It’s the start of a new year and new decade which means many of you came into the year with goals to eat right, exercise, and get healthy. It’s also halfway through the month, which means many of you have probably already dropped the ball on your goals.
I understand how you are feeling. Eat right, exercise, get healthy. It all sounds simple enough. It’s not easy. If it was, everyone would do it. It can be so overwhelming. My first piece of advice: stop trying to do everything at the same time. When you try to do everything, it’s overwhelming, and after the first setback, you feel like you failed, think “what’s the point?”, and give up. Keep it simple, pick one thing first. Do that one thing for a while and then add in the second thing. The results will follow, and you’ll be motivated to keep going.
Today’s focus is on exercising outside the gym. There are people that love the gym. There are people that tolerate the gym. There are people who hate the gym. I am somewhere between #2 and #3. By no means, do I love the gym though. It’s smelly and stuffy, this time of the year it's crowded, and after running 45 minutes on a treadmill, I’m always a little bit let down that I am still in the same place. For this reason, I cancelled my gym membership years ago and took my workout outside.
One of the reasons I moved to Florida was to be able to enjoy the outdoors all year round. I know there are people out there who like the cold. I am not one of those people. Although, on those brutally hot summer days of Florida, running outside is not at all appealing - there is still the pool though.
One of my favorite workout locations is the Dunedin Causeway. It’s nearby, and the views are always amazing. Those ocean views never get old and are way more appealing when compared to staring at a TV above a treadmill every day of the week. It’s a great place to walk, run, or ride a bike. The views, the salty breezes, the people all around - it rarely even feels like working out.
Another great place to get in a workout is the Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail. The trail covers a distance of 38.2 miles and runs between Tarpon Springs and St. Petersburg. It’s a great place to take your bike, walk, run, or even inline skate. It’ll take you through some great areas such as Downtown Dunedin where you can stop and explore the town after your workout.
The trail does take you through some urban areas and busier intersections, so proceed with caution. Thankfully towns are continually enhancing those crossings to keep bikers and walkers safe. In September 2019, the City of Dunedin in a cooperative project with FDOT, Forward Pinellas, and Pinellas County added a thermal traffic sensor to the trail crossing on SR-580. The thermal imaging detects pedestrians and automatically activates the flashing lights. This location is one of three in Florida, and if successful, I am sure more will come in the future.
As you begin your journey to a healthier lifestyle, start by doing what your mom always yelled when you were a kid - Go Outside! Enjoy the fresh air, the views, and more while exercising, and the best part of all? It’s free. No contracts. No monthly payments.
Here in Florida there are countless places to get outside and workout. What are some the great places near you? Share in the comments!
As always, have a magical day!
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