Santa Monica Stairs

Santa Monica Stairs
4th & Adelaide Dr
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Workout buddies who love SMS on Facebook

Type: Outdoors
Category: Fitness, Recreation
Company: Anyone who likes to feel their lungs burn and their thighs cry
Cost: Free!

Quick-Rec: There are actually two sets of stairs - I prefer the one that is closest to 4th street because it's straight up-and-down, all wood, and seems a bit wider. The other is concrete (hard on the knees), narrow (makes for passing difficult), and zig-zags (complicated).

OTC Tip: It can get busy, so bring your camaraderie and patience. When you are pitifully sucking in air at the top, don't forget to also look up and take in the view.

Review:
Did you know that the view from the top of your stair climber could look like this?

Well, it can. And it's outside, free, and open at all hours of the day. Does toning your ass, legs, calves, and abs get any better than this? Oh, ha, it does - SMS also appears to be an attractive-people flocking ground for getting worked, tan, and sweaty.

I've known about the SMS for years - but not because someone told me about them, or because they are marked on any map. I (literally) ran upon them one day when I was training for a 1/2 marathon and took a weird turn because I was bored of my daily route - and BAM (it was like I had come upon a whole secret little work-out colony) there was a bunch of people gathered around a certain part of the street doing things that ranged from casually stretching to doubling over and splashing water over their red faces.

Accessible, but not obvious

How could I not investigate?

Still the same deal today, the SMS hangs off of Adelaide St in Santa Monica. It's sneaky and perfect at the same time, because you have to turn off of San Vicente on to 4th (heading north) and where 4th dead-ends is Adelaide (basically, a not-through street that's parallel to San Vicente and runs in to Ocean Ave, then swoop down and connects with Entrada Dr, which is the "bottom" of both staircases) - Adelaide St is the "top," Entrada Dr is the "bottom."

Of the two staircases, my pick is the "wood" set, which promises about 175 steps big enough to run them (and not feel like you are compromising your gait) but small enough to take two at a time for a true lunge-like ass sculpt.

Which is why, when you release yourself at the top, you will walk around all googly-legged and need to shake yourself out. I've always vouched to avoid killing my knees (aka taking the stairs back down) and gone for the the short j-shaped jog from Adelaide St to Ocean Dr to Entrada Dr which will deliver you right back to the bottom of the stairs. Not only does this loosen your thighs for another set, but it gives you a chance for some relaxed jogging and a moment to catch your breath and take in the beauty of the surroundings (people).

Now go on, get out, and get your climb on.