When Dos Tortas scouted Laguna Bacalar in southern Mexico as a possible retirement location, we boated on the lake, sampled the cuisine and met members of the expat community. We cruised the streets, shopped in the mercado, and attended a cultural event, all in an effort to imagine ourselves living in this quaint little town. What we didn’t do was visit the gym.
The Gold’s Gym of Bacalar
Prior to moving to Mexico from Austin, Texas, I had a gym membership and worked out regularly. We had a large yoga studio within walking distance and dozens of hike and bike trails.
A bit antiquated but surprisingly adequate.
When we moved to Mexico, we brought our own gym, kettle bells, exercise ball, bicycles, yoga videos, kayaks and more. All were adequate until Lisa had back surgery and her doctor prescribed workouts on a stationary bike. Mmmmmm.
Lisa and her mom scoping out the equipment.
While the attendance of three older women is looked at with curiosity by the youthful attendees, everyone is respectful, especially when it’s clear that we mean business. Cost? 250 pesos a month, less than $15 for unlimited visits.
Living an adventurous life means making daily choices to do the things we need to stay strong and healthy. We like to mix it up, so our funky gym is absolutely perfect. What do you do for exercise? DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
I haven’t been doing much of anything. If I had a nearby gym for $250P I probably would! The closest gym to me is 35 miles!
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There are lots of exercises using your own body weight. You can do it Emilie!
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Can’t wait to try this place!! I will be there in late March.. and happy to know my workouts won’t suffer:)
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Keep your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed.
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When living in Playa del Carmen (Centro area) we were happy with the variety of fitness facilities. A great city track for walking or running, many yoga studios, several gyms (though we didn’t join one), and a couple of bike paths. We were able to stay fit pretty easily, although the heat and humidity made that difficult at times. Could Lisa ride a bike outside, or is she limited to exercise bicycles? They can get pretty boring, but glad you found a solution for now. 🙂
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The road is too jarring for her. We’ll get there!
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So glad you blogged about this! I’ve been wondering about gym accessibility in Mexico. My husband and I plan to spend a year or two doing slow travel (mid-life career break), and we are both addicted to gyms. Glad to know gyms may be an option depending on what communities we live in.
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Depending on the size of the town and your willingness to drive, you can find a gym. In Chetumal they have quite a few gyms, some of them quite modern. I am mostly an “out-the-door” exerciser, although having our little team helps.
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