Lynchburg has a multitude of FREE or very low cost options for exercise.
The award-winning City of Lynchburg Department of Parks and Recreation offers so much: 17 parks, with organized and open areas for recreation, picnicking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, and children’s play, over 40 miles of trails that wind through Lynchburg, & 9 recreation centers, which support planned group programs, birthdays, baby showers, community meetings, and more! They offer classes and programs year-round including camps for basketball, soccer, tennis, and more.
Clemmons Lake at Ivy Creek Park offers canoe and kayak rentals for adults and kids for a fee, as well as fishing access!
Riveredge Park, just across the 5th street bridge from Downtown Lynchburg offers boat access to the James River, as well as an outdoor climbing spot for experienced climbers (established 2018).
DanceLynchburg, a 501c3 non-profit organization, aims to provide to anyone - without regard to financial, cultural or any other barrier that may discourage or limit a student - an enthusiasm for the arts of dance through classes, discipline, cultural awareness, and excellence! They offer options for kids and adults.
James River Yoga offers Yoga for all levels (including Chair Yoga), Tai Chi, Meditation, and Pilates. Classes are limited to 10 people during the pandemic. Drops ins are welcome. Please email Nancy at NALLENESQ@GMAIL.COM to sign up for the FREE COMMUNITY CLASS on Friday nights.
For 30 years, Lynchburg Road Runners has been promoting fitness through competitive races and fun runs. Membership is open to all ages and abilities. Our club is a proud member of the Road Runners Club of America.
Mindful Mountain Yoga offers a holistic approach to health and well-being through movement and mindful awareness. This studio welcomes every ability level. Beginners encouraged. Veterans may practice in group classes for free. Private classes are happening in Charlottesville and Amherst at home and business locations only. COVID-19 precautions have suspended our regular group studio classes until further notice.
Learn Tai Chi from Matthew Miller at the East West Center. First class is free. Matthew lived in China for nine years, where he learned Tai Chi from Master Chen Longxiang , a fifth generation heir to the authentic Yang Style Tai Chi lineage, & was authorized to teach Tai Chi in the West. In China, Matthew also earned his medical degree from the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in acupuncture.
Fit and Strong is a FREE local Parks & Rec program specially designed for older adults with osteoarthritis to improve movement, strength, balance, flexibility and challenges. If you have not been exercising, but are ready to get moving again, this is the class for you. This evidence based class, funded by Centra Foundation, will help participants maintain an independent lifestyle.
Humankind (formerly the Presbyterian Home) offers a hilly 9-hole course open to the public for no fee.
There are disc golf courses open to the public for free at Peaks View Park, Sandusky Park, and Heritage Park.
LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA, a small-group program developed and established in partnership with the LIVESTRONG® Foundation, assists those who are living with, through, or beyond cancer to strengthen their spirit, mind, and body. This 12-week program with two 90-minute sessions per week is open to adults 18 years or older at NO COST.
