Almerimar Life Fitness

Fitness training in Almerimar for me anyway is very different from in the UK, predominantly because mot of it is outside and free to everyone. In England my fitness regime centered around the David Lloyd Club. whilst here, although I am now a member of a gym in El Ejido, my preference (certainly in Summer) seems to be to train in the open air.

This actually feels the way it should be and in some ways much more real. Why spend hours inside a gym when the weather here is fantastic? Why run on a treadmill or cycle on a stationary gym bike when you could actually be travelling. and enjoying a view of the sea at the same time? As much as I like gyms, running down the beach first thing in the morning has to be a better option, and it's free!

I have been reading in the UK press recently about how the gym trend of the past 10 years may be coming to an end, with people turning back to real sport, but I still see the weather as a limiting factor over there. However here in Almerimar the sun shines for most of the year, and there is something for everyone; every morning when I run I pass by old people (mainly Spanish) taking a stroll down the beach path; I see volley ball and other people walking dogs, running and cycling; I even spoke to someone recently who enjoys a morning swim in the sea, and Chris loves being able to do his weights up on the roof in the sunshine.

To me the important things for fitness are variety, and to try and ensure life, even when I am not actually training, is as active as possible. I remember a great article I read some years ago which said that despite the access to gyms, people were less fit than they used to be years ago, because life in general was so much less active with cars, machines etc. and those that did train hard tended to then feel so virtuous that they chilled out more afterwards and even treated themselves to big meals!

So part of the answer to being fitter is to walk more and drive less, embrace those stairs, and keep generally moving around more. Life in Almerimar helps me on this one too, as everything that I immediately need day to day can be found within the port and is all within walking or biking distance, including virtually everyone that I know here in Spain!

Of course added to the beautiful weather and the incentives to keep fitter, is the much applauded Mediterranean diet which is meant to be so good for you. However this is one area where the restaurants in Almerimar are maybe tempting us to bad habits; the true Mediterranean diet is all about olive oil, plain grilled fresh fish, beans and pulses, and salad, whilst tapas here is certainly nothing like that, and even the best restaurants have tempting options which are fried! What I can say however is that the true Mediterranean diet is definitely available here, and the fruit and vegetables and fish from the markets are fresher than in the UK.

In conclusion then, Almerimar is a great place to get fit and eat healthily, but like anything in life you have to make the right choices!