How to be Healthy in New York City? |
7 Comments |
This past weekend, I took a trip to NYC to visit with some friends and celebrate the end of his bachelorhood. I did too much eating of foods that I can’t call healthy by any stretch. I also drank some alcohol. By “some” alcohol, I mean too much alcohol. It was the most fun I’ve had in some time, but I feel my body paid the price. When I got back yesterday, I ate fruit, vegetables and grilled chicken breast on the hopes that I can counter-balance the damage.
It got me to thinking… how does one be healthy in New York City? I realize many walk or ride their bikes everywhere. That has to be a good start. However it seems like the deck is stacked against residents. The pizza is too tasty to pass up. The Chinese food is great. Don’t get me started on the cheese steaks. Beyond all that temptation, there’s the difficulty in shopping. One of my friends almost never has more than a ketchup bottle in his fridge. I would probably live the same way because I don’t see myself carrying a lot of food three or four blocks.
I’m going to double up on my workout today. Perhaps I really can turn back the clock and pretend this weekend did happen. In the end, I have to remember that one weekend doesn’t constitute an entire lifestyle - it’s fine to deviate from good health habits every now and again.
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PropellerNext: Setting Health Goals for the Next Year
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I know whenever I visit the Big Apple I always have to hit all the wonderful spots my friends and colleagues recommend. And I always regret it. You shouldn’t worry too much about it, though, as long as you don’t completely fall off the wagon.
I have to think that New Yorkers stay so fit because of all the walking (more than making up for all the Ray pizza joints).
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I counted it up. On an average day, I walk up 12 flights of stairs (and down 12). I walk at least about a dozen blocks. I probably go up and down the stairs at work another 5-6 flights a day; if I walk to lunch I add on another several blocks. I have a 3-story townhouse and today I’ve been up and down the stairs at least 5-6 times. That’s how New Yorkers exercise. The daily routine is exercise in and of itself. I walk more in any given day than any American walks in a week, I think. Personally, I walk up and down the stairs at work (I work on the 7th floor) so I’m doing somewhere in the range of up and down 30 flights of stairs per day. Think that happens in St. Louis? Nope.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
In SuperSize Me, Morgan Spurlock makes a comment about how much New Yorkers walk. I wish other cities were like that!
But if you actually lived there, you wouldn’t eat out like that anyway. It’s only tempting because of the occasional visit.. .:)
January 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I could easily carry my groceries 3-4 blocks. I’ve carried them a whole mile before, and just considered that my aerobic workout for the day. I put everything heavy in a backpack and light things in a grocery bag. And I shopped every single week, so that I could carry it all!
But then I came home to a kitchen with plenty of room to cook and store food. New Yorkers have much less space.
And I think it’s harder to find all the groceries you want in one place in New York; it’s much easier to find a restaurant, deli, street food, etc.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I’d have to say that it’s pretty easy to be healthy there because of the: walking (faster paced as well), stair climbing, availability of organic groceries, and specialty food stores.
January 26th, 2008 at 7:27 am
This could just as easily be “how to be healthy when living a bachelor lifestyle”, no? I was certainly fit when I lived in New York, fitter than I am now. New Yorkers do walk a LOT (so do Torontonians), it’s that public transit lifestyle. I read an interesting article a while back about the amount of shoe insoles sold per capita in NYC, versus other places in the US, the delta was incredible. And that general big-city gym lifestyle exists there in spades too. The excuse about carrying groceries doesn’t hold much water, the whole city is set up for delivery, and many people who don’t want to haul bags of potatoes home just get groceries delivered. Plus outside of Manhattan, which some will have you believe is the be-all and end-all of New York, but is only the safe, clean, tourist-friendly beginning of it, lots of people own cars and go to Costco. The pizza is pretty good though.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
LOL and LOL. I am in Miami. I don’t own a car and i walk everywhere I can, often 8 miles a pop. Love it. I burn my shoes at a rate: a pair in 2 months, but I buy them for $3 a pair at my very special, “all shoes $3 store.” I walk fast, very fast, many times faster than traffic in South Florida. LOL. LOL. And I do carry groceries 2-3-4 blocks and love it too.