The Fit Parade
50 ways to have fun and stay fit
By Roger Brooks, Courtney Nash, Jim Gullo, Meri-Jo Borzilleri, and Jessica VoelkerWith contribution from Jena Vuylsteke, Erin Pursell, Laura Peach, Lee Fehrenbacher, Stefan Durham, and Bill Thorness
41 | Climb Up the Walls
Indoor Rock Climbing
Gear required Climbing shoes, harness.
Vanity value Put that yodeling class to good use.
It doesn’t take a buffed-up jock boy to be a rock star at the Vertical World climbing gym. In fact, it’s better not to be a man at all. Women tend to excel at beginner rock climbing because they naturally use their legs and lower body as opposed to man-handling the wall. The Intro to Indoor Climbing class teaches equipment, knot tying, lingo, and safety. A monthly membership buys access to weights, equipment, and bouldering walls, and discounts on an array of training programs.
Vertical World, 2123 W Elmore St, Interbay, 206-283-4497; verticalworld.com
42 | Pump Some Iron
Weight Training
Gear required Weight-training gloves, joint support sleeves as needed.
Vanity value More lean muscle mass means a metabolism that burns more fat (and a ripped bod, of course).
Weight training builds muscles and gives you that sculpted, governor-of-California look, but starting too fast or with too much weight can be disastrous to your tender connective tissues. A good trainer is crucial to getting you on the right track without aggravating old wounds or making new ones. It’s even great for gently rehabbing injuries. At the Washington Athletic Club, personal trainer Mona Caravetta designs an exercise program to improve posture and stabilize your trunk (i.e., core) muscles from waist to neck. Only then does she add resistance in small increments to create a program that can last a lifetime.
Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave, Downtown, 206-622-7900; wac.net
43 | Row Your Boat
Crew
Gear required Warm, layered athletic clothing, beanie.
Vanity value Everyone goes gaga for gorgeous rowers’ guns.
Forget that Ivy League exclusiveness: If you are reeling to row, there is a crew club for you. Lake Union Crew’s coach Jessica Wetter says people ages 12 to 84 have taken her Learn to Row classes, and you don’t need to be competitive to do it. The club houses more than 70 shells, a weight room, an indoor rowing tank for windy days (one of only three on the West Coast), individual hot showers, and a lineup of programs. If that’s not enough to get you up in the morning, we suggest you consider another sport.
Lake Union Crew, 11 E Allison St, Eastlake, 206-860-4199; lakeunioncrew.com
“When you come to row, you leave everything else out. It’s nice just to be able to have this thing to block out the rest of the world, and just do it.” —Amanda Smyer, Capitol Hill
44 | Go the Distance
Cross-Country Skiing
Gear required Warm layers, waterproof shells, gloves, goggles, skis, poles.
Vanity value Be a purist: This original ski style was invented 5,000 years ago.
No clunky boots, an easy learning curve, peaceful backcountry views, and a workout on the snow where cell phones dare not roam—what’s not to like? Newbies can rent gear and join a group lesson at the Summit Nordic Center. Make for the alpine zone, away from all of the snickering downhillers, into a serene winter wonderland where your thoughts slow down as your pulse speeds up. Cross-country is one of the best full-body workouts going.
Summit Nordic Center, Summit East, exit 54 off of I-90, 425-434-7669; summitatsnoqualmie.com
45 | Boil and Bend
Bikram Yoga
Gear required Lightweight clothing, towel (mat and water are $2 each).
Vanity value Find inspiration in perspiration. Bikram clears the head as it tones the body.
At certified studios around the world, Bikram instructors teach 90-minute classes featuring the identical sequence of 26 asanas (poses) in a room set at a sweat-inducing 105 degrees with 40 percent humidity. At Bikram Yoga Bellevue the eagle-eyed staffers know all their students’ names—not to mention who is nimble and who is not. Yogis who crave discipline savor the curt commands and punishing heat; less masochistic types go for the blissful, purified feeling that comes after exercising in a sauna.
Bikram Yoga Bellevue, 626 120th Ave NE, Ste B101, Bellevue, 425-637-9642; bikramyogabellevue.com
46 | Put the Biscuit in the Basket
Underwater Hockey
Gear required Mask, fins, snorkel, protective gloves, stick, swimsuit.
Vanity value You’ll look better in a Speedo in no time.
