Two and a half months into my first gym membership, the gym decided to close, for good! I moved from Alameda, California, to the east coast and left behind all the things I have grown comfortable with.
What were those things? Oh, let me count the ways!
- The San Francisco Bay Trail, with sections of paved trail along the Crown Memorial State Beach
- Bike/Walk Friendly with lanes throughout the City
- Perfect weather!
- Places to go poop along the trail!
#4 is by far my personal favorite!
The East Coast
Fast forward to present day, I decided to join a gym while we settled into this new space. There are many advantages of a gym membership, the most relevant for me were shelter from the weather and consistency. It rains a lot in Maryland, and it gets a whole lot colder than the Bay area of Cali. I grew so comfortable with the gym membership, almost three months flew by and I had yet to take a run outdoors.
Community Matters
Have you ever visited a new place and became immediately struck by the amount of motivated bodies outdoors being physically active? Whether it is cycling, walking, jogging, running, even skating.
Have you ever taken a trip abroad and discovered how other countries Prioritize Physical Activity? I’m talking about crowded public parks with Tai Chi, runners, and even durable, weatherproofed outdoor fitness stations. For some places this is the norm.
In my adult life, I have lived in places as remote as a Native American tribal land, a city with a population of 7,000 to a city with 80,000 people. The differences in the number of people readily participating in physical activity were apparent. The larger populations were more visibly physically active. Additionally, the residents of the remote areas were noticeably, but not surprisingly, overweight and obese. While an outsider may feel compelled to question the motivations of the less physically active, having lived in these areas that would appear to be completely opposites, I have one main observation.
Built Environment
The perfect weather of Alameda, CA or the converse here in Rockville, MD, there is one important factor that is often overlooked. The infrastructure of both cities encourages physical activity through designated trails, whether paved, dirt or gavel, they are maintained and accessible. This includes street/trail lights, and laws that support foot traffic such that requires vehicles to stop at appointed pedestrian crossings. Alameda takes it a step further with an island wide 25 MPH speed limit, that is enforced. The more rural, remote areas did not offer this same level of infrastructure. This decreased the level of accessibility and security. In my opinion, this also decreased the number of individuals willing to participate in outdoor physical activity. This makes the decision to stay indoors an easy choice. Some people may like to join a gym, but unlike the great outdoors, the gym is not free.
GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!
Ok, so it may seem like I meandered all over this post. I’ll get to my point, eventually 😊. My gym closed and the next day I was faced with a decision; 1) Join another gym, 2) Do nothing, 3) Go outside for a run.
Can you guess which one I did? You can already eliminate #2, duh. If you picked #1, that is incorrect too. My place of employment offers a full-sized fitness center at the main campus and a small, yet decent sized “fitness center” on location where I do most of my work. Additionally, I have access to another complimentary fitness center. Talk about choices and PRIVILEGE! The obstacle here is that these alternatives may not be the most convenient. That being said, I intend to forgo paying out of pocket and save some money utilizing these alternatives.
I Went Outside For A Run!
The closing of my gym forced me to GO OUTSIDE FOR A RUN! I’m sure you did NOT see that coming. The weather just happened to be perfect for a run. As stated above, I live in a community with a decent infrastructure so there are trails I have been meaning to explore. So, I did! I picked a direction and just ran! The trail ran along a flowing creek with deer grazing alongside. Oh, the sights and sounds were pure bliss. Three and a half miles later, a lake! I was so glad I went on this run. The drawback, no places to poop along the way. But hey, if the deer can do it, so can I! I have pooped in less desirable places before (won’t be the first, won’t be the last!). I returned refreshed and reinvigorated!
It’s Your Turn
If you don’t have a gym membership, or even if you do and your workout is growing stale…GO OUTSIDE! Seriously, and if you have kids, take them with you. I plan to have my B.O.B. Stroller and nine-month-old son, Tiras Malachi, with me when the weather is nice, and I need a run. I cannot wait to share this with him. Check out “Hey FAT DAD! You Are Robbing Your Grand-kids of Their Legacy!!!” and “But Why Daddy? Because Our Kids Are FATTER Than Ever!“, to understand why sharing these experiences with your children are important now more than ever!.
Stay Motivated! Stay Healthy!