Your vacation is the perfect time to relax and enjoy your time in a peaceful, stress-free environment. One of the biggest things that can improve our mental health and well being is exercise! If you enjoy staying active and keeping to a fitness routine, your visit in Kauai doesn’t have to mean a break from energetic activity!

Water Activities

One of the best ways to get some exercise is by enjoying water activities! Surfing, paddle boarding, boogie boarding, snorkeling, and swimming are available all over the island. Poipu Beach is popular for swimming and snorkeling, and Shipwreck Beach is one of the best places for surfing and bodyboarding. Brennecke’s Beach also specializes in boogie boarding and bodysurfing. And if you’re extra adventurous, head to Lawai Beach for ocean kayaking! 

Pathways

If you want to go for a peaceful walk or run in Kauai’s beautiful natural environment, check out Hoonani Road, which runs in front of Alihi Lani. This beautiful pathway can be as long of a walk or run as you want it to be, and it’s right in front of our vacation rental properties with the gorgeous Pacific Ocean on the other side! 

Fitness Centers

For a more classic gym experience, you can choose from a variety of fitness centers nearby. 

The Lihue Kauai Athletic Club has a variety of free weights, machine weights, and cardio machines. They offer a wide array of classes, from group fitness to yoga to aerobics to flow. They offer a drop-in fee and are open typical gym hours, providing you with flexibility on when to stop by. The team of professionals at Kauai Athletic Club have plenty of academic and career experience in sports, kinesiology, nutrition, and more, so you know you’re in good hands. 

Island Gym & Fitness is another great gym about 25 minutes from Poipu. They offer classes for HIIT training, as well as mobility and breathwork, and feature state-of-the-art equipment including Life Fitness, Hammer Strength, Body Masters, Flex, Stairmaster, Atlantis, and High Tech. Their fitness center also has bars, benches, and free weights. If you enjoy outdoor fitness, explore the Hanapepe athletic fields, across the street from Island Gym & Fitness, or take the short scenic walk to Salt Pond Beach. 

If you’re looking for family-focused activities, Southside Sports Center is the place to be. This 14,000 sq. ft. facility has fitness classes, open gym, CrossFit, and open sports competitions such as basketball, volleyball, and futsal (indoor soccer). There’s something for everyone to enjoy, and Southside puts an emphasis on serving the youth in the community. They are also thankful to be able to provide a FEMA-approved hurricane shelter for the community. 

If you’re into hardcore workouts, Organic Functional Fitness is close to our properties, located in the Kukui’ula Shopping Center. We have personally enjoyed interacting with the instructor, who is dedicated and high energy! She does the exercises along with her class, demonstrating the moves rather than just telling the class what to do. O.F.F.’s classes grow you in cardio, strength training, and stretching, through a combination of running, TRX, and weights. They also specialize in traditional yoga classes with a twist: practice traditional yoga poses accompanied by high-energy music, fast-paced movement, and group motivation to create a challenging and exciting workout. O.F.F. has a drop-in fee, and it’s best to register in advance. Personal training sessions can also be booked further in advance. 

In a similar vein, Poipu has a CrossFit location, just past the roundabout on Poipu Road. Some of their classes may not be as challenging as the O.F.F. classes, but they offer a variety of options and a drop-in fee. This location is also affiliated with a Kauai golf tournament and trail run! You can find more on their website.

Yoga

There are a multitude of yoga studios on the South Shore, with a variety of options so everyone can enjoy. The Yoga Garage is a hot yoga studio focused on teaching the 26 & 2 series. They welcome new students and offer a variety of classes. Kalaheo Yoga has been a wonderful supporter of wellness in the community for over ten years, creating a safe space for people from all walks of life. From beginners to advanced students, everyone is welcome at Kalaheo. Their selection of classes includes Vinyasa, Cardio 30/Yoga 30, Ashtanga, Yin Yoga, Pilates Mat, and even Yoga Therapy, specific to the needs of those with health problems or injuries. If you’re adventurous, try out Surf Into Yoga, an immersive and unique experience. Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere as you practice mindfulness, balance, and serenity with a hatha yoga flow and meditation on water.

No matter where you go for your workout, there are plenty of options in beautiful Kauai. Whether you’re exploring the natural splendor of the great outdoors, getting pumped up at a high-energy group fitness class, taking a peaceful yoga class, or continuing your own routine at a nearby gym, there are so many ways for everyone to stay active!

Photos by Robin Gotfrid (except sunset yoga photo).