Dallas flexes its muscle as top city for a healthy getaway

For health-conscious North Texans, there’s no need to race out of town to enjoy a wellness-related retreat. A new accolade indicates we’ll find all we need right here in Dallas to take a healthy break.

Women’s Health magazine teamed up with home-sharing pioneer Airbnb to single out the top 10 U.S. cities for a healthy getaway, and Big D made the cut. Dallas is the only Texas city to muscle its way onto the list, which appears in the magazine’s July/August edition. (Who’s the fittest now, Austin?)

To crown the winners, Women’s Health analyzed wellness-related wish lists on the Airbnb platform — searching for terms like “adventure,” “calm,” and “fitness” — and produced a list of buzz-worthy cities.

“From there, we assigned superlatives to help readers target their vacation goals and chatted with in-the-know locals,” the magazine says.

Women’s Health noted that while Dallas health enthusiasts might indulge in Texas-style barbecue, they work off that brisket by hitting the Katy Trail or the loop around White Rock Lake, or running in the Dallas Marathon. The magazine dubbed Dallas’ fitness scene “hyper-competitive.”

In the 10-city ranking, Dallas earned the honor of “Best for Boutique Fitness,” thanks to frequently sweltering temps that encourage indoor activities. The magazine highlighted these four unique indoor fitness offerings in the city:

• City Crew. Here, indoor rowers can swim in sweat during 30-, 45-, or 90-minute training classes that promote high-intensity strength and conditioning.
• District Climb. This spot is Dallas’s first VersaClimber fitness studio, promising a machine-made, Alps-like climbing experience accompanied by heart-pounding rhythms.
• One Lagree. This workout studio’s intimate 45-minute classes are “where crop-top tummies are made,” Women’s Health claims. “The workout burns out muscles one-by-one — with a focus on the core.”
• ZYN22. With locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Southlake, this spin studio energizes indoor cyclists in classes featuring pumped-up beats, fluorescent lights, and dancing.

The magazine also produced an expanded list of the top wellness destinations in all 50 states. Among the health-minded locales are Sedona, Arizona ("Best for Outdoor Fitness"); Hot Springs, Arkansas ("Best Natural Healing"); Santa Barbara, California ("Most Zen"); and Colorado Springs, Colorado ("Most Adventurous").