Letters

The Atlantic Ocean and the Ponquogue Bridge are “virtual” gyms, and they are free to use. Walking over the bridge might strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, heart, knees and quads, and you will be breathing clean air 60 feet above sea level, which might be good for your lungs. Walking 100 steps backward, uphill, and doing jumping jacks and squats at the top are a bonus.

Swimming hard into the waves might strengthen your heart and shoulders and help to build up stamina. On the beach, to get fit, a two-minute plank is good for core strength. Also, more jumping jacks and squats, and bird dog and pushups. To top it off, and for your whole body, do the bear crawl for one minute, or five minutes or more, on soft sand. You can rinse the sand off when you are finished.

I love inside gyms, too, but only if the temperature outside is below 20 degrees and the wind is over 20 mph.

Jim Dreeben

Hampton Bays