I’m sorry but I have to say this, Amsterdam puts Britain to shame! I have never come across a community of people that truly INVEST in their health. Whether sunshine, rain, thunder or sleet you can guarantee when you look out that window someone’s doing a press up, jogging round the block or about to drop into a serious squat. Can you imagine what life would be like if this level of commitment to healthy living surrounded you by the day?

Well one’s things for sure, I’ve certainly been persuaded to do some self-maintenance, and it feels good darn it! The bizarre thing is, they don’t even make it look hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it’s simply a part of everyday life, and here are the SIMPLEST ways how:

1. Everyone cycles
Literally everyone cycles here, so much so that bikes even have priority over cars! There are approximately over 600,000 cyclists in Amsterdam (fact of Amsterdam FAQ) and I myself have joined this statistic. Considering I only learnt how to ride a bike in February this year, I’d say I’m doing pretty well so far…well apart from crashing into two motor-cycles and flying off my bike down a hill, but I’m okay!

2. Everyone has a dog
I’ve never particularly been a fan of dogs, and even the cute ones I like to admire from a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG distance. However, as we speak a White Belgian Sheep Dog is casually wondering around in my presence, and guess what? I haven’t even flinched! So how does this relate to a healthy lifestyle? Well Amsterdammers pretty much treat their dogs like their bikes, they take them EVERYWHERE!I’ve seen dogs cycling with their owners, dogs being walked at the most unfathomable hours of the night and even owners and their dogs taking part in exercise classes together…before you ask, yes the last one is WHOLE-HEARTEDLY true!

3. Everyone (near enough) is in perfect shape
You try being the only obese one amongst 747,290 other people, surely this is motivation in itself to keep in shape. I have been here for just over 2 months and am yet to discover someone over-weight, it’s like searching for Wally. When they say to surround yourself with like-minded people, it’s now even more obvious as to why.

(Cover photo via tumblr)