We have friends who work out daily, friends who run, friends who swim, friends who bike, friends who do yoga, and even friends who hang from silks, but Ted and I (okay, mostly me) are – by nature – slugs.

When Ted retired, he started using the gym in our condo building after a lifetime of being sedentary behind his computer desk: the treadmill and weight machines, often followed by a dip in the pool and a muscle-relaxing 10 minutes in the hot tub. As a result, he lost 20 pounds and gained some pretty sexy biceps. Our first “travel” accommodation had a great gym, although the outdoor pool was too cold to use during our stay. It was followed by a house with a pool, where our exercise was walking miles at Disney World with our grandkids. We next rented a townhouse in Collingwood with neither gym nor pool, but located on miles of trails. Year two has so far included only 2 months in a place with its own gym, and Ted misses it enough that a fitness room has now become a priority for future rentals. Our bookings in Tucson and San Antonio next winter both have on-site gyms. Collingwood has a well-equipped YMCA, but driving to and from the gym to use the treadmill just seems counterintuitive.

I am supposed to be doing weight bearing exercises to strengthen my bones, and have decided that the exercise I like best is simply walking – on a beach or nature trail whenever possible. My daily goal is 7500 steps (which at my stride length is 5 kilometres), to which end I’ve become one of the masses wearing a Fitbit. While I was skeptical that it would make a difference as to how much I actually did, I have to admit that I get a wee thrill from the tiny fireworks graphics and vibration on my wrist when I reach the goal. I try to run all our errands on foot, making daily small shopping trips to the grocery store and walking to the library each time I finish a book. We’ve taken to checking on the progress of the boardwalk repairs on the Georgian Trail, and wandering the shoreline of Nottawasaga Bay to see where the swans are gliding. There are lots of provincial parks and conservation areas within a short drive, so we shouldn’t get bored as the weather warms up.

What we both know, deep down under the sluggish tendencies, is that we have to stay fit and healthy in order to live our nomadic lifestyle.

Gotta go….. the rain has stopped and there are steps to be counted!