Apart from its traffic and its crowds, Istanbul—so the argument goes—is a tough place to live for active people due to the city’s lack of places to exercise. But is it really so difficult to keep fit in Istanbul?

Aside from various forms of indoor fitness (yoga, Pilates, fitness training), there are plenty of ways to get out-of-doors exercise in Istanbul. All it takes is some planning and know-how.

Running

In a city with narrow streets and even narrower sidewalks, running is clearly not a practical way to keep fit, unless you can find somewhere without any traffic. The Belgrade Forest is an ideal place to jog, and affords Istanbulites the opportunity of enjoying the outdoors without (technically) leaving Istanbul’s city limits. Serious long-distance runners will not want to miss the 33^rd Intercontinental Eurasia Marathon, when you’ll be able to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot.

But then, if you run every day (and most serious runners do) it’s unlikely you can make a daily trip to Sarıyer or wait for a once-a-year event like a marathon in order to keep fit. If you’re lucky enough to live near a park (e.g. Yıldız Parkı in Beşiktaş or Fethipaşa Korusu in Üsküdar) then you can simply go there to run; if it has a running track (for example the newly-restored Yoğurtçu Parkı in Kadıköy), so much the better. The stretches of the Bosphorus with pedestrian promenades (e.g. from Arnavutköy to Bebek) are also perfect for running. For those on the Asian side, in addition to the coast between Harem and Salacak, there are promenades on the Marmara seacoast in Kadıköy, Moda, and Kalamış, plus a miles-long stretch from Fenerbahçe all the way to Bostancı.

Bicycling

What is true of the average big city is even truer of Istanbul, where hilly terrain and frantic drivers combine to make bike-riding a suicidal enterprise. Luckily, there are places where you can ride a bike in Istanbul without taking your life into your hands. Aside from the seaside promenades mentioned above, there are the Princes' Islands, where cars (aside from emergency vehicles) are prohibited by law. Büyükada and Heybeliada in particular are excellent places to go bicycling, with their extensive network of dirt roads. You can take along your bicycle on the ferry; alternatively, there are numerous places on the islands offering bicycles for rent. If you can, go off-season and/or during the week, and you may have the island (almost) to yourself.    

Soccer (Football)

Go to any patch of greenery in Istanbul and you'll probably see some people messing around with a soccer ball. For a serious amateur soccer match, Istanbulites prefer to rent a halı saha (small soccer field). Unlike the impromptu soccer games you may be accustomed to, a certain amount of planning has to go into an amateur match in Istanbul. Most municipalities will have a halı saha for rent; just ask locals where to find one. (If you live in Kadıköy, for example, the Moda Halı Saha near Moda Teras is a good place to play.)

Swimming

The Bosphorus, with its cold water and strong current (not to mention passing oil tankers), is not necessarily the best place to swim. Swimming off the Princes’ Islands (or on Asian-side beaches like Caddebostan Plajı) is possible; while the Sea of Marmara is not totally unpolluted, if you’re just wading into the water, as many do, this is unlikely to be a big problem. For more pristine (but much colder) waters, go to Kilyos or Şile on the European and Asian Black Sea coasts, respectively. Be aware that both places have strong undertows – so do not swim alone and always stay close to the shore.

If you prefer to swim in a pool, many upscale hotels have facilities available for daily use by visitors. Alternately—if you would like a more affordable way to swim in chlorinated water—there are a number of outdoor water parks on the outskirts of the city, e.g. Aquamarine in Büyükçekmece and Aqua Dolphin in Esenkent. Try not to go on a summer weekend when the weather’s good or you may have to elbow your way past hordes of teenaged boys.  

Windsurfing

Good upper-body strength, a decent sense of balance, a certain amount of adventurousness...if you have all these things then you might want to try windsurfing. The Suadiye Windsurf Club in the Asian-side neighborhood of the same name offers windsurfing lessons at reasonable prices (240 TL for five hour-long lessons.) For those who are reasonably coordinated, five hours should be more than enough to master the rudiments of windsurfing. As with learning to ride a bike, there’s that wonderful and rewarding moment to look forward to when you manage to stay upright for 30 seconds. The club also rents boards (20-40 TL daily) to those who already know how to windsurf.     

Rowing on the Golden Horn

If you'd like to get some exercise on the water but don't want to get wet in the process, then rowing might be a good choice for you. Rowing works nearly all the muscle groups in your body, making it a superb way to keep in shape. You don't have to be an undergraduate training for the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race to get into the sport, either. Istanbul's Golden Horn is free of the strong current found in the Bosphorus, and is thus a very suitable venue for a beginner who wants to learn how to row. The Forza Rowing Club, located in Kasımpaşa, offers lessons at discounted prices and is popular with both sexes. Just picture it: rowing on the Golden Horn at sunrise, with seagulls flying overhead, and the Süleymaniye Mosque looming in the background...what are you waiting for?

Walking up hills

This last item is not meant to be facetious. Whether or not the original Istanbul really consisted of seven hills, like Rome, the city is indeed very hilly. If you happen to live in a neighborhood like Üsküdar, Çukurcuma/Cihangir, or Beşiktaş, then you probably already know that going to work or just walking to the grocery store can involve a steep climb. Instead of taking the Tünel subway up the hill from Karaköy, or the funicular from Kabataş to Taksim, why not just walk? While it might be exhausting at first, you’ll soon find that all this hill-walking will burn off tons of calories, improve your circulation, and make you pleasantly tired at the end of the day. After all, your legs don’t know whether you’re walking on a city street, an indoor treadmill, or a mountain path somewhere in the Great Turkish Outdoors. Whoever said Istanbul wasn’t a good place to stay fit?