You know, for a city with a metro population of almost half a million people, there is a surprising number of green spaces, parks and other places that make it easy to keep fit and stay active in London. I’ve always liked to stay in shape and try to run at least a couple of times a week. Victoria Park was always one of my favorite places to go for a jog, but there always seems to be some kind of community event happening there nowadays which means that I often seek out quieter areas.
Everybody should know that the secret to healthy living is simply getting some exercise and eating well. Of course, it’s easier said than done and temptations are everywhere, but I like to think that myself, Wendy, and the kids do a pretty good job of it. One of our neighbors (who is less than active shall we say) recently went under the knife and had some liposuction done. Luckily for her, her husband is a pretty successful fella and paid for it all, but that kind of thing isn’t cheap.
As I said, Victoria Park is often pretty busy so I have some new favorites now like Harris Park and Westminster Ponds. These places tend to be quieter and mainly full of other joggers and people walking their dogs or just going for a quiet stroll. Springbank Park is also a great place to go for a run, or simply to get some fresh air. It’s a huge park and has loads of walking trails to explore, as well as giving you the opportunity to run alongside the beautiful Thames River. Sometimes we take the kids to the park too so that we can enjoy the Storybook Gardens which are really charming. Even though I’ve never done it, you can even travel all the way from Byron into downtown London without having to use a single road – that’s about 10 km!
To be fair, the kids are naturally active and love their sports and getting out of the house. They both play for various sports teams at school and have a lot of energy to burn. It really makes me happy to see how healthy and active they considering how many kids just want to sit in front of the Xbox all day and do no exercise.
When it comes to eating healthily, I guess I’m lucky in that both myself and Wendy like to cook and experiment with new foods. It’s not hard to get the kids to eat healthily when you’re willing to experiment with new ingredients and recipes all the time. Even when it comes to eating out, we usually choose places we know are not going to be serving us junk food loaded with trans-fats and other horrible things. Italian is a favourite for all the family, and we often experiment with new things like Greek or Lebanese cooking.
It takes all sorts I guess, but it isn’t hard living healthily in London, Ontario.