'It's going to be a lot of fun:' P.E.I.'s gym crawl offers healthy alternative to pubs

It's like a pub crawl, only instead of drinks at each stop, there's a 20-minute workout.

• Physical inactivity, smoking and drinking issues for P.E.I. youth: School survey

What's believed to be the Island's first-ever gym crawl, happening Nov. 5, is the project of Dr. Megan McDonald, 29, a sports chiropractor and fitness instructor who recently moved home to Summerside, P.E.I., after going to school and practicing in Toronto the last several years.

It's some fellowship, some camraderie, just in a different way. Terry Adams, Iron Haven Gym

Her goal?

"Expose the people to Summerside to what is available to them and give them some first-hand experience so they can make an informed decision on which venue feels right to them," McDonald explained.

'Make it fun'

For $99 each, a luxury party bus will take 25 people to four independent gyms in Summerside for facility tours and 20-minute workouts at each stop from 7 to 11 p.m.

Participants finish with a healthy meal cooked by TnT Food Experience meal preparation company, and prizes. They also get free month-long memberships to one of the gyms, passes for others, training sessions and a t-shirt.

McDonald said she wants "to get people up and moving in non-intimidating environments and situations that would be comfortable for everybody and to make it fun!"

A wide range of people has already signed up for the gym crawl: some who work out every day, and others who have never been to a gym. Some are in their 20s and some are in their 60s.

'Never too late to start'

"I know that we do have an aging population and it's never too late to start," said McDonald, sharing that her 73-year-old grandmother attends fitness classes McDonald teaches.

Summerside Mayor Bill Martin has signed up for the crawl. He met McDonald last summer at a Summerside Night in Toronto, held by the city to try to entice former area residents to return home to live and work.

"I agreed to participate and write the cheque like everybody else," said Martin.

"I think everybody can benefit from being more active," he added, sharing that he's never belonged to a gym, but does jog every other day. He and his wife are considering joining a gym and he's looking forward to seeing what's out there, Martin said.

'Intimidation factor'

The new Iron Haven Gym is one of the four facilities eager to impress potential clients on the Summerside crawl.

"There's still lots of people who probably want to train but have never been to a gym and the intimidation factor might still be there a little bit," said co-owner Terry Adams, who's also participating in the crawl.

It promises to be a fun night out without the hangover, Adams said.

"It's some fellowship, some camaraderie, just in a different way," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

There will always be competition among gyms, Adams added, noting there are about seven fitness facilities in the city. Iron Haven's new facility has a lot of new equipment in a 3,000-metre square space, which he hopes will attract new customers.

McDonald would like the gym crawl to be the first of many on P.E.I.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS I79-year-old student determined to get PhD
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS IMeet 'the tabulator': Able to count 300 paper ballots a minute