From the surface, underwater hockey players look like sharks fighting for chum, but an underwater view reveals an elegant sport of strategy and swimming prowess. Players whip and glide through the water as though they had gills, chasing a brightly colored puck along the bottom of a pool. Strong swimmers have an advantage, but teamwork yields the most goals. The Seattle Seahammers team hosts weekly public practices on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, when beginners can borrow equipment and learn the basics.
Seattle Seahammers, Seattle University Archbishop Connelly Center, 550 14th Ave, First Hill, 206-296-6441
“The first underwater hockey practice was more intense than I expected. The oxygen burns up very quickly; every time I came up I was gasping for breath. I got used to it, and now I love it.”
—Allen Huang, Bellevue
47 | Leap Tall Buildings
Stair Climbing
Gear required Comfortable shoes.
Vanity value Feel high (788 feet up) and mighty (fighting cancer) with cause.
The annual Big Climb for Leukemia has turned stair climbing into a fundraising juggernaut. Each March, teams or individuals ascend all 1,311 steps of the Columbia Tower as fast as possible. Along with being rewarded by one of the best views in town, you’ll also raise money for a worthy cause. Seattle offers plenty of near-vertical stairs for training—favorites among the cardio crowd: Golden Gardens in Ballard, and next to Olympia Pizza on Queen Anne Hill.
Big Climb for Leukemia, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 530 Dexter Ave N, Ste 300, South Lake Union, 206-628-0777; bigclimb.org
48 | Take a Powder
Telemark Skiing
Gear required Telemark ski boots and bindings; climbing skins; warm, layered clothing; waterproof shells and gloves; goggles; avalanche survival kit.
Vanity value Master the only skiing technique that impresses everyone—even snowboarders.
“Like doing lunges all the way down the mountain”—that’s how telemark skiers describe their quad-busting technique, where turns are accomplished by deep knee bends while balancing on a forward ski. Head via Sno-Kat (a Washington State Parks Sno-Park permit is required to ride) to the Mountaineers Meany Lodge near Stampede Pass. The lodge offers lessons, dorm-style lodge accommodations, and three rope tows for dragging skiers back up the hill after a run. Previous experience on skis is recommended, but not crucial, for telemark; strong legs are a must.
To get to Mountaineers Meany Lodge, meet the Sno-Kat at Crystal Springs Sno-Park, Snoqualmie Pass, exit 62 off I-90, 206-525-7464; meanylodge.org
49 | Act Like Spider-Man
Parkour
Gear required Low-tread, grippy shoes, loose-fitting clothing.
Vanity value Baffled pedestrians will think you’re a ninja.
Parkour is a fun, free, full-body activity for anyone who is physically fit and not faint of heart. Enthusiasts vault over walls, slide through railings, and leap across stairs to get from one place to another via the quickest, most efficient route. Though participants should be in shape, parkour doesn’t require pro-athlete cardiovascular fitness and upper-body strength to get started, and it delivers surprising dividends in physical agility, balance, and self-awareness. Join up with the Washington Parkour Association for introductory classes and easygoing, playful weekly group jams where you can learn new skills safely.
Washington Parkour Association, washingtonparkour.com
“I want exercise to be fun, and going to the
gym just isn’t my thing. At the first parkour jam I went to, everyone was so friendly and helped boost my confidence to the level where I was quickly working within my own abilities.”
—Christian Hogan, Kirkland
50 | Claim the Glacial Grail
Biking RAMROD
Gear required Road bike, helmet, cycling clothes, breakdown kit, water, snacks.
Vanity value The finisher’s jersey will do the bragging for you.
What do superior cyclists do when they’ve already cycled STP in one day? When they’re spitting out “centuries” (100-mile rides) by March? They reach for the ultimate prize and sign up for RAMROD: Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. The national park limits riders to 800, so there’s a lottery for tickets (ends March 31) and it’s essential to be ultra fit—lungs of steel, amazingly conditioned calves, quads, and hamstrings—the ride features a staggering 10,000-foot elevation gain and 154 total riding miles. Ah, but the rewards: On the 12-mile ascent to Paradise, participants drink in views of Rainier’s glittering glacial flanks; and on the way back down reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.
RAMROD: Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day, Redmond Cycling Club, 206-781-3903; redmondcyclingclub.org
Published: March 2008
