When I first arrived here as a volunteer, I became aware that staying fit and healthy whilst working on the projects was going to be important but perhaps a little difficult. It is not that portenos don’t stay fit but they just do it slightly differerently, so I decided to take a look into it. Here are the tips I would recommend to stay in shape or eat healthily:

 

1. If you like outdoor running, then BA doesn’t do badly. I have had some great moments out in the Bosques de Palermo ( nearest station plaza italia) where you can run, rollerblade and bike for miles. This is a really great part of town if you just want a moment to yourself, to absorb what you have seen, read and done so far; a momentary pause to give you back a boost of energy.
2. I am a huge yoga enthusiast and when I came here, I found it hard to find a class that would suit me. It’s great for back problems or just to get you back in touch with your body if you are running around like a headless chicken trying to see and do everything at once. Your body needs a break, so if you have time, you should try ValleTierra on Plaza Armenia (the posher part of town but so great) where you can take an Iyengar yoga class and hang upside down for a while
3. Back home, I make smoothies and juices in the morning but I don’t have a machine here, so I found a few affordable options to go and get one squeezed for me. The first is called The Factory and they are a chain in both Recoleta and Palermo that do super juices. The company was started by a venezuelan/ danish couple who moved to the city realising that they needed to inject a little health awareness into the porteno population. It worked and now a lot of people go. Another one I really like is called Mango Bambo in Recoleta and they are the dons of juice. You can literally ask for anything and they will juice it up, all the while chatting and talking to you in Spanish. Thees pit stops in the city are fun and I find it easy to strike up a conversation in these cosy spots.
4. If you want to make your own healthy fare, I would suggest going to barrio chino in Belgrano where the shops are stocked with lots of products you perhaps can’t get elsewhere in the city. I have a soft spot for almond butter and they do a really good one there, along with fresh pak choi, coriander (usually a little tricky to find) and other delicious bites.
5. A really lovely afternoon can be spent on the banks of the river in Puerto Madero and for the more adventurous, you can try the Reserva just behind Puerto Madero, where green space stretches for miles. 
6. It would almost be criminal not to mention the huge craze that BA has for Crossfit. If you haven’t tried it, I would recommend it only for the die hard amongst you. It is a series of circuits that, should you actually survive a class, will make you feel like an olympic champion. I tried it and nearly died but i can see that a lot of portenos swear by it, so there must be something to it.