Written by Guest Blogger, and one of my most favourite people in the world, Kelly Wetherille.
Confession: while I love being active, I have zero motivation to work out in a gym. Running on a treadmill or climbing fake, moving stairs just isn’t for me. I get so bored if I don’t have some changing scenery to look at (plus, is it just me, or do gyms tend to smell a bit funny?). Luckily for me, Tokyo is an absolutely perfect city for outdoor training, as it has plenty of small parks, wide roads, and big, open spaces. Plus, for a city its size, the air pollution is relatively low, so I never feel like I am contracting a respiratory condition while trying to get in shape.
Having said all that, there are some things to be aware of and a few general guidelines to follow when running or training outside here. These are my tips:
1. If possible, avoid peak commuting times and busy areas where the streets are full of pedestrians. If you find yourself running in these areas or at these times, you must give pedestrians the right of way and not try to push to get around/past them. Also, pedestrian traffic should follow the basic rule of automobile traffic, meaning run/walk on the left and pass on the right when the path is clear. Not everyone does this (there’s always that person engrossed in their phone not paying attention to anything else), but try to be one of the good ones who does.
2. On a similar note, stick to either empty side/back streets (bonus: this is a great way to discover unknown parts of the city!) or to major streets with wide sidewalks so you’re not getting in anyone’s way or causing a nuisance.
3. Stay away from private property. As an example, don’t try to run up the stairs of a private residence or apartment building.
4. Temples and other religious sites are also strictly off limits, and it’s best to avoid gardens, as many have rules against doing sports there—they are for quiet contemplation of nature, not bettering one’s physical health.
The good news is, all of the above is actually easy to do since Tokyo has so many streets with wide sidewalks, interesting back streets, and open areas. Some popular running routes include the loop around the Imperial Palace, the stretch along the Meguro River (if you’re going during cherry blossom season, be sure to go early in the morning!), and Yoyogi and Ueno parks.
There are many great, wide outdoor staircases for training as well—one of my favorites is next to Zozoji in Shiba Park heading up towards the Prince Park Tower Hotel. It’s not a super long or steep staircase, but it’s wide and there are never many people there, so you can go up and down as many times as you want. Each stair is quite deep but the rise is low, so you have the option of doing them one or two at a time for different types of training. Also, bonus: you have a view of both a gorgeous Japanese temple and Tokyo Tower, which may help to distract you from the fact that your quads are burning!
Just keep a watchful eye out when running stairs—you don’t want to come to the top at full speed and charge right into a little old lady about to make her way down! (And again, even though some of the best staircases are at temples, running them is a no-no.)
Tokyo also so many fantastic hills for doing hill sprints as well—I use the one right outside my building, but there are so, so many. As long as they meet the above criteria, they’re fair game!
As for bringing equipment to parks for training, this is totally not a problem, as long as you are not monopolizing existing playground or exercise equipment so others can’t use it, and you’re not getting in the way of other people or engaging in activities that are potentially dangerous to others (don’t swing a kettlebell in the direction of kids just trying to play on the swings!).
I’m sure most people will agree that everything above is essentially common sense. Try not to get in other people’s way, and you’ll find Tokyo to be a fantastic city for outdoor workouts. Happy training!
About the Author: Kelly Wetherille is a freelance writer, editor, content creator and branding consultant who also teaches yoga and SUP. She has lived in Tokyo for over 15 years and still loves exploring the city and its surrounding countryside. To find out more about Kelly -> @kellywetherille on instagram and her Stand up Paddleboarding Tokyo Classes.
Many of my readers are kind enough to ask how they can help me for helping them with their Japan trip via my blog.
The best way is truly just by telling your friends about me and/or by tagging me on social media.
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