(Photo illustration by Diana Ramirez / De Los; photos by Carlin Stiehl / For De Los)
10 Latino-owned places to get your body moving
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Movement is essential to a healthy body and mind. The American Heart Assn. recommends adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (brisk walking, dancing, gardening) or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (uphill hiking, running, swimming laps, jumping rope) or a combination of both throughout the week.
Exercise not only benefits our physical health, but the body releases endorphins and serotonin when we work out that lift our mood, reduce stress and anxiety, boost self confidence and improve sleep. Whether it’s healing in nature with BIWOC-led hiking club Hike Clerb, shaking your booty with Queerchata or getting grounded with folks who look like you at People’s Yoga, there’s a physical activity for everyone.
We put together a list of 10 Latinx-owned spaces in L.A. to get your body moving so you can reap the benefits of this natural high.
From plant shops and nightlife to bookstores and art galleries, here are our 101 favorite Latino-owned businesses and organizations.
Showing Places
(Carlin Stiehl / For De Los)
Hike Clerb
Health & Fitness Club
Founded in 2017 by Black and Indigenous Virginia native Evelynn Escobar, this BIWOC-led women’s outdoor collective and nonprofit is on a mission to decolonize the outdoors by organizing hikes, trips, events and workshops centered on nature’s healing powers.
Escobar’s love for the outdoors sparked at 10 while visiting her aunt in L.A. and being mesmerized by views of the city from Griffith Observatory. At 23, she moved to L.A. and started exploring national parks like the Grand Canyon and Zion. She realized how homogenous public spaces like these were and in 2017 organized her first hike back up to the observatory with 10 friends.
Today, Hike Clerb is a national organization with a full staff that has hosted more than 85 hikes and events, has a capsule collection with the North Face and a partnership with REI, and has successfully gotten nearly 1,000 POC outside.
Hike Clerb meets monthly and announces all upcoming hikes on Instagram.
Escobar’s love for the outdoors sparked at 10 while visiting her aunt in L.A. and being mesmerized by views of the city from Griffith Observatory. At 23, she moved to L.A. and started exploring national parks like the Grand Canyon and Zion. She realized how homogenous public spaces like these were and in 2017 organized her first hike back up to the observatory with 10 friends.
Today, Hike Clerb is a national organization with a full staff that has hosted more than 85 hikes and events, has a capsule collection with the North Face and a partnership with REI, and has successfully gotten nearly 1,000 POC outside.
Hike Clerb meets monthly and announces all upcoming hikes on Instagram.
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(Gary Kazanjian / For De Los)
Latino Outdoors
Public organization
It’s common for folks in our community to grow up never being exposed to nature. In 2013, José González founded Latino Outdoors to change that narrative. The artist, environmentalist and former K-12 public school teacher and outdoor educator was born in Mexico and raised in California’s Central Valley.
Despite growing up just a couple of hours from Yosemite, he didn’t visit the national park until he was a student at Modesto Junior College. The Latino outdoor enthusiast network he founded has grown into a national movement with cohorts from L.A. to NYC that includes more than 200 volunteers, partner organizations and a full staff. From day hikes and bike rides to camping trips and pollinator piñata parties in the park, Latino Outdoors is dedicated to helping Latinos rediscover the great outdoors.
Follow their L.A. contingent on Instagram to attend a local event.
Despite growing up just a couple of hours from Yosemite, he didn’t visit the national park until he was a student at Modesto Junior College. The Latino outdoor enthusiast network he founded has grown into a national movement with cohorts from L.A. to NYC that includes more than 200 volunteers, partner organizations and a full staff. From day hikes and bike rides to camping trips and pollinator piñata parties in the park, Latino Outdoors is dedicated to helping Latinos rediscover the great outdoors.
Follow their L.A. contingent on Instagram to attend a local event.
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(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Boyle Heights Bridge Runners
Boyle Heights Running
What started in 2013 as a group of friends wanting to stay in shape has grown to over 100 runners who meet every Wednesday evening in Mariachi Plaza to traverse the iconic 6th Street Viaduct from Boyle Heights to downtown.
One of the first Latinx running clubs to form in the city, Boyle Heights Bridge Runners has paved the way for others like East L.A. Runners, Montebello Run Club and Running Mamis. The group was founded by Boyle Heights residents Elisa García and David Gómez, who ran with a club in Pasadena and wanted to promote health and fitness in their community.
All levels and ages are welcome and running a marathon may just come with the territory. Led by OG member Rolando Cruz, this Boyle Heights running club continues to inspire and pave the way for the Latinx running community in L.A.
One of the first Latinx running clubs to form in the city, Boyle Heights Bridge Runners has paved the way for others like East L.A. Runners, Montebello Run Club and Running Mamis. The group was founded by Boyle Heights residents Elisa García and David Gómez, who ran with a club in Pasadena and wanted to promote health and fitness in their community.
