One of my favorite ways to experience a new city is to climb something. Towers, churches, whatever. It's relatively inexpensive and a way to make a place into an activity. So when my sisters came to visit me, I knew we should visit Vulcan. Vulcan is the world's largest cast iron statue and Birmingham's contribution to the 1904 World's Fair. You can't go all the way up to his head (as one of my sisters hoped), but you can climb up the base to an observation deck. I felt very secure, and apparently so did the several toddlers up there, though those afraid of heights might not enjoy it.
Now I didn't sprint up those stairs - in fact that's not allowed. But just the short walk up was a nice small way to get my heart rate up. An article in the New York Times last month mentioned climbing stairs at work during a lunch break or finding a stadium that's open to the public. (As always, check with your doctor before beginning a new workout.) If you really fall in love with stairs, there's tower running. The Empire State Building Run-Up is a well-known race, but there are events around the world. Some here in the South include Stair Climb Miami, Climb Atlanta and the Big D Climb in Dallas.
Sometimes though, it really is all about the small steps (no pun intended). And regardless of your fitness level, little activities can be great when you have to balance aspects of your life. For example, I was entertaining my sisters, who I don't see very often. I wanted to show them some Southern hospitality, plus it would have been no fun to ditch them while I exercised. This was a nice way to balance the two.
Let us know: What are some of your favorite small ways to be active? And how do you balance fitness and family or other obligations? Where do you run your steps?
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