A Better You

The average age of a Triangle resident is 32 years old, which could only mean one thing: There are lots of young people here, duh! And where youth abounds, so do the opportunities for getting fit and staying that way — no matter what your age.

There’s no great mystery to it. It’s the right combination of eating right, exercising, and endurance, and we all know it. So put that bon-bon down, get up off your other bon-bon and get going, because here you are surrounded with options for getting in the best possible shape.

There are scores of gyms in the Triangle, and they are making it increasingly difficult to beg off of exercise. Take O2 (Oxygen) Fitness, for example, with locations in Raleigh and Cary. It’s more like stepping into a Mediterranean spa, than your neighborhood gym. With fans that blow cool air and deodorizer, and a “getaway theater,” a dark room in which to work out while watching a plasma TV, there’s just no reason not to go to the gym.

Got yoga? You do now. Many gyms in the Triangle offer yoga classes, and there are dozens of individual studios to choose from. Same with Pilates. And if you need extra motivation and encouragement, a personal trainer might be the way to go.

One reason so many people have migrated to the Triangle is that there remain lots of wide open spaces in which to be active. Running is still one of the best forms of exercise there is, along with cycling. You have your choice of more than 200 trails within a 60-mile radius to “get your hike on.” Among the best are the Duke trails and the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, Umstead Park in Raleigh and the Falls Lake Trail.

Make sure you consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise program. You don’t need a doctor, however, to tell you to—for the last time—put down that bon-bon!