All levels and ages are welcome and running a marathon may just come with the territory. Led by OG member Rolando Cruz, this Boyle Heights running club continues to inspire and pave the way for the Latinx running community in L.A.
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(Jenny Ruiz)
People’s Yoga
East Los Angeles Yoga studio
Opened in 2014 by Las Cafeteras co-founder and former singer Leah Rose Gallegos and affordable-housing manager Lauren Quan-Madrid, People’s Yoga was the first and remains one of the few yoga studios on the Eastside.
Surviving a pandemic that forced them to pivot to online classes, for 10 years Gallegos and Quan-Madrid have been creating space for a multigenerational BIPOC community to ground with this ancient Indian practice incorporating body, mind and soul. These amigas, who met playing soccer with Futbolistas L.A., became official Nike L.A. trainers in 2023 and continue to spread their nondogmatic and inclusive approach to yoga.
Instructors bring their own unique styles to classes that vary from slow and restorative to aerobic and high energy. People’s Yoga offers daily classes and workshops at the cozy East L.A. strip-mall studio, plus hiking trips, yoga in schools, work retreats and an annual teacher training program. Come for relaxing movement, stay for savasana.
Surviving a pandemic that forced them to pivot to online classes, for 10 years Gallegos and Quan-Madrid have been creating space for a multigenerational BIPOC community to ground with this ancient Indian practice incorporating body, mind and soul. These amigas, who met playing soccer with Futbolistas L.A., became official Nike L.A. trainers in 2023 and continue to spread their nondogmatic and inclusive approach to yoga.
Instructors bring their own unique styles to classes that vary from slow and restorative to aerobic and high energy. People’s Yoga offers daily classes and workshops at the cozy East L.A. strip-mall studio, plus hiking trips, yoga in schools, work retreats and an annual teacher training program. Come for relaxing movement, stay for savasana.
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(Abby Mahler)
Queerchata
Dance Studio
Founded in 2020 by Venezuelan-born, Florida-raised senior global program manager Adrián Nitti, who started dancing when they came out as trans, this queer dance crew is redefining gender roles in the Latin dance community.
Frustrated with the lack of queer dance spaces in Seattle, where they were living at the time, Nitti made their own. Today, Queerchata is a growing movement offering salsa and bachata dance classes in L.A., Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego that create visibility for same-gender dance partners and nonbinary performers.
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or a newbie, all classes are beginner-friendly and start with a solo warmup before getting into partner dancing. Explore dance outside the binary, make new friends and improve your moves by checking out a class. Comfy shoes and a water bottle are all you need.
Frustrated with the lack of queer dance spaces in Seattle, where they were living at the time, Nitti made their own. Today, Queerchata is a growing movement offering salsa and bachata dance classes in L.A., Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego that create visibility for same-gender dance partners and nonbinary performers.
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or a newbie, all classes are beginner-friendly and start with a solo warmup before getting into partner dancing. Explore dance outside the binary, make new friends and improve your moves by checking out a class. Comfy shoes and a water bottle are all you need.
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(Jill Connelly / For De Los)
Babes of Wellness
Compton Wellness Center
Founded in 2018 by Katalina “Kat” Novoa, this queer-owned, LGBTQ+-friendly gym in Compton offers yoga, sound baths, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Pilates, dance and weight training for women-identifying folks of all ages.
Centered on trauma-informed fitness, Babes of Wellness is a welcome addition to this former fitness desert, shifting the traditional toxic gym environment into a more inclusive one. An official Nike L.A. trainer, certified personal trainer and nutrition and weightlifting coach, Novoa is a domestic violence survivor who volunteers at shelters in L.A. and is committed to promoting healthy bodies and minds in her community.
Memberships include everything from an unlimited $249-per-month class pass to a Señora Babes program designed for women 50 and over. Babes of Wellness’ motto that “wellness has no expiration date” is what we’re here for.
Centered on trauma-informed fitness, Babes of Wellness is a welcome addition to this former fitness desert, shifting the traditional toxic gym environment into a more inclusive one. An official Nike L.A. trainer, certified personal trainer and nutrition and weightlifting coach, Novoa is a domestic violence survivor who volunteers at shelters in L.A. and is committed to promoting healthy bodies and minds in her community.
Memberships include everything from an unlimited $249-per-month class pass to a Señora Babes program designed for women 50 and over. Babes of Wellness’ motto that “wellness has no expiration date” is what we’re here for.
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(Andrew Johnson)
L.A. Futbolistas
Health & Fitness Club
Rooted in Oakland’s Left Wing Futbolista philosophy, this community-based soccer collective kicks the ball around every Sunday in Alhambra or Highland Park in the spirit of anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist play.
