20 Oct The Social Side of Keeping Fit

My girlfriend Katie and I were together for about three years. It is the longest relationship I’ve had. We travelled together a few times, and went to Vietnam twice. The second time we went, we stayed in a place called Nha Trang. It was less culturally interesting than the other places we’d been and was more inclined towards lounging beside beautiful, Grecian-themed pools in 96-degree heat, while reading a book, being served ice cold beers, and roast chicken club sandwiches with aioli and fries.

I saw the some of the most beautiful sunsets of my life there, and probably the most beautiful sunrises. It was worth getting up early and walking to the beach for, more than once. The sunrises were an all-melting, hallucinatory orange, and made more interesting by the number of locals exercising along the glowing shore. I figured it was a beautiful time and place to be doing a bunch of stretches, and that any time later in the day would simply have been too hot. It was quite beautiful, actually. They were all beaming, and really enjoying one another’s company.

I’d never seen that many people congregate to work out, much less in such a beautiful setting. The social side of keeping fit is an interesting thing to pay attention to in new places, and it’s definitely something I’ve quietly observed and thought about over here. People in San Francisco like to keep fit, and it’s a good thing. I see people running every night, sometimes in pairs and sometimes on their own. There’s a girl I see jump roping outside the front of her house some nights on my walk from the bus stop to my place. I see people doing Cross Fit, and I see people coming too and from their Soul Cycle classes. They’re always in groups and they’re always stoked, whether it be fresh-faced on their way in, or a sweaty, pink mess on their way out. They’re always dressed to the nines, too.

I guess what I’m getting at is the social side of exercising. In the same way it was in Vietnam, people seem to find a real sense of community and enjoyment in working out together here. That’s never been the approach I’ve taken. For me, exercise is just as much about emotional catharsis as it is about keeping physically fit, so I like to do it on my own. I think it’s a great thing, though. Both because positive social relationships are obviously a good thing, and because for many people, the sense of community they develop and become a part of is a primary motivating factor in getting them off the couch and out the door. Bonds formed under pressure or physical stress can often be some of the tightest ones, too (I learned that from many years of bar tending; you’re in the trenches together.)

If you like keeping fit, San Francisco is a great place to keep up your regime, and maybe even introduce some new elements and meet new people in the process. I’m not saying you have to buy a fluorescent, spandex outfit and a Soul Cycle membership, but yeah, if the sun is out, give it a go.