Fitness and Wellbeing

Fitness and Wellbeing

Fitness and wellbeing are becoming more and more important to the typical Barbadian lifestyle.

When thinking about your fitness and wellbeing in Barbados, there are many activities to choose from, and our laid back approach to life certainly means stress levels are low.

You will see many Barbadians walking around the historic Garrison area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the early hours of the morning or at dusk after work to keep fit and healthy.

There’s also a small fitness area near the racetrack at the Garrison and you will always see someone working out on the machines.

Many locals start their day with a walk or run along the beach, followed by a refreshing sea ‘bath’ in the ocean, using the natural sand granules to exfoliate their skin. A sea bath is also a time dedicated to socializing and having a laugh to start the day off right.

Road tennis is also a common pastime for many Bajans and is played by the rules of table tennis (minus the table of course!). It’s often a great social event whereby many locals of particular neighborhoods gather to enjoy a friendly round of tennis over a small plank of wood set up on a man-made road tennis court.

Beach tennis is also common in the evenings. You will find many Bajans competing with each other and showing off their skills on the sand with a simple bat and ball and no net.

If you want to know THE sport of the locals and something that Bajans are definitely passionate about, that’s cricket. It’s not unusual to see Bajans hanging out in rum shops (or ‘liming’) and talking about the latest cricket scores, both here and abroad.

If you’re here on the island for vacation, a popular activity for tourists is trying out a surfing lesson, or to go stand up paddle boarding.

There are also a few large and small scale gyms scattered across the island offering fitness classes and cardio workout machines, so you’re fitness regime doesn’t have to suffer whilst you’re on holiday.

Many locals have also caught the fitness bug and use these gyms regularly as part of their workout program.

Several world-class golf courses are also located on the island, and whether you’re on vacation or a local Barbadian, playing a round of golf is a great social activity and way to keep fit and strong.

The Barbados National Trust also hosts free weekly three hour hikes in a variety of terrains and to suit all levels of fitness.

All throughout the year in Barbados there are also privately and publicly funded fitness events including the Barbados marathon and triathlon.

The Barbados Nation newspaper also sponsors a series of annual events such as the Nation fun ride, fun walk and fun run. There are also various charity fitness events such as the Breast Cancer Walk.

Fitness groups are also common on the island. Choose from a range of sports such as swimming, squash, tennis, sailing, windsurfing, polo, rugby and football (soccer).

In fact, local football matches are particularly popular with Bajans and are a great place to socialize, banter (or ‘make sport’) with the opposing team, and watch your favorite team battle it out for the championship.

There are several health shops all over the island that stock vitamins and herbal remedies.

They are a great place to pick up your healthy food and snack options, health and wellness books, incense, and some even have healthy cafes attached where you can grab a healthy meal or a power shake to keep you on the right track all day long.

These stores sell a range of organic, gluten free foods as well as various protein supplement powders, herbal teas and other health enhancing products to complement all of your fitness and wellbeing goals.

By: Brett Callaghan