Something I didn’t expect to learn so much about in Germany is about how and where German’s exercise. A block over from where we lived on Schönhauser Allee there was a park with plenty of space for exercise, lounging, or playing any sport you’d want to. There were five tennis courts, a track, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a field for miscellaneous use that I saw a team of football players practicing on. The fact that this park was in the heart of the city was lost on me, in fact, I could easily have thought that I wound up in some small town on the outskirts of civilization. In the open field there were people practicing yoga, running, and I even saw someone practicing Tai-Chi.
Although this was all wonderful what I really was amazed by was the community track and outside fitness area. It seemed like anyone and everyone was using the track, a highschool track team, adults, the elderly, etc. While the same could be said for the outside gym, I was surprised by how many people used it. It was almost as if free body weight exercises and being slim over muscle building was the goal of Berliners.
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