Five of the Best Places to Stay Fit and Eat Well in Rome. Part One!

Although the eternal city is heaven for foodies, there is also so much rich culture and history to explore. It is a fabulous place to be active, while you’re exploring the never ending treasures that Rome has to offer.

Zem Yoga Studio in Rome, Italy
The beautiful Zem Yoga Studio Roma...my yoga home in Rome!

Five of the Best Places to Stay Fit and Eat Well in Rome, Italy. Part One!

When most people think of Italy, the first thing that comes to mind is food.  This incredible country is synonymous with pasta, pizza, gelato, wine, and the culinary list goes on and on!  Rome itself is famous for hearty dishes like Cacio e Pepe, pasta with cheese and pepper sauce, and Spaghetti alla Carbonara, which is also creamy and cheesy but with guanciale, pork.  You can’t turn a corner without seeing a gelateria, and the vino is as cheap as water.  In the morning you smell the homemade cornetti, Italian croissants, wafting through the air as you wait at the bar for your perfectly made cappuccino.  

Although the eternal city is heaven for foodies, there is also so much rich culture and history to explore.  It has the energy of New York City, with so many people everywhere all the time.  It is a fabulous place to be active, while you’re exploring the never ending treasures that Rome has to offer.

The old mixes with the new, and fitness, even yoga, has blossomed.  There are some amazing studios and beautiful health clubs to explore, not to mention many wellness spas, health food stores, and even organic raw vegan restaurants.  You can literally spend all day walking miles around the city, as well as in the numerous gorgeous parks, up the hills and to the many terraces with astounding views.

There are literally too many to mention them all…so let’s start with a few!

Here are five of my most favorite places to stay active and eat well in Rome.

  1. Zem Yoga Studio Roma

This quaint, cozy studio in the center of Rome is all about community, and strong, athletic yoga classes.  I’m biased since I teach at this studio when I’m in Rome.  It’s full of expats and locals, in a beautiful warm space.  The studio offers everything from 90-minute Vinyasa classes, to Ashtanga and Yin.  There are numerous workshop offerings from international teachers, and the quality of instruction is the best I’ve seen.  The mat and towel rentals add convenience, along with a full locker room to shower up after class before you head back out onto the bustling streets of the eternal city.  Check out the schedule at www.zemyogastudio.com. They also offer a week special for visitors which includes mat and towel rental.

2.   Heaven Sporting Club

“Heaven” is the perfect name for this full-service fitness center in Rome’s Villa Borghese complex.  It not only offers a complete array of equipment for all of your weight training and cardio needs, but it also has an amazing group fitness schedule with a large array of classes, from indoor cycling to strength training to Mat Pilates. Check it out here https://heavengroup.it/palestre/villa-borghese/   And of course, since it’s in Rome, this luxury club wouldn’t be complete without a caffe to get a cappuccino before your workout, and even a restaurant to grab some pasta to eat back all those calories you just sweated out.  When in Rome… :)

3.   Early morning run through the city center

If you love to run, and you’re willing to get up early to beat the crowds, there is no better way to see the sights and get your workout in at the same time than a jog through the city center. (Of course, you can make it a power walk, too!) Rome is full of small, magical cobblestone streets and alleyways.  Leave the map at home (you have your iphone to guide you, if needed) and just start running.  Make your way from Castel Sant’Angelo, up to Piazza Del Popolo, to the Borghese Gardens, down to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, over to the Pantheon, and finish at Piazza Navona.  Maybe even stop once or twice for an espresso along the way.  Just be sure to go early before the streets get crowded, and you’ll have all the best monuments to yourself!

The view of Piazza del Popolo from the Borghese Gardens
The view of Piazza Del Popolo from the Borghese Gardens

4.   Ginger Sapori e Salute

If you’re looking for fabulous large salads and Acai bowls in Rome, this is the place for it!  Ginger is a delicious, organic, natural food restaurant in Rome.  It is light and bright, right in the center, and popular with the locals.  They have everything from organic coffees, freshly made juices, to vegan/veggie/gluten-free items.  Check out their website www.gingersaporiesalute.com to start getting hungry!  It’s a nice way to break up the pasta and pizza indulgence. They have locations near the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps.

5.   Cul De Sac Restaurant & Wine Bar

Speaking of pasta...this is my favorite local restaurant in the center of Rome. Just steps away from Piazza Navona, it is a neighborhood gem, popular with Italians, and always packed.  Go before you are starving, since you will most likely need to wait awhile to be seated.  But don’t worry, they will happily serve you wine from an extensive wine list while you wait, which you can sip on while chatting and people watching.  My go-to dish is their Ravioli with Spinaci e Pomodoro (spinach and tomato sauce).  It’s super fresh and delicious.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.  Yum. Find it at Piazza Pasquino 73, Roma.

Rome is a phenomenal city, and of course this list just cracks the surface of its food and fitness.  There is so much you will find just by wandering the quaint streets, and exploring la dolce vita on your own.  

Stay tuned for Part Two of my favorite places in Rome, and subscribe now to be sure not to miss it! ;)

Ciao for now, and enjoy!

Con tanto amore,

xo Jenny