How to Survive the Concrete Jungle
A couple months ago I had the opportunity to talk with a woman named Jenn Pattee. Eight years ago, Pattee had a dream life: She had a killer job as a graphic designer at Apple; lived in San Francisco, her dream city; and was engaged to a great man. By all accounts, she should’ve been happy. But she wasn’t. Her body wasn’t holding up to the stress of living in a world of right angles. She had developed a chronic overuse injury, gained weight, and became depressed. She needed to MOVE and she wanted to move outside. She hated gyms but had loved sports in college, so she hired a trainer to help her get back into shape—just not within the confines of more drywall. Instead, they roamed, ran, jumped, and sprinted around the city. She loved it and started dropping weight. An idea was born. Could she do this for a living?
Pattee founded Basic Training SF, a series of fitness classes that takes people out into the city, using the landscape as their gym. They’re interactive, fun, and challenging, and best yet, they challenge people to move their bodies in novel ways and to experience the landscape much more intimately. For urbanites, it’s just one illustration of how you don’t necessarily need to live in a mountain town to lead an active, healthy, outdoor life. It just takes a change in perspective and knowing where to find unexpected opportunities to move and breathe. For more strategies, check out my feature in Outside magazine’s July issue, 16 Foolproof Ways to Make the Concrete Jungle Your Playground.