Fitness Centers

          Do you belong to a fitness center or gym?  I don't. I think exercise is important and I exercise everyday, but for me, going to a fitness center is boring and expensive.  I like to exercise with a purpose. I would rather walk outside than walk on a treadmill inside. The idea of walking and not going anywhere is strange to me. Why walk on a treadmill inside a gym when you can walk outside and enjoy the view and fresh air? Same with the stationary bicycle. Riding a bike and not going anywhere?  If I want to ride a bike I will jump on my bike and go for a ride around the neighborhood. I walk several miles every other day. I walk to the public library, get a book, and walk home. Two miles. That's walking with a purpose. When I walk, I look for interesting rocks to give to my grandson, Alex, who likes to collect and polish them. Sometimes I go for a two-mile walk with Alex; we stop at a gas station after one mile to buy some candy. He looks forward to walking with me because he knows he's going to get some candy.  Sometimes when we walk together, we take a plastic bag and pick up trash that we find on our walk. We make the neighborhood more beautiful. Once we found a Spiderman hat on the sidewalk. That's his favorite superhero. So we took it home and washed it. He loves it. When I drive to Ivy Tech to teach, I park my car in a parking lot far from the building where I teach.  I take the the stairs instead of the elevator to the fifth floor. So my walking has a purpose. According to statistics, only about 20% of  the people who sign up for a fitness center membership continue to go after a few months. It takes a lot of self-discipline to go several times a week, every week, especially when it is so boring. Finally, there is the cost; most fitness centers charge about $40 per month. I'm cheap, so I don't like to spend money to exercise. I like to exercise naturally, and whenever possible, with a purpose in mind.  Do you belong to a fitness center?  What has your experience been?