From farm-themed obstacle courses to beachside yoga, the Okanagan offers all kinds of wine-country workouts

Adventure races, easy strolls, and everything in between: there's a form of fitness for everyone in Oliver and Osoyoos

    1 of 3 2 of 3

      A farm-themed race that’s as gruelling as it is fun, the Home Hardware Freak’n Farmer Adventure Obstacle Course took place in Oliver this past weekend.

      Held at the 650-acre Covert Farms Family Estate, an organic farm and winery, in partnership with HooDoo Adventures, the annual event features farmhand-related challenges like digging compost, carrying heavy bags of dirt, trudging through mud, belly-crawling under barbed wire, and running through corn fields and amid grapevines. Five, 10- and 20-kilometre courses are on offer, with longer routes involving more obstacles, like one requiring participants run with a watermelon before feeding it to a pig.

      The race culminates in a hearty outdoor farm-to-table lunch with Covert Farms wines as well as local cider and beer—just what hungry, muddy, thirsty, hardy participants need.

      For those who prefer their wine-country workouts to be a little less taxing, there are plenty of other ways to get in fitness in between sips of Semillon and Syrah. Here are a few.

      - Walk from Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre to Lake Osoyoos and back.

      A must-visit when in the region, the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre shines a light on the history and traditions of the Syilx people of the Okanagan Nation and educates visitors about Canada’s only desert.

      It’s on the same site as Nk’Mip Cellars—the country’s first Aboriginal-owned winery—and Spirit Ridge Nk’Mip Resort, all three destinations offering sweeping views of vineyards, water, and hills. From the centre, it’s a 15-minute walk down to the waterfront through desert landscape and vineyards. Beware of rattlesnakes. and remember what goes down must come up.

      - Meander along the Osoyoos Desert Centre's boardwalk.

      Across the lake from Spirit Ridge up in the hills is the 67-acre home base of the Osoyoos Desert Society's Desert Centre. The nonprofit group is working hard to preserve and protect the area’s unique antelope brush ecosystem. It also advocates for endangered ecosystems in general and is a member of the South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program.

      The boardwalk breathtaking views and interpretive signs on everything from the Great Basin spadefoot (a type of amphibian) to Behr’s Hairstreak butterfly. There’s an interpretive centre too, complete with info on the region’s snakes, owls, spiders (including black widows), and other creatures.

      - Take a fitness class at beachfront resort.

      Situated on a sandy secrion of Osoyoos Lake, Watermark Beach Resort has easy access to water activities like stand-up paddle boarding, but it is also home to Breathe studio, which offers multiple fitness classes every week. Whether you’re staying at the hotel or not, you can sign up for Total Body TRX, spin, core, yoga (including some beachside sessions), Yogalates, and other classes—ideal for people who miss the challenge of the gym when they’re away from home.

      Comments