Staying Fit On Vacation

The EPRD Blogger on St. Martin's Canal

Summertime vacation trips can present a challenge when it comes to keeping fit, but with resilience, advance planning, a smartphone, an alarm clock and a little luck, you can succeed in not only staying fit but having some of your most unique holiday experiences while exercising!

Making New Discoveries Through Running
Your phone may not work in a foreign country, but GPS is another story. The EPRD Blogger was in Europe for two weeks in July, with running shoes and clothes packed and Google Maps and the RunKeeper app in my Android phone. I discovered St. Martin's Canal half a mile from my hotel. I had to set the alarm to be done before the rest of my traveling companions awoke, but it was a small price to pay for the glorious runs along this little-known canal. And if I got lost, the maps in the apps could lead me back to my hotel. (I also discovered a delightful croissant and coffee shop on the way home.)

Jogging past the Moulin Rouge

Moving on to an apartment in Montmartre, just navigating the sixth-floor walk-up was probably exercise enough, but I still hit the streets most mornings. One day, I happened upon the world-famous Moulin Rouge and Montmartre Cemetery while doing my morning miles, as well as stunning views of Sacre Coeur Basilica on the hilltop.

In Pinneberg, Germany, outside Hamburg, I discovered a bicycle path that led to a large park full of trails and a botanical garden. Every town and city has discoveries waiting to be found when you're on foot!

Big Museums & Neighborhoods
Spend the afternoon walking around a large museum like the Louvre or exploring the Latin Quarter and you can burn hundreds of calories.

Electric Bike Tour

Exploring New Places with Bicycle Tours
Lots of foreign cities offer bicycle tours, a great way to get to know a new city and move your body as well. We took an electric bike tour called "Paris Charms and Secrets Tours" that took us into the nooks and crannies of Paris for four hours.

Visit the Big Parks
I went to the Paris Jazz Festival in the Bois de Vincennes in southeast Paris and discovered miles upon miles of trails -- and later in my trip, took the subway there for a morning run.

Swimming Pools and Health Clubs
Yes, Parisians, Londoners and New Yorkers also try to keep fit -- so you are welcome to drop in at public pools and health clubs. (You might even find park and recreation centers!)

International Yoga Day

Special Events
The fitness highlight of my trip to Paris was International Yoga Day, when anyone could come to the Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower, to do yoga with 500 people. It was free, and all you had to do was register online and show up at 7:45 AM. Everyone got a free grey t-shirt and pink yoga mat, so that we all matched for the television cameras. Understanding yoga positions called out in french was a little bit of a challenge, even for a French speaker, but it was all worth it for this view (left)

And when it was over, I found a delightful cafe for coffee and a chocolate croissant. Because keeping the exercise going on vacation means you can eat your way through your favorite city without guilt.

Vacation Fitness, Evergreen Style
If your friends or family come to Evergreen for their vacation, help them find their fitness here! Take them for a walk along Evergreen Lake and through the trails of Dedisse Park. Go boating or stand-up paddleboarding (a great core workout). Visit Buchanan or Wulf Rec Center for a fitness class, a swim or a workout. Take them on your own Evergreen Charms and Secrets bike tour.

Bon voyage!

The Blogger

The EPRD Blogger, Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, is Marketing Manager of Evergreen Park & Recreation District.