Ah the joys of working out inside a gym. Fluorescent lighting, the permeating smell of locker rooms, the bad rock workout music, and of course, the people. No wonder so many of us love it so much.
That's why it always fills me with so much regret whenever I make it to my gym. The open sky, broad vistas, clean salt-scented air, calls of surf scoters and kingfishers, and barely a person in sight. I just try to take it all in, put my head down, and get through it until I have to face the next workout. Of course that's just a big ol' serving of sarcasm.
I'd challenge almost anyone, once they learn to unlock the fitness benefits of standup paddling, to honestly say they prefer training indoors over getting outside on the water for a workout. I still workout at a gym from time to time. But even then, I prefer calenthstenics and bodyweight exercises to machines. But 99 times out of 100, I'm going to workout outside, and most likely you'll see me paddling. When asked about his training, Eddy Merckx, five time winner of the Tour de France, and considered by most to be the best cyclist ever, simply said, "Ride lots." I'll borrow from Eddy and say "Paddle lots." That's all you need from a workout and all you need from a gym.
I don't own the rights to my gym. It can be your gym too. Fortunately, there aren't any membership dues or initiation fees. No confusing equipment with pulleys and weight stacks. Just a board and a paddle. I'd love to see you there, enjoying the outside. My gym can be your gym too.
Plus, can you remember the last time you made a friend like this in a weightroom?
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