Be Adventurous—exploring your environment
By: Mary Marren
Fall is the perfect time for exploring and letting your inner-child out to play. The weather is perfect! Whether that is vacationing or exploring your local community, I know often times when I visit new places I put exercising on hold for the duration of the trip. Maybe you have too? Making justifications like, “This is vacation, so I can take some time away from my daily exercise routine and just relax.” Well what if I told you that although I’ve thought the exact same thoughts, I recently discovered the opposite to be true! There is no better time to exercise than when you’re on vacation. Now before you assume I am crazy for saying such things, hear me out.
I relocated to Florida for the summer, leaving my friends, my regular gym, and my usual and comforting surroundings. ‘What a perfect time to switch up my exercise routine’, I thought to myself—new surroundings, new activities, and new experiences. When you place yourself into a new environment it gets you out of the everyday routine and leaves you with new and exciting options. Even just going for a run can be exciting, because although the exercise is the same, the setting and environment are completely different. Being in Florida I can go swim in the ocean, or take a hike through a state park. But this doesn’t only apply to me; it applies to anyone in a different surrounding!
Let’s say you are planning a trip where you may stay in a hotel—go check out the city on the fly by going for a jog. A double bonus to running through the city is that you can check out what the town has to offer. Not big on running? Go for a swim in the hotel pool or a walk with a friend. What about a camping trip with some buddies? This is the perfect time to take advantage of the outdoors by renting a kayak or canoe. It doesn’t matter which exercise you chose to do, just get up and do something!
When you exercise in a new and exciting place it is easier to look at working out as a reward verses a chore. You get to be adventurous and explore the place you’re vacationing to while maintaining your daily exercise routine! I’m not saying that it isn’t nice to take some time for yourself from time to time. Once in a while taking a day off and rewarding yourself to some down time for all of your hard work that week can be relaxing and rejuvenating. I am suggesting, however, that if you do have a vacation planned or are temporarily relocating like me, don’t be afraid to explore!
No vacations planned anytime soon? No worries! Explore the place you already call home. Run a different path, join a fitness class you’ve never done before, or find some local activity that your town has to offer. If you are saying to yourself that your town is boring and doesn’t have much to offer, well let me tell you. Even Whitewater, WI offers hang gliding lessons, several nature reserves and state parks to explore while hiking, cross country skiing trails, swimming pools, and more. If you search hard enough, I’m positive there is some sort of new and exciting way to exercise, so be adventurous and get out there!
Stay healthy, Stay Strong.
-Mary Marren