Walking to Stay in Shape and Get a Taste at GrillHampton and Dan's Taste of Two Forks
Start your weekend off right and indulge in expertly charred fare at GrillHampton in Bridgehampton on Friday, July 12. If you already have your tickets, follow up with Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on Saturday (this event is sold out!), where local chefs, purveyors and wineries will descend upon the foodie fete at Sayre Park.
RELATED: RAIN OR SHINE, GRILLHAMPTON FIRES UP ON FRIDAY, JULY 12, AT 8PM. A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE—CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
With all of the delicious goodies at your disposal, it can be hard to keep fitness at the forefront of your mind. Considering that the bash falls the weekend Bastille Day and will feature many taste infusions from across the pond, let’s take a tip from the Europeans and consider the benefits of walking.
A very unscientific people-watching study that I conducted while studying abroad revealed that Europeans eat the same delicious foods that many health-conscious Americans consider taboo—breads, pastries, whole baguettes, cheese, pasta, olive oil and the occasional sweet. Yet they all seem to maintain a fairly svelte figure. What’s the difference? My conclusion: They walk. We drive.
Any sort of physical activity is helpful in melting away the pounds, but such a simple, everyday activity like walking has significant health benefits. Studies have shown that walking can reduce your risk of stroke, prevent developing Type 2 Diabetes, relieve pain from fibromyalgia, decrease risk of heart disease and increase the survival rate for breast cancer patients. Mental benefits of regular exercise include better stress management and better moods.
It’s recommended that people looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle take about
10,000 steps a day. Walking for 40 minutes (about two miles) can allot for half of your daily quota. Every little bit counts—parking further from your destination, for example—but try working to increase the length and intensity of your walk to yield the
greatest benefits.
If you don’t feel like you got in enough walking prior to joining Dan’s at our food and wine weekend, feel free to get some steps in at Sayre Park. You’ll burn some additional calories and ensure that you don’t miss any of the delectable treats.
Barring that, take a tip from fitness gurus who use everyday items as inspiration for working out. (A heavy book becomes a weight, a chair is the perfect place to do some arm squats…) Here’s a list of suggestions for how to keep fit while keeping up your food and wine intake:
—Come to both GrillHampton and Dan’s Taste of Two Forks. You’ll maximize time walking around the tent and get even more delicious food.
—Come by bike. It’s outside, so it’ll be uncomfortable to wear high heels, anyway.
—Break into an all-out sprint upon arrival. You’ll get your heart rate up and will be in a better position on line at your preferred purveyor.
—Take little bites of food at a time. That way, you’ll maximize the amount of arm curls from plate to mouth.
—Grab one plate and stack it high so that it acts as a weight. Carry it around all night, and be sure to refill when it starts to feel lighter. To take this workout up a notch, have at least one plate in each hand. Or, constantly carry a full drink as well.
—Drink with your pinky out. It’s classy, and it’s a great stretch for the smallest of our digits.
—Sample all of the delicious fare, and constantly come back for whatever you deem to be your favorite dish. A large smile post-taste uses more muscles than a small smile.
—Dance to the tunes of New Life Crisis on Friday and DJ Phresh on Saturday.
—Get in line behind me. I’ll eat everything before you get a chance.
—Consider this: You’re in the Hamptons. Everyone at this event will be using the freshest, and when possible, local ingredients. Let yourself indulge.
The point is, you don’t need to religiously devote hours to the gym in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Consider your immediate surroundings—with a little creativity, anyone can inject a few healthy changes
into a day.