out of shape, looking for alernatives to gym, with exploring???

If you are a cyclist, you can look at routes others have posted at http://www.bikemap.net/

Otherwise, good point: is there an expat outdoor fitness group?

If you are interested in group hiking tours of the north-west Balaton area, you can private message me for a contact who can provide some options.

Hi,

I live on the Szentendre island: lovely and safe place to bike.
You can get fairly close by the "H5 HEV" commuter train (Batthyany square -> Szentendre, bikes allowed)

There are many popular hiking trails near Budapest.


Or go crazy:

Learn rock climbing/bouldering:
http://www.spiderklub.hu/falmaszas/tanf … almaszasba
then go where noone else goes :-)

Work on a farm:
http://www.wwoof.hu/

Soccer is very popular here. You should be able to join a team of "just for fun" players near you, pitch in to renting the field and run your lungs out.

Biking around lakes must be lovely, I always wanted to try it, in fact the kids are close to being old enough to try :-)
Depending on your speed and free time there's Balaton, Ferto-to, or Velencei to.

Popular summer "activity" is canoing. You need a group of friends, camping gear and many crates of beer: rent a few canoes somewhere upstream on any of the smaller rivers, and just drift downstream for a week, making camps on the riverbank. The term to search for is "kenutura"

Many thanks for the replies! Its a start and I appreciate the time yous have taken to do so!

The framing looks alternative enough! Hmm, now that does look stimulating......Ill get my wellington boots out!

Thanks

kodaki

szocske wrote:

just drift downstream for a week

For fitness and exercise (the topic), better to paddle upstream for a week.

kodaki wrote:

The framing looks alternative enough

Well, if farm labor interests you, the wine picking season is coming up in the next few months. Many wineries will be happy for free labor. And I can confirm, from experience, walking up and down the vineyard hills harvesting is a good workout.

I don't personally advocate running as a form of exercise but there is this:
http://www.facebook.com/events/210050435789334/

There are a few outdoor expat fitness groups that work out down at Margit Sziget. If you're interested, I can try to find the info I saw on the FB expat group.

kodaki wrote:

(...)And i dont mean the gym!
I had an idea that it would be good to try and combine some form of (non lethal ;-) exercise, with fun and exlporing Hungary...
I dont have fixed ideas, but it could be bike rides, walks, tours to new areas of hungary, stimulating and fun stuff that combines exercise (ie movement) with new experiences...whatever they may be....
Has anyone any thoughts on this, re , er, liking the idea? Or wishing to discuss further as a group or small group or whatever??
ie does this float anyone elses boat?
kodaki

I have a similar problem, and found that combining sports with socialising is not so easy. Perhaps cos I don't, erm, do sports? Whatever - I totally like the idea involving non-lethal exercises combined with like-minded people.
I am also not full of ideas, but I know that I would be happy to join some easy biking tours (I have a slow-mode city bike). I live near Margaret Island, anyway (which is only good for a very light evening tour on bike - perhaps as a kickoff-meeting?).
Ah, and rowing on the Danube (keelboat, Kajak, Kanoo), especially on the smaller branches upstream from budapest  (Szöcske surely knows about it), is surely fun - the season is ending - but it may still be possible. (Afaik, this is at least a half-day program, though).
I am in Debrecen tue-wed. So my next available time-slot is Thu evening.

As far as combining fun with excersising I would be cautious kodaki. Thus, you shall either excercise - focusing to avoid injuries and reaching maximum effective dose from a given type of fitness excercise - or have fun in any kind of sportive game. In the latter the social element is motivating via the pure joy of doing it. In the former the social element is motivating via the peer pressure.
N.B. I am a rock climber, boulderer. I have been in competitions, I have had injuries and also great time climbing with friends on rock routes that would be laughed at or left untouched by hardcore climbers.
I have been bugged by expat clients, friends for an initiation to rock climbing session. Just for fun kind of event. Only, my two toddlers are even halting me to climb.
Go and push it at your pace,