9/28/12

Why I Never Go To The Gym


Obesity is a big problem among Americans. Talk about sedentary lifestyles and mega-sized diets and you get the whole picture. In New York, ballooning waistlines have caught the attention of Mayor Bloomberg who (besides advocating for calorie-counts on restaurant menus and recently, banning the sale of sugary drinks in cups more than 16 ounces) encouraged New Yorkers to walk and hit the sidewalks like it's their own gym.

Mayor Bloomberg didn't even have to remind me. I love to walk. Not only do I walk the sidewalks, I walk the wild side beyond the city. New York after all isn't far away from wilderness. While Central Park's greenery is admittedly impressive, I find myself hankering for something that's raw and real, away from  the noise and traffic and the humdrum of inactivity on a hot summer day.
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So while the city was simmering one Saturday in July, a friend and I signed up again to join a group hike with Discoveroutdoors in upstate New York. It always feels great to take a walk even in the company of total strangers. There's the common goal to begin with and everyone soon enough turns the trail into a social networking path. Wilderness and new friends, why not?

Our objective was mainly to walk 8 miles on an established trail and a do a loop hike on an escarpment area in the Catskill Mountains. After an early morning meeting with our guide and 8 other hikers in a Manhattan outdoor shop, we drove on a van for about 2 hours into the trail head. The day was so sunny and bright we were all so revved up for what we were about to do.


Like previous walks I did in upstate New York, this one was another winner. Breathing fresh air and looking at great views while burning calories make hiking outdoors way better than being sweaty in a gym. Between a trail and a treadmill, I prefer to keep fit the old-fashioned way. Even Mayor Bloomberg would happily agree.

12 comments:

  1. It seems very easy to accomplish getting walks in NYC bec public transport is readily available and very convenient. Not the case here in the burbs. One must drive. The car culture is one that California I'm afraid cannot turn its back to.

    In 2009 when we visited NYC, I've already seen caloric content on menus, which is way ahead of everyone else. Nowadays the contents are also indicated here.

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    1. That's true, even MTA's Harlem Line has the Appalachian Trail Station where hikers can go right into the famous trail!

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  2. Ah, if I remember this correctly, this must have been the hike you were telling me you were gonna go the day after we met! You were making plans with a female coworker of yours to do this that afternoon!

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    1. Yup, that's the one hike we did after we met for lunch.

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  3. Hi Dennis! Ahh...the beauty of being in NYC! Not a lot of people realize that less than an hour train or bus ride away outside of the city takes you to bucolic hiking sites. I belong the Appalachian Mountain Club with whom I explore the numerous amazing hiking trails of New York. I encourage everyone in the area or new to NYC to check out all the hiking clubs that would take them to amazing sites out of the city.

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    1. When I was new in the city, I never thought of all these hiking trails close to the city until I read about them from hiking clubs just like the APC you mentioned. It's great knowing there's real wilderness outside Manhattan's concrete jungle.

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  4. How long will it take you to touch bottom if you slip from you perch? Long enough to say a prayer LOL. Btw, I prefer trail to treadmill myself but I'm getting on in years I can only handle less physically demanding trails these days. A few more years, siguro puro pababa na lang ang kaya ko LOL.

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    1. The bottom of the ledge was deep enough but I think I wouldn't even have time to pray had I fallen hahaha!
      Don't worry about age, there was a group of 'senior' hikers we met - all properly geared up with the right shoes and hiking poles.

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  5. I felt I was struck by lightning with your first paragraph here. Although I preach about healthy lifestyle and the cardiovascular diseases that come with sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, i don't practice everything i teach (read : i am lazy to do physical activities and lazier to watch my diet). i guess, it's a given talent, skills and some knowhow to be compelling, haha! but seriously, it's a must to at least flicker a muscle at a regular interval. and between trail and a treadmill, i will also choose the former. in so many ways, hiking or trekking amidst those lush greens (and sexy trail-mate : check out your photo #4) is far better than walking on a machine.

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    1. You do know what to look for hehehe! ^_^
      As a health care professional myself, I try to be vigilant on what I eat. And of course, I'll keep on walking, lots of it, whether there's a good view up front or not.

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  6. im just 28 but i really dont think i can do all the activities you're doing now. im really amazed! mas matanda pa ang katawan ko sayo. you dont need going to the gym. ^_^

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    1. hahaha! I always think of age as just a number. Mas takot ako sa numero ng weighing scale at yung blood pressure :)

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