Unexpected Exercise Opportunities in Vancouver

Tales from a Vancouver Summer Law Program participant....

Living on the UBC campus has already provided a number of unexpected exercise opportunities, from walking and stair climbing to dancing. Coming from a campus as small as Southwestern's, it's nice to walk more than a few feet to class. Our classes are about a five-minute walk from where we are staying on campus. It's nice to see trees on the way to class that aren't hanging on for dear life to their wooden-stake life support systems. It really feels like we are living in the mountains.

Looking at the map before I got here, I knew that the beach should be just a short distance away. I ventured to Wreck Beach my second day in Vancouver. It's a very nice walk down to the beach through a lot of beautiful forest. When I say "walk down" I mean walk DOWN 400 wooden steps. The beach itself is very clean and you can see mountains that still have bright white snow on them. However, that may not be the only bright white thing you see on the beach. Clothing is optional at Wreck Beach and plenty of people were taking advantage of that opportunity when I visited. Frisbees and footballs, inter alia, were flying everywhere. People were playing guitars and babies were playing in the sand. The weather was unexpectedly nice. I think everyone should visit at least once. However, for those uncomfortable with the nudity, be warned. The escape is not so easy because you have to walk back UP those 400 steps, and that is when you really feel the burn.

I also stumbled upon inexpensive Latin dance classes at the International House on campus. Every night my first week I have taken salsa and bachata lessons. This has been a very international experience, as my dance partners have all come from a country other than Canada, including Israel, Romania, and India. You are probably already familiar with salsa and what it looks like. It's fun and it's a pretty good workout. After the salsa lesson, I have a much-needed hour to rest before the bachata lesson. Bachata, which comes from the Dominican Republic, requires some kind of hip movement that I am not sure I was born to perform. If you go to one of these classes every day, you will never need to do sit-ups or crunches again. Every morning I wake up sore, but for some reason I still keep going back to the class. Bachata, according to my instructor, is becoming very popular in Vancouver, so continuing my bachata education may require me to venture further into the Vancouver community. As is the case with Wreck Beach, be warned. Bachata is not for the faint of heart. It involves movements that some might think should be preceded by some official ceremony, or at least a diamond ring. If you are looking for exercise, though, it is the way to go.

More to come...