Travel Fitness: Rocky Stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Oh yeah, I couldn’t let a little cold slow me and my good friend Sean McKoy down for a morning run to the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I always look forward to a family road trip from Maryland to the "City of Brotherly Love" where we enjoy vegan cheesesteaks from Blackbird Pizzeria, comfortable stays at The Logan Philadelphia Curio Collection, and early morning runs with family and friends as if we were locals.

Travel fitness is a crucial pillar within our lifestyle, so of course, we are always prepared with the requisite gear. Since the Philadelphia Rock-n-Roll marathon, coming back to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a favorite pastime. Rightfully, I call Sean, a dad of three, that enjoys fitness-focused meetups when I’m in town. In my previous life, we would connect at bars and clubs for Long Islands. Now we get together to maintain our health and wellness while laughing about our eccentric past. 

Exalted by actor and director Sylvester Stallone in the film Rocky, the iconic stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art create euphoria within and actually make you work harder. We started from the Logan and ran down the parkway for almost a mile before stopping for pictures with the Rocky statue. After a few rounds sprinting the stairs, there is a cadre of other exercise activities to engage and fully excite the temple that included: 

• Jump squats on the plaza wall, which is about 3.5 ft tall. It certainly feels great being able to spring atop the partition at age 47
• Reverse dips and step-ups on the concrete plaza benches
• Side strides in-between the domed plaza columns. They almost feel like football running back drills
• Step aerobics using the same domed plaza columns
• Jogging back to your hotel or home

The art museum itself is one of the largest in the country and a must-see exhibition. It features 

more than 240,000 cultural pieces over 2,000 years, including collections from medieval times, the Renaissance, the Impressionist movement, the ancient world, and modern-day. The Rocky Stairs Workout will always be a memorable one and perfect for social media influencing. 

Remember, eat clean, stay active, and energize your life. For more information on this fascinating city, please visit www.visitphilly.com.