For me… the beach still holds first place as the best location to run, almost beaten by the experience of seeing a foreign city “wake up” during a morning jog.

Running along a trail outdoors isn’t that bad either…

… or over the waves in the sea…

… in the park…

… with your dogs…

… up the stairs…

… on asphalt…

… in the gym…

… or like crazy.

Regardless of how young or old you are, where you run, when you run, and how you run, keep running. Seriously, what other way of exercising can outdo running? I can’t think of anything less simple, less expensive, and more convenient. Everyone knows how to run. And if you bring your friend, or an mp3 or iPod (we do get more energy when listening to music), it’s actually fun. No, really. It is. At least when you’re no longer a beginner, feeling you can’t take a single step… after fifteen minutes. Apparently it takes 21 days to develop a new habit, so just set your mind to get through those first three weeks. After that, rather than dreading your run, you will actually start looking forward to it.

One more thing… if you run in a city you don’t know that well, do bring a map… just in case. I almost got lost in Paris when trying to find the way back to our hotel. Luckily, in the end, I saw a street sign and realized I had been running in circles around the hotel rather than straight to it. Believe me, you don’t want to make the same mistake. Especially not if your French is bad.

For more thoughts on running, read Running: A Free Distraction-Free Way to Get Things Done at Popagandhi.