Ciclovia Sundays

Running, biking, rollerskating, rollerblading, patinando, paseando, strolling, strutting, scooting, swishing. On Sundays between 7am and 2pm, Medellin brings out its best as over 37.000 people get outdoors to enjoy 29 km of streets-turned-pedestrian runways. Luckily the route starts right outside my front gate, and I can join the troops on the large loop around the stadium. Entire families will come out while young children wobble on training wheels while parents tug along a dog or grandma. Hairy men by themselves will sweat more liquid than I drink in a week as they slowly jog by. Young couples will never let go of the other's hand as they talk and stroll along. Each week presents new obstacles as I run at my own speed; avoiding older women learning how to ride a bike, kids in speedos running across the track to swimming lessons, puppies on the loose, sunglasses vendors, and your usual oblivious children. After anyone finishes their exercise, they will slump into plastic chairs around the fruit vendors and munch on a yellow hunk of pineapple or scoop out their salpicon (fruit salad with ice cream on top), drinking fresh-squeezed oj. Ahhhhh. The pleasures of living in the tropics.

Despite the city's horrible pollution, I am impressed with the local/national health-promotion programs in Medellin. The institute of sports and recreation, INDER, organizes lots of events to get the population out of their apartment blocks and moving around. Other countries could learn about disease prevention from the ciclovia, mass aerobics classes they offer throughout the mornings and evenings in different parks, sports clubs, portable gymnastics classes for children, etc. etc. It seems like everyone does some sort of exercise at least once a week, no matter how old or young or in shape or lazy. I guess the wonderful weather here supports outdoor activity, but it is great to live in a place that encourages physical activity.

Another preventative aspect of the country is that all (national) health insurance companies are required by law to offer a certain number of recreational locations throughout the country. Members pay a ridiculously low entrance fee such as 1.000 pesos, and non-members pay a slightly higher but still economical price. This includes water parks (think water slides and massive pools), nature parks with camping and boating, endless tennis courts or soccer fields, and perfect picnic destinations. It means that if a family is traveling anywhere in the country, they have affordable access to the outdoors. No wonder why there are so few overweight, unhappy people in this country. The majority of Colombians exercise!