A breath of fresh air from the competitive world of organized sports, players announce “2 to 2” every time a goal is scored and range from the ages of 9 to 66. For folks who want a little more traditional action, Futbolistas play in different leagues around the area.
Founded in 2004 by organizers from the Bus Riders Union, the country’s largest grassroots mass transit advocacy organization, Futbolistas is made up of community organizers, progressive teachers and working-class folks who play for the workout and camaraderie, not the win.
A breath of fresh air from the competitive world of organized sports, players announce “2 to 2” every time a goal is scored and range from the ages of 9 to 66. For folks who want a little more traditional action, Futbolistas play in different leagues around the area.
Founded in 2004 by organizers from the Bus Riders Union, the country’s largest grassroots mass transit advocacy organization, Futbolistas is made up of community organizers, progressive teachers and working-class folks who play for the workout and camaraderie, not the win.
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(James Carbone / For De Los)
Capoeira Brasil CounterBalance
Eagle Rock Wellness Center
This family-friendly fitness and community space located in Eagle Rock’s CounterBalance Gym is preserving the Afro-Brazilian martial art known as capoeira by offering classes to everyone from tiny tots and tweens to beginner and advanced adults.
The space is founded by husband-wife capoeiristas Sean “Chegado” Moran and Jessica Carla “Pavão” de Lima-Moran, who studied under renowned Brazilian capoeira master Mestre Boneco. Capoeira Brasil CounterBalance is an extension of the international Capoeira Brasil organization Boneco co-founded.
This capoeira community educates students on the history of the art form, created by Africans brought to Brazil during the slave trade, that fuses music, dance, martial arts and acrobatics. Their gym also offers classes like Hawaiian-style karate called Kajukenbo, beginner-friendly cardio kickboxing called Kickfit and Tacfit weight training using kettlebells, bars, medicine balls, rings and boxes.
The space is founded by husband-wife capoeiristas Sean “Chegado” Moran and Jessica Carla “Pavão” de Lima-Moran, who studied under renowned Brazilian capoeira master Mestre Boneco. Capoeira Brasil CounterBalance is an extension of the international Capoeira Brasil organization Boneco co-founded.
This capoeira community educates students on the history of the art form, created by Africans brought to Brazil during the slave trade, that fuses music, dance, martial arts and acrobatics. Their gym also offers classes like Hawaiian-style karate called Kajukenbo, beginner-friendly cardio kickboxing called Kickfit and Tacfit weight training using kettlebells, bars, medicine balls, rings and boxes.
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(James Carbone / For De Los)
Booty Boutique
La Puente Health & Fitness Club
Born in Whittier and raised in Chino Hills, Rebecca Rodriguez, 26, fell in love with the gym at 14 and started training clients at home before opening up an all-women’s gym in La Puente in 2021. Focused on muscle building and fat loss, Booty Boutique is a safe space for women to work their booties in peace.
Emblazoned with messages like “Bad Bitches Only” and “You vs. You,” Rodriguez’s gym is so popular, she opened a second location in Pomona last March where she continues to help women build confidence through fitness. It’s all love here, with members switching out each other’s weights and motivating one another to lift more. Signups start the 15th of every month; personal training is $45 per session, $15 a session for groups up to 32.
Emblazoned with messages like “Bad Bitches Only” and “You vs. You,” Rodriguez’s gym is so popular, she opened a second location in Pomona last March where she continues to help women build confidence through fitness. It’s all love here, with members switching out each other’s weights and motivating one another to lift more. Signups start the 15th of every month; personal training is $45 per session, $15 a session for groups up to 32.
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(Timothy Kwon)
Mija Fitness
Del Rey Health & Fitness Club
The only all-women’s boxing gym in Los Angeles, Mija Fitness provides a space for BIPOC and queer women to learn the basics of boxing in a nonjudgmental environment. Founded by queer Chicana Monique Flores, who started boxing in 2017 and noticed the gym scene wasn’t very inclusive, Mija Fitness offers classes for everyone from mijitas as young as 6 to adult mijas curious about this contact sport.
Taught at home gyms in Culver City and Burbank, classes start with a check-in and warmup before getting into form, footwork and technique. Mija’s offers something for everyone, whether seasoned boxer or newbie (including yoga, sound healing and meditation), with prices starting at $22 for two first-timer classes and going up to $240 a month for three classes per week plus one 60-minute private session. Punching is more than a powerful release. It builds discipline, focus and resilience.
Taught at home gyms in Culver City and Burbank, classes start with a check-in and warmup before getting into form, footwork and technique. Mija’s offers something for everyone, whether seasoned boxer or newbie (including yoga, sound healing and meditation), with prices starting at $22 for two first-timer classes and going up to $240 a month for three classes per week plus one 60-minute private session. Punching is more than a powerful release. It builds discipline, focus and resilience.
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