SPRING HAS officially sprung, and there's no better place than our fair city to get fit and healthy. That's because Philadelphia is home to spectacular Fairmount Park, the largest landscaped park system in the United States, boasting some 9,200 lush acres.
This spring, reacquaint yourself with the park while you walk, run, bike or blade your way into good shape and better health.
Besides its more than 215 miles of scenic trails, many of them along the Wissahickon, Pennypack and other waterways, the park operates 127 tennis courts, 160 baseball, football, soccer and softball fields, 35 basketball courts, four outdoor pools, seven recreation centers, nine day camps, and 22 playgrounds.
Trail use and park safety programs will be held at various park locations this Saturday and Sunday. For more details, call 215-683-0200 or check out the Fairmount Park Web site, www.fairmountpark.org.
Get moving on MLK
Now through Oct. 29, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (formerly West River Drive) will be closed to vehicular traffic every weekend for recreational activities. Our great city offers plenty of incentives to get you motivated and moving.
Buddy up
The Daily News From Flab to Fab Fitness Challenge participants are stepping up their fitness routines, and many are incorporating outdoor activities along with their traditional gym time.
Mary Leonard, for example, has been putting in additional mileage by incorporating romantic strolls with her husband - and power walks with co-workers. Mary's dedication is paying off big time. She's down 20 pounds and counting.
Which reminds me: Don't sabotage your exercise and weight-loss efforts by eating a cheese-
steak and fries after an outdoor exercise session. Always pack a healthy meal or snack to take with you when you head out to exercise or just enjoy a beautiful day.
Get deliciously fit
If you really want to get the most nutritional bang for your buck, support the farmer's markets that are so plentiful in and around the city in the spring, summer and early fall. Here's a partial list:
Chestnut Hill Growers Market, Winston Road between Germantown Avenue and Mermaid Lane. Open 3 to 7 p.m. Saturdays, mid-May through October.
Chestnut Hill Farmer's Market, 8229 Germantown Ave. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. 215-242-5905.
East Falls Farmer's Market, Midvale Avenue near Ridge. Open 3:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays, June 2 through Oct. 27.
Lancaster Avenue Farmer's Market, at the intersection of 38th Street, Powelton Street and Lancaster Avenue. Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., early May through Nov. 19.
Penn Campus Farmer's Market, 36th Street between Walnut and Sansom. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, mid-May through November.
Reading Terminal Market, the United States' oldest continuously operating farmer's market, 12th and Arch streets. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; Pennsylvania Dutch merchants, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, till 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. 215-922-2317, http://reading
terminalmarket.org.
Rittenhouse Farmer's Market, 18th and Walnut streets. Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, mid-May through Nov. 18.
Roxborough Farmer's Market, Ridge Avenue and Leverington Street. Open 2 to 6 p.m. Fridays, June 2 through Oct. 27.
South & Passyunk Farmer's Market, 5th and South streets. Open 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, mid-May through Nov. 21.
Weavers Way Farmer's Market, Greene Street and Carpenter Lane. Open 3 to (approximately) 7 p.m. Thursdays, mid-May through October. *