Alive and Wellness

By Andrea Krejci Paradis,
Contributing Writer

For many, working out is like nails on a chalk board and eating shards of glass.  For the longest time, I was in the same boat. I pictured people running on treadmills with little devils whipping their ankles or poor souls lying in the halls with their muscles on fire after hours of lifting weights, and I truly felt sorry for them. I wanted grab them by their collar, give a (gentle) shake and ask “What is wrong with you?!”

But then one day, I took a look at my life and realized I was very unhealthy. Fast food runs, sitting in front of the TV, and eating ice cream are all fine in moderation, but I didn’t do any sort of physical activity to offset those choices. Thus began my quest: What can I do to get myself working out but 1. be as far away from a gym as possible and 2. not be bored as hell. If you feel like you’re on a similar quest, keep reading. Here are a few ideas:

1. Yoga
I am continually amazed at the amount of yoga available in the Fargo-Moorhead area. However, many people do not try yoga because they feel like they’re not flexible enough or too overweight or they think the instructor is going to try to change their religion. I am here to tell you NONE OF THIS IS TRUE!  When I first started yoga I couldn’t even touch my toes, and I have thrown down my mat next to people of with all body types. Yoga is not a competitive sport but a form of exercise that will strengthen your muscles and bones, help your breathing, and relax a busy mind.  Wear comfortable clothing, let the teacher know you’re new to yoga, and then you’re good to go.  Usually the studio will have a mat you can borrow so no need to worry about bringing your own.  Prices are reasonable, with most places you letting you buy a punch card or a monthly membership. If you already have a gym membership, check the group class schedule. Yoga might be available to you already!

Places to try: The Spirit Room, Ecce Yoga Studio, Five Element Yoga

Hint: Check out the class schedule online or call ahead to make sure a beginner will be able to follow along with the class.

2. Use a Park
Although it might be surprising, many of the parks in Fargo Moorhead can be used all year round.  During the fall, summer, or spring, you can take a walk, ride a bike, play tennis, basketball, or go swimming. You may even be able to convince someone to let you in on their game of Frisbee. If we’re lucky, we can count on four good months where we can experience warm weather, so get out there and enjoy it! During those long winter months, throw on your winter jacket and try cross country skiing, downhill sledding, snowshoeing, or ice skating. If you don’t have any skis, sleds, or ice skates, do not despair. Some parks have this equipment to rent. We all know braving the outdoors around here during the winter can seem perilous, but once you bundle up and get moving, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll warm up!  Here’s where you can leap over another gym hurdle:  you don’t need any babysitters! Parks are great places to take the kids. Consider taking a family bike ride, or let the little ones play on the jungle gym while you do some sit ups. During the winter, you’ll burn your calories by pulling your children up the sledding hill after going down.

Places to try: Island Park in downtown Fargo for fall, summer, and spring. Trollwood Park in North Fargo for the winter months.

Hint: Check out the Fargo Park’s website for any special outdoor events like Streets Alive where downtown Fargo streets are closed to traffic so people can bicycle, skateboard, or walk without the pressure of being run over by speeding cars.

3. Dance it off!
Perhaps you have fond memories of your high school prom or a crazy college party where you left for the night, covered in sweat because you had just gotten done shaking it to your favorite tunes. This can be a reality in the present. Many dance fitness classes are designed to work your cardiovascular system and core muscles while you party. And if loud party music isn’t your scene, check out a swing dance night or an adult ballet class. With all the dance fitness classes available, you’re guaranteed to find your groove.
Places to try: Dance Fit for classes like Zumba. Avalon Events Center’s Tuesday swing dance nights.

Hint: This is a great type of class to try with a friend.

4. Moorhead Community Education Classes
If you still don’t have any clue what you could try to get yourself moving, you might want to check out Moorhead Community Education. Held in the fall and spring, Moorhead Community Ed offers many health and fitness classes like tai’chi, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and dance classes. They even have specialty fitness classes for prenatal women, weight loss, and for anyone with arthritis. Very reasonably priced with some classes only available for one session and others lasting anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, this is a fantastic way to taste test different types of fitness. If you sign up for a class and don’t like it then you know it only lasts a few weeks and then you never have to do it again. But if you actually do like the class, then you’ve been lucky enough to find a type of workout you can do for years to come!

Places to try: Moorhead Community Education at https://communityed.moorhead.k12.mn.us/

Hint: Sign up early. Spots go quickly!

In the end, if you hate the gym, just find a way to stay active! These options are available in the Fargo Moorhead area but you can also get a great workout from game counsels like a Wii, by following along with a fitness DVD, and you can even find some great workouts on youtube.com. The possibilities are endless!  You never have to be held captive on a treadmill by your personal devil and if a gym is indeed your version of hell, you never have to step in one to be physically fit.

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IF YOU GO:
What: Streets Alive
Where: Downtown Fargo- HQ in US Bank Plaza
When: Sept. 18 from noon - 5pm
Info: Free to public.  http://tiny.cc/StreetsAlive