine Skiing World Championships were held.

From the top of Centennial, a right turn into Rose Bowl brings you to a real bowl over Beaver Creek Mountain, one of two if you include Larkspur.

And at Arrowhead, Little Brave is a long trail with beautiful views of the south-facing slopes of the Eagle River Valley. If you ski at the right time, you might catch the red sandstone tigers chasing each other around the trees before performing buttery maneuvers on their boards and skis.

For a full list of the 2021 Best of Vail Valley winners, visit vaildaily.com.