Moving to Be’er Sheva was scary at first. As someone who enjoys a healthy lifestyle, I wondered, will it be too hot all the time to go running outdoors? Will I be able to afford a gym? Will there be nice health food stores? A shuk where I can get fresh produce? Will it be a place where the outdoors would inspire me and encourage me to continue my healthy habits such as running and exercising?
I was used to heading to the beach and seeing (what felt like) the entire city exercising on a daily basis, no matter the of the time of day. Tel Aviv is the fittest city, and it feels like every person more in shape than the next. I didn’t know if Be’er Sheva would be as exciting of a city to be a part of.
I was quickly put in my place and my doubts were quickly dispelled. It doesn’t matter what time of day I go in and out of my apartment building, there is either a running group heading out, students and young professionals walking around with yoga mats, or a water bottles in hand. I’m the slacker in my neighborhood now! The newest gym, just a 12-minute walk from my place (and a 1-minute walk from work), is less than half the price of my old gym in the center. It is constantly full of people and has a diverse (and sweat-worthy!) array of classes.
Either way, just one building over is WeWork Be’er Sheva, where there are tons of events for members during the day. Luckily, those events include weekly yoga in one of the conference rooms and functional training classes. Don’t worry, there is a shower downstairs for the days I end up in the functional training class.
My friends around WeWork have told me about the running groups ad sports and exercise Chugim in their towns.
Just a few weeks ago was Be’er Sheva’s annual Light Run where 2,000 people hit the streets in glow in the dark body paint and running gear and pushed their limits to finish 5k, 10k, half and full marathons.
The English-speaking community of Be’er Sheva has its very own yoga guru who runs yoga classes for all ages and all levels. She utilizes both outdoor and indoor spaces in the area for the most meditative and enriching experiences.
One thing I didn’t expect was to hear about the lacross Chugim here! Israel Lacrosse is active across the country, and the south is (to my surprise!) full of lacrosse teams in cities like Kiryat Gat, Ashkelon, and Sderot! Americans who have made Aliyah and love their sport with a passion have created a way for kids across the Negev to learn to play lacrosse, be involved in a cool activity, and have dedicated coaches who are passionate about their sport teach and mentor the young players.
This new home of mine is bustling with physical activity and things that make you want to put on your workout clothes and get moving!
