I bought a bicycle when I first moved to Dumaguete, which was part of my focus on living a healthy lifestyle. I purposely bought the ugliest bike I could find — a half-rusted battleship with sagging tires and squeaky brakes — so that no one would want to steal it.
Now, I’m about ready for an upgrade, so I hope that someone does just that. Seriously, please do me a favor and steal my bike. Not only will I not call the Pulis, but I’ll probably send you a Thank You note.
But Dumaguete sure hasn’t disappointed when it comes to healthy living. Sure, we don’t have a white-sand beach, but other than that, our options for exercise and outdoor activities are almost unlimited.
So when I wake up at dawn each morning, all filled with vigor and enthusiasm to work out, what can I do?
A great way to welcome the new day is to take a walk, and I have plenty of company as people stroll in the early morning or in the evening on the boulevard.
Likewise, the huge field near my apartment in Daro is home to a surprising number of baseball games, soccer matches, and plenty of Ultimate Frisbee.
If I want to throw some iron around, the recently-moved and improved Four-C Fitness is in an ideal location near Silliman U; and the P & E Gym across Freedom Park is for serious weightlifters, and has a good vibe. I spent my first couple months here in Dumaguete working out at the fun and rowdy Clint Besario Training gym in Daro.
These days, Fit&Play on Cervantes St. is my go-to gym in Dumaguete. They focus on movement as medicine, which means plenty of functional training with medicine balls, kettlebells, TRX bands, truck tires, and much more. Their Workout of the Day is always challenging but I sweat through it with help from their tribe of dedicated, positive, and friendly trainers and other members.
If I feel like getting beat up, I visit the Century Security Academy on EJ Blanco Ext. for some boxing or Muay Thai pad work, where the open-air training area is nothing fancy but my coach knows his stuff.
If I want to enjoy the great outdoors (or on Sundays, when every gym in Duma is closed), I head to the Perdices Stadium where, by sunset, hundreds of people run on the rubberized oval, play soccer, or simply play with friends, fostering a warm community feel.
There’s an Olympic-sized swimming pool next door, called the Lorenzo Teves Aqua Center (although I’ve been told it’s dirty), as well as Praxevilla Tennis Courts outdoors. Local archery teams also line up to practice there or at the Freedom Park.
I’ve met several people in Dumaguete who train for marathons or triathlons, but that sounds excruciating to me so I’d rather head to the hills for some mellow hiking or swimming in one of our nearby lakes.
If we’re lucky, we can catch Dragon Boat races along the water, and kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and world-class scuba diving are also right in our backyard.
I recently found an Aikido Club that I’m eager to check out, and jiu-jitsu practitioners can roll at several places. From the mall to the Boulevard to the Macias Sports & Cultural Complex, Zumba classes and dance routines are also popular.
And when I’m stiff and sore from all of this hard charging, I can stretch and breathe it out with yoga at Coco Grande Hotel, or take private lessons with Camoi Miraflor.
You know what’s crazy? This is a piece on sports and fitness in the Philippines, and I haven’t even mentioned basketball yet! ‘nuff said!
I don’t know about you, but all of this talk about working out has me exhausted. I need to ride home, and take a nap…. Wait a minute, where’s my bike? I swear I left it right over there….
Thank you, Dumaguete!
If you’d like to come exercise with me, just email me.
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Author’s email: hi@normschriever.com
