Best Indoor Tracks To Exercise In Orange County
Frigid temperatures and holiday feasting make it easy to slip into fitness hibernation mode and put on a little extra winter padding. If the cold wintery weather is putting a damper on your workouts, stay hot by taking advantage of indoor running and cycling tracks. Rain or shine, these gyms and rec centers have everything you need to keep your heart rate up and your weight down during the festive holiday season.
Anteater Recreation Center
680 California Ave.
Irvine, CA 92687
(949) 824-5346
Price: $5 single use/free for UC students/$112 faculty and staff (per quarter)/Click here for additional membership prices
www.campusrec.uci.edu
Situated just south of Campus Drive in Irvine, the Anteater Recreation Center's 150-meter indoor track will help die-hard fitness fanatics stay fit during the fall and winter months. The center's all-weather track surface keeps joints safe and the track is three lanes wide, allowing for plenty of space to train with friends. The Anteater Recreation Center is free for students. Faculty and staff pay $112, and other types of membership prices are listed. Visitors not affiliated with a UC school can pay $5 to use the ARC while training with a school affiliate.
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24 Hour Fitness Ultra Sport
18007 Von Karman Avenue
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 250-4422
Price: $55 month membership (this club only)/$25 single use for non-members
www.24hourfitness.com
Located just east of the 55 Freeway, the 200-meter indoor track at this 24 Hour Fitness Ultra Sport facility is easily accessible to residents of Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. The track is available for open use for members and nonmembers alike, though nonmembers will pay a $25 fee to use the facility. For travelers flying into John Wayne Airport for the holidays, this all-weather indoor track is just less than 1.5 miles south of the airport.
LA Fitness
17091 Beach Blvd.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 848-1919
Price: $30 monthly membership/$350 initiation fee
www.lafitness.com
When the sunny So Cal beaches are not so sunny, LA Fitness has an indoor track to help you keep your beach body fit in the cold wintery weather. The 180-meter all-weather track surface provides plenty of cushion to support sensitive joints, and with two lanes to train on, it's perfect for running with a friend. The track is available to LA Fitness members only, though free one-week passes are available for those who want to test the track out before joining the club. Membership dues are $30 a month with a $350 initiation fee.
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CSU Fullerton Student Recreation Center
800 N. State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92834
(657) 278-7529
Price: free CSUF students/$300 faculty and staff annually/free general admission with a member
asi.fullerton.edu
Located between Nutwood Avenue and Yorba Linda Boulevard just off of State College Boulevard, the Cal State Fullerton Student Recreation Center boasts a 200-meter indoor track elevated above the gym floor. Three lanes provide plenty of room to train and the all-weather track also features pace clocks for the serious athletes. Due to its affiliation with Cal State Fullerton, there are certain membership eligibility requirements for use of the facility, though friends of Cal State students, faculty or staff may train at the center as long as a Cal State affiliate is present with them.
Velo Sports Center
18400 Avalon Blvd.
Carson, CA 90746
(310) 630-2064
Price: $225 introductory certification/$45 annual pass/$55 one month membership/$20 single use
www.lavelodrome.org
For serious cyclists who ride rain or shine, venture beyond Orange County to the 250-meter indoor track at Velo Sports Center. Velo provides a high-quality training facility and certification for use of the velodrome. With bragging rights as America's largest velodrome, this indoor cycling facility is home to USA Cycling and the Los Angeles Velodrome Racing Association. The LAVRA provides open training sessions, youth cycling for kids ages 8 to 16, and track time reserved for professional riders. All cyclists must take a certification course before riding at the Velo Sports Center and registration can be completed online. The introductory certification course is $225 for four 2.5-hour sessions, and a free sample session is available by appointment only to give riders a chance to test the boards.
David McDonald is a freelance writer covering all things Orange County. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
