Resolutions: 10 Cheap Ways to Get Healthy in Memphis

If you’re like most Americans, you spent New Year’s Day looking back at last year and deciding that 2011 is going to be the year that you really make an effort at keeping your resolutions. For those of you who vowed to get healthier, here are 10 easy, inexpensive ways to combat all of the amazing food you’re going to eat in Memphis this year:

1. Join a team. Working out alone isn’t for everybody. For those of you that need a little bit of support, grab some friends and join the adult kick ball league, play some dodgeball, join roller derby or go Hashing.

The Memphis kickball league in action

2. Walk, run, skate or bike the Greenline. The seven-mile long paved trail runs along an old railroad line from Tillman and Walnut Grove in Midtown to Shelby Farms park in East Memphis. The trail is free and open daily from sunrise to sunset.

3. Become a member of Hope and Healing, the wellness facility run by the Church Health center. Hope and Healing is more than just a gym. They offer workout, yoga and cooking classes, support for people recovering from illnesses, an arts and crafts room, programs for kids, basketball courts and a pool. The overall aura of acceptance makes it possibly the friendliest gym in town. Monthly membership fees are charged on a sliding scale based on income.

4. Take advantage of the bike lanes that are popping up all over town. By the end of 2011, 55 miles of bicycle lanes will be added to the Memphis streets, making it easier (and safer) to commute to work, run errands or ride for fun. The bike lane initiative started in 2010, so there are already some areas that have been repaved with lanes.

5. If you want to ride the Greenline or check out the bike lanes, but don’t have wheels,  you can rent a bicycle for the day from Midtown Bike Co. on South Main. Bikes rent by the hour, half day (4 hours) or full day. prices range from $15 – $80, depending on the bike and the amount of time you have it.

6. Take advantage of Memphis’ huge urban parks. At Overton Park in Midtown, you can golf, walk through the Old Forest, play soccer or football on the giant field or play on the playground. At Shelby Farms, there are trails (both paved and not), horseback riding, playgrounds, paddle boats and plenty of wide open spaces.

The Old Forest at Overton Park, Memphis, Tenn.

7. For those in need of a challenging and free work out, run the stairs that run up the bluffs downtown. The first trip up won’t be so bad, but subsequent trips may prove to be a bit of a challenge.

8. Go for an educational run with Rockin’ Running Tours. They give guided three to six mile running tours through Downtown and Midtown. Along the way, the guides point out places of interest and give historical context to the area. The pace is set by the runners on the tour, so there’s room for everyone.

9 . Get some wheels (and pads and a helmet) and start practicing for the opening of Memphis’ first public skate park. The skate park, which opens in fall 2011, will be at Tobey Park in Midtown.

10. Train for the 2011 St. Jude Marathon. It’s not until December, so you’ve got plenty of time to get to a point where 26.2 miles is easy. Or, you know, easier.