It was my first visit  to the Toronto conference this year and I’m glad I took the opportunity. The summer has been so blah I’ve actually been gaining  weight over the last few months. (Usually by the end of a summer full of trips to the beach, hiking, biking, runnning and playing sports I end up a few pounds lighter.) Not so this year. I haven’t even built up half the store of sun I’ll need to get me through the winter.

For the majority of last few weeks months I’ve been busy working and staying indoors out of the rainy, cold weather and because of that my energy forkeeping active had been waning. I’ll worry about my own workouts in the fall I’d tell myself. Recently Ibegan worrying that by the time I got back into my usual routine I’d find my body had a much different proportion of muscle to fat than I was used to.

But the Can-Fit Conference changed everything. After three days full of lectures, classes and workshops I came home with my head full of exciting new ideas I couldn’t wait to try out. It’s been a few weeks and I still haven’t worked through it all. Cycling, Pilates, yoga… I took as many different workshops as I could and learned something new in each one.

I want to stress that fitness conferences aren’t just for professionals working in the industry. The Consumer Fitness and Wellness Show was great, but if you like group fitness classes, learning about how to take care of your body and stay motivated or you just being in an electric atmosphere, there’s nothing wrong with checking out the same courses instructors do. And since you don’t have any obligations to take certain classes or earn CECs you can pretty much do whatever you want.

I say take inspiration wherever you can find it. And for me courses are where I find it most. Being surrounded by so many people, the excitement and energy can’t help but rub off on you.

What I’m talking about is a hobby that burns calories, but not excessively so. An active hobby is something that is interesting. You might even find it relaxing. If you’re lucky it’ll also leave you with a sense of accomplishment. This time of year I find those qualities in gardening.

I enjoy walking the perimeter of my house and trying to remember which variety is planted where. Sometimes I can tell by sight, like with the thick spikes of a hosta or pineapple looking tops of Asiatic lilies, and sometimes I have to rely on my memory or photographs of the previous year to figure out what’s coming up where. I enjoy putting my brain to work recalling the names and characteristics of the plants in my garden. I put my body to work travelling to plant sales to find new varieties, digging up and separating plants that have grown too big and weeding and mulching to make sure the garden looks great all summer long. It’s not usually strenuous work but I find it very rewarding and know it’ doing its part in keeping me healthy and happy.

If I sound a little obsessed it’s because I am. I never think about burning calories or getting into shape when I spend hours each week in my garden, and that’s precisely why it’s such a great hobby. Deep down I know I am strengthening my muscles and bones but I’m so absorbed in my enjoyment of doing it that I never stop to think about it. No matter how much you enjoy running or resistance training there’s always the knowledge that it’s an activity done specifically to become more fit.

Find a hobby that incorporates fitness but puts other priorities ahead of it. Create beauty with a flower garden, produce food for your family with a vegetable patch, make time for your kids by volunteering to coach their soccer team. Those are just a few options, can I help it if my brain is stuck on foliage right now? I’m still looking for an active winter hobby, let me know if you’ve got any good suggestions.