Karah

I grew up being active and having an active family. My dad is a retired physical education teacher so he continually instilled an active lifestyle into us. We quickly learned that a variety of activity was not only good for the physical body but the mental aspect of life, as well. We were always going on bike rides, walks, roller blades, runs, hikes/adventures, playing competitive soccer, volleyball or just simply being active around the house (in -50 weather) or outside in the snow through building snow forts.

I craved the sense of community when I moved to Edmonton and quickly found that within Hive Fit Co. and becoming a spin instructor. Pre-pandemic, I thrived on the energy from the group fitness classes. When those shut down, and moved virtual, I moved virtual but also found a newfound passion for an old love of mountain biking. I was able to find some pretty rad trails on the free app TrailForks which allowed me to explore more of the amazing green spaces within the south side of the city (I also quickly realized Edmonton is very accessible via mountain biking trails). I’m big into nature and hiking, which initially seemed hard when moving to a city but YEG has some beautiful nature filled areas. I've learned that each part of the city has such beautiful untouched areas which reminded me that we can have some of the best adventures without actually having to drive anywhere. This winter, we got a border collie puppy so I learned some unconventional ways of staying active - dancing in the living room (seriously, this releases SO many endorphins!), throwing a ball for hours a day, running up and down stairs in the house when it’s too cold to be outside. We’ve began exploring more of the south side of the city, as it feels a little bit quieter than the River Valley but you still get some pretty great views - specifically Blackmud Creek area - it’s a must see!

Things have slowly started to open up again and some of the best days are the days I get to go to Hive Fit Co. and clip in to teach a spin class (virtually, of course). However, Edmonton has such a huge array of trails in some of the most beautiful green spaces I’ve ever seen in a city. The weather is turning nicer and the sun is shining; my advice - get outside and enjoy that fresh air!