Top 10 fitness finds in Vail this summer

Just because you can’t search for your secret powder stashes from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, you can’t wear the perfect combo of layers, and you can’t burn enough calories to earn that Epic Burger anymore, doesn't mean you can't get your fitness fix in the mountains.  Sure, those things might be reserved for winter but the fun—and fitness— doesn't have to end once the snow melts. If anything, it might even kick up.

1. Golf
   If you carry your clubs and walk the course, you’re not only strengthening your muscles but you’re also burning a fair amount of calories. Walk nine holes and you can burn more than 700 calories, walk 36 holes in a week—two rounds if you take to Vail’s links—and you’ve given yourself an extra 2,900 calories in the bank.

• Running
  In the winter, you’re either trying to negotiate paths covered in snow and slop or bundling up to battle the elements. Now the pavement’s all yours and you’ve given yourself an additional challenge that you’ll benefit from later at lower elevations by training at altitude.

• Hiking
  You could take your pack and hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, but why go to one of summer’s most popular destinations when you have 166 miles of trails waiting for you around Vail?

• Mountain biking
  There’s no singletrack like what you’ll find nestled between the trees at Vail. If the downhills aren’t enough to get your blood rushing, remember that you can burn more than 500 calories an hour mountain biking, more if you focus on uphill climbs.

• Road cycling
  You don’t need to convince a cyclist that Colorado road riding is good for you. Excluding the fact that you can easily burn a few thousand calories in a day of vigorous cycling, you’ve got the Vail Pass to contend with if you want a challenging climb.

• Whitewater rafting
  With Vail hosting the Teva Mountain Games at the beginning of June, it should be a giveaway that Vail has some of the best whitewater in Colorado. But what you didn’t know was all that paddling and bracing yourself for the rapids can work your arm strength and your core.

• Trail Running
  Whether your legs can’t handle the pavement pounding or you simply want a different running challenge, take to the 22 miles of trail in Eagle County available strictly for trail running. You might find sore muscles you didn’t know you had—just don’t twist your ankle!

• Kayaking
  Vail’s not just for rafting, but its village whitewater park offers kayaking adventures too. You’ll work your back and obliques paddling, while honing your balancing skills to keep you from tipping.

• Rock climbing
  Just think about the guns you’ll gain in your biceps when you pull your body up a face—and the fun you’ll have repelling back to square one.

• Yoga
  So you can do yoga just about anywhere, but imagine the scenery you’ll be surrounded by in the mountains. Whether it’s the perfect relief from a trail day or it’s your sweat and stretch session, you can’t go wrong.