Oklahoma City’s options for engaging in recreational activity are nearly endless! With the sheer number of opportunities available, it may take time to find the best fit for your active interests.
However, you can try something new every day, so boredom is not in your future. Ready to hear the best news? You can do most of it cost-free! Keep reading to learn about a few of Oklahoma City’s best offerings for getting out and active.
If you’ve never been to Red Coyote’s Pack Pint Run, mark your calendar for Thursdays at 6 p.m., because you have been missing out on one of the easiest ways to get in some movement, make new friends and drink a free beer! Don’t worry, you don’t have to consider yourself a “runner” to enjoy PPR. The event offers a come-as-you-are culture and welcomes folks of all levels. Whether you’re ready for a two-mile walk or a six-mile tempo run, you are welcome to join in on the fun. Show up to Red Coyote in Classen Curve around 5:50 p.m. and be ready to make some friends.
Red Coyote also partners with Intentional Fitness to offer monthly Run the East events on the first Wednesday of every month. These events start at 6 p.m. and offer a fun 5K course winding through NE OKC. It’s a great reason to visit the Eastside and makes a perfect excuse to indulge in some of Jabee’s pizza from Eastside Pizza House!
Maybe running isn’t your thing. In that case, have you heard about the free yoga sessions at Myriad Gardens? These classes happen every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and every Saturday at 9 a.m. They are taught by experienced yoga instructors from the YMCA, who welcome yogis of all levels. As you prepare to move and be inspired by nature, make sure you don’t forget to bring your mat and a water bottle!
If you start now, by the month of April, you may be open to adding another session of yoga to your weekly schedule! OKC Beautiful offers OKC citizens a fun way to explore Oklahoma City's various parks while getting active and outdoors on the first and third Wednesdays of every month April through October. Yoga in the Park is free to attend, always begins at 6 p.m. and is open to people of all ages and abilities.
Though bike ownership presents a small barrier to entry, the cycling community in OKC is one of the most pleasant ways to explore all 621 square miles of our city. There’s an organized bike ride almost every day of the week, leaving from the various bike shops around town. You can ride from Bike Lab on Mondays, Capitol Co-Op on Tuesdays, Trek on Wednesdays, cruise around Lake Hefner, Lake Overholser and the river trails on Thursdays and Fridays and then get ready for the weekend multiple group options on Saturday and Sunday. Because ride locations and start times vary throughout the year, one of the best ways to know who’s riding, where, for how long and at what pace is through the Ride Alert app.
Running, yoga and cycling only scratch the surface of opportunities to get active in OKC. For an impressive list of additional free athletic events, check out Keep Moving OKC. As a wellness initiative of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, they keep an updated online board of opportunities including dance fitness, online class options, stair climbing, injury prevention and more!
So, resist the temptation to stay indoors through these unpredictable winter temperatures and join in on the excitement of OKC’s active community. You’ll be hitting those New Year’s resolutions with a smile in no time.
