The best cities are built for movement. Pavements, staircases, waterfronts and parks form an accidental gymnasium if you know how to use them. Nevermind the rooftops, car parks, bollards and lamp posts beloved of parkour enthusiasts and their spidermanlike antics. Across the cities where Karma Group has properties, the trick is simply to look differently at the urban landscape.
In London, the Thames is your running track with the river and centuries of history unfolding beside you. But the city rewards invention too. Bench dips along the South Bank, stair climbs up the Monument’s 311 steps, or a loop through Soho where lampposts become stretch points and the city’s legendary parks host impromptu yoga. For the intrepid, take a winter swim in Parliament Hill Lido followed by a sauna.
In Bavaria, Munich’s Englischer Garten becomes a vast outdoor training ground. Jog beside the Isar, cycle the park’s gravel paths, or join the locals who practise yoga beneath the trees. Or how about some urban surfing in the fast flowing Eisbachwaller River right in the city centre? Worth watching, even if you’re not participating!
Head south to Tuscany and exercise comes disguised as exploration. Florence rewards walkers. Climb through the Oltrarno streets toward Piazzale Michelangelo and the hills beyond, where the reward is a view over terracotta roofs and perfectly shaped duomos.
In Andalusia, cities like Seville move after sunset. Join the evening runners along the Guadalquivir, rent a bike and meander through the old quarters, or follow locals who turn plaza steps into fast footwork drills and late night dance sessions.
A little shift in perspective and cities reveal themselves as gyms with endless workout possibilities.
