GET OUT!

Shake up your fitness routine and get outside

WITH JOAn BEll

When the weather warms up and the trees and grass turn green, I like to move my fitness activities outdoors. I love the feel of the sun on my face and the smell of the fresh air. There are so many great things to do in Airdrie and surrounding area that it is easy to remain active outside.

My favourite outdoor activity is gardening. The joy of new growth, the feel of the warm earth and the smell of fresh flowers all bring a smile to my face. As I putter in my vegetable garden, flower beds and greenhouse, I am amazed at how the day flies by. It is not until the next day that I realize how hard I worked, bending, lifting, digging, planting, watering and pulling weeds. All these activities add up to a great workout and if I remember to do some stretching during the day, I am even able to avoid waking up stiff the next morning.

I asked several friends to name their favourite warm-weather outdoor activity in Airdrie and received some great replies. Here are just a few of the wonderful activities that you can enjoy with friends and family in and around Airdrie:

• Local parks: Use your own body weight to get in shape. Pushups, crunches, lunges, squats, bridge pose and stair climbing/hiking can all be done in the backyard or local park on a sunny day. Plan an exercise date with your partner. Go biking or walk the dog at East Lake Park or Nose Creek Park. Wear a pedometer to count your steps. Aim for at least 10,000 steps daily to maintain good health.

• Hiking: Plan a picnic with friends and include races – three-legged races, egg tosses, sack races – celebrating all the fun times from your childhood. Have ribbons for the winners! Check out Big Hill Springs Park west of Airdrie.

• Treasure hunt: Go on a geocaching adventure with the family and hunt for hidden treasure. This great pastime includes walking, hiking and searching out clues. Visit www.geocaching.com to check out hunts in Airdrie and surrounding area.

• Play: Join the kids on the trampoline, in a game of tag, for a swing ride or a climb on the jungle gym. Kids have the right idea – it’s not exercise, it’s play.

• Race: Train for a race or join a local running group. Airdrie offers several organized runs and there are a couple of groups you can join for little or no money.

• Explore: For something that you can do with the whole family, why not check out orienteering? Navigate your way around Alberta with the aid of a map and a compass. The goal of orienteering is to find each checkpoint on a given route as quickly as possible. Foothills Wanderers Orienteering Club is based out of Calgary and offers orienteering events for both foot and bike. Go to www.orienteeringcalgary.ca for a list of upcoming events.

• Try something new: Go dancing with your partner or just shake it up at home. Turn on the tunes and let loose. Or try a Zumba class and learn the moves to rumba, cha cha, salsa and more.

• Try something old again: Jump for joy! Buy a skipping rope at the dollar store and try this great way to work out. Remember hula hoops? Now they have heavier hoops intended for adults. This is a great way to work on your abdominal muscles.

• Try something different: Instead of going for dinner and to a movie on date night, go bowling, golfing, swimming or dancing. Just keep moving.

Many of these local activities can be enjoyed for little or no cost. Airdrie is a great place to be and warm weather brings many great options for activity. Explore Airdrie on your own, participate with family or friends, but remember – to enjoy the fitlife, you have to stay active. life