A Denver Fitness Break Itinerary

[expediafittybreaks-widget-author photourl=”https://viewfinder.expedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/liz-headshot.jpg” websiteurl=”https://www.instagram.com/deathroddixie/?hl=en” name=”Death Rod Dixie”]Liz Horton is a motoholic, lifestyle photographer, endless adventurer & doggy mommy. She stays connected with the community via her Instagram page, @deathroddixie, and her Denver based 3 women motorcycle crew, the Tiny Daggers @tiny.daggers. She has traveled all over Europe and the US on two-wheels, and is off to ride in Thailand with her boyfriend as we speak. She is always ready for the next adventure or challenge, whatever it may be or wherever it may take her. [/expediafittybreaks-widget-author]
Being a Colorado native and in Denver off & on for over 10 years, I jumped at the chance to share some of my favorite local restaurants and ways to stay fit in the city with Expedia and travelers from all over. So for everyone flying into the mile high city, welcome! If it’s your first time flying into DIA, or if it’s been awhile, a few things have changed… like our new A train that goes straight from the airport to the heart of downtown, Union Station, which really is the best place to jump off sightseeing and experiencing some of what we’re all about. With that in mind, we’ll start day one of our fitty itinerary, this is what I did and highly recommend.

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Day 1:
From Union Station (1701 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202), armed with my Fitbit Alta, I headed out on foot to where I know some of the best views of the city are, the highland bridge, which connects Downtown Denver with the Highland and Lohi neighborhoods.

The bridge is really easy to find and is an extension of the 16th street pedestrian mall (1600 California St, Denver, CO 80202), also a great place to check out a burn a few calories. By the time I get to the halfway point on the bridge, I’ve already burned 172 calories and have walked almost 1,000 steps and am feeling good! From this point, I’m standing above I-25 freeway, and when I face east I see the most perfect view of Denvers skyline, and facing west I can see a select few peaks of the Rocky Mountains between the Victorian architecture of old Denver. But alas, I have to keep my heart rate up and keep moving…

[expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap imageurl=”https://viewfinder.expedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/avanti-denver.png” targetlink=”http://avantifandb.com/” title=”Avanti Food and Beverage” viewonmaplink=”https://www.google.com/maps/place/Avanti+Food+and+Beverage/@39.7622546,-105.0061422,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2d23e42db4133a08!8m2!3d39.7622546!4d-105.0061422″] 3200 N Pecos St
+1 720-269-4778[/expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap]

I’m headed now to Avanti (3200 N Pecos St, Denver, CO 80211), an 8 minute walk to one of my favorite hot spots with a rooftop bar with views to kill, and any type of food you could possibly want. I’m torn between the arepas place and the shawarma place – I had already ruled out pizza – before finally deciding on the sushi place.

[expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap imageurl=”https://viewfinder.expedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Bamboo-Sushi.jpg” targetlink=”http://bamboosushi.com/our-locations/bamboo-sushi-at-avanti-fb/” title=”Bamboo Sushi” viewonmaplink=”https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bamboo+Sushi/@39.7622532,-105.0061353,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x14d8c1b2163b2bfa?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj86s7wkO_RAhWnwFQKHSJqD_MQ_BIIcjAK”] 3200 N Pecos St
+1 720-269-4778[/expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap]

I eat what I guesstimate to be about 700 calories worth of spicy tuna rolls, salmon nigiri and a few other treats including about 80 calories worth of sake from Bamboo Sushi (3200 N Pecos St, Denver, CO 80211). Avanti you see is a collective eatery with culinary options from lots of great small places.

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Day 2:
Now it time to really get cracking. The one thing I always recommend no matter who you are, where you are, or how much space or time you have, is to stretch and move your body first thing in the morning.

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One thing I’ve found so helpful with keeping me motivated and on track with this has been the Asana Rebel app on my iPhone. It’s a yoga based exercise app with workouts as quick as five minutes to as long or strenuous as you want to make it. This morning though I start with the “fatburn” 28 minute yoga session. Within minutes my heart rate is up, and I am thanking myself for making the time to get this in. 198 calories burned and I’m ready to start my day.

My coworker has been telling me about this rock climbing gym in town for some time now lately called Movement climbing and fitness Denver (1155 W 5th Ave, Denver, CO 80204). I’ve been dying to try it out, so I call her up and make plans to meet. I arrive and meet Sarah who shows me the ropes & introduces me to the staff.

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Everyone here is so friendly and the gym is huge and amazing!! After about an hour or so of scrambling around, learning how to “belay” and communicate like a pro about whatever it is I’m doing I have sweat dripping from my brow, sore fingers and hands, and I couldn’t be happier. Excited to see the reading on my Fitbit, I tap through the time screen and number of steps I’ve taken all day (6,324) screen, and when I get to the calories burned screen I’m ecstatic to see that I’ve burned 1,336 for the day so far.

After climbing, bouldering and messing around at the gym, Sarah and I decide to grab lunch before heading home. We head to Parsley (303 W 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80204) in the Baker neighborhood for fresh and organic healthy grub. I order the “Kate’s Kiss” juice consisting of organic kale, organic spinach, organic celery, organic parsley, organic carrot and organic lemon. Sarah orders the vegan veggie sandwich (which of course I steal a bite), it comes on ciabatta bread with roma tomato, thinly sliced cucumber, organic lettuce, organic spinach, organic red onion, kalamata olive, olive oil vinaigrette and is the perfect complement to our healthy day.

[expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap imageurl=”https://viewfinder.expedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/parsley-denver.jpg” targetlink=”http://parsleyandbailey.com/” title=”Parsley” viewonmaplink=”https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parsley/@39.734022,-104.9918352,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x42f899a264590b35?sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjE-NSk6enRAhUJziYKHSkvCAkQ_BIIdjAN”]303 W 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80204
+1 303-893-7914[/expediafittybreaks-widget-at-glance-viewmap]