Keeping fit in Cambodia

I walk every day in Phnom Penh. I do 5 to 7 miles each day and have been doing this for years. In Phnom Penh, as well as Siem Reap and Battambang it was a chance to see so much of the cities along with my camera. I don't practice any specific diets. Fifty cent beer is just too tempting. Its sometimes challenging to walk in Phnom Penh but I have found a way to walk every day and accomplish what makes me feel the best. Now I am in Singapore and then Malaysia and Thailand. Walking is the thing for me and has been for over 10 years. Taking the camera along has become the best hobby. When I get back to Cambodia in June for two weeks I will be walking there again.

You are da guy!

Cheers

Joe

Hahaha! Thanks Joe :-). Would like to catch up with you when I get back to Phnom Penh in June.

Going to the gym with friends everyday and walking as much as possible is the key for ;e

Ok here my two cents.

When I moved to PP last year I decided to sell my motorbike and give away my mountain bike. First because of heavy traffic with half the population driving against traffic, second because I wanted to walk more.
That worked out nicely as I do all my shopping by walking to the shops, market and more.

On top I rented an apartment with a gym and a swimming pool so exercise inside the building is available.

I eat healthy I do admit. Luckily there is an organic shop close by so I can get all I want, vegetables, rice, coconut oil, herbs, all organic. I don't use sugar and salt, I have replaced salt for Himalayan salt that I also keep in a bottle of water and take a glass of water with saturated salt water each morning to start up. I use no milk but love cheese.

I have become a partly vegetarian as I change meat many times for things like beans, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and more. Organic Jasmin rice is the basis for each meal that I cook, no more pasta, white processed rice.

But it's not a revolution, I still eat meat when I eat out, but not much and not often.

If you think that I'm a lean guy with a trained body, you're wrong. I'm overweight and the way back is hard. But I keep feeling well, check my blood each year and the results are good.

Cheers.

Joe

My main hobby is running. Whilst this is easy in Siem Reap, where my home is, PP is a little more complicated because of the traffic. Only solution is to get up early, I try to get my runs in before 6 am when in PP.

I also walk, lots. The only place in PP I do not walk to is the airport, otherwise I hoof it everywhere.

I am not concerned with organic products as that label is dubious in Cambodia, to say the least. I like cooking and will not use processed foods when in the kitchen. Whole grains, brown rice, wholewheat bread etc. are all easily available these days.

I still enjoy my life, like dining out, and have been rumored to quaff the odd beer or five but running anywhere between 60 - 120 kilometers a week means I can indulge (a little).

I go to a gym in Pp and also in Kampot when I’m there.  Neither are air conditioned.  I’m dripping wet with in 5 mins.  The humidity and heat do wonders for conditioning
.

Where is a gym in Kampot?

We arrived in SR only 6 weeks ago which means I'm looking around to get a feel of this city and what is on offer. We walk everywhere, (no locomotion) and I'm looking for a good yoga school to attend at least twice or 3 times a week.
Whenever possible I swim.

As to diet, being vegetarians, we find it complicated in this country: we don't really know what is really organic and what isn't here.
We have a small organic store around the corner, that mostly sells leafy greens, delicious cherry tomatoes, and fruit that come straight from a farm a short distance from us, But I really don't know whether it is really organic as there doesn't seem to be an official seal or stamp on produce, like we're used to in the States or Europe.
There is also a small farmers market down our road where they advertise no pesticides, no fertilizers but again is it genuine? Short of knowing other organic stores we buy all our groceries at these 2 places. We are still looking for a vegetarian store where we could buy vegetarian oils, coconut, butter, cheese, rice, coffee, beauty products or cleaning products, but maybe this is asking a bit much.
We have been vegetarians for years, so we're happy to discover that there are many vegetarian restaurants in SR. But again, we ignore whether ppl are genuine when they call something vegetarian.
In the meantime, recommendations anyone?

Recommendations?

Move to PP!

We got real organic food over here, no doubt.

Vegetables from organic farms, eggs from real free running chicken (I know the difference as I had chicken back in Europe and jeez were those eggs special and tasty).

Even meat from controlled farms, grass-fed cows, free-range chicken.

Coconut oil, organic, virgin, cold pressed. Whole grain bread, organic honey, name it, it's all available. Quinoa, Chia seeds, Goji berries, Spirulina, Almonds, i t's all available here in PP.

Cheers.

Joe

Oh goodness, this is too much for me 
But I love SR.
Anyway is there a seal in Cambodia that guarantees that the products are indeed organic?

Nope.

Of course there are products available with certification, like this product:

Organic GREEN CLEAN (for Detox)

INGREDIENTS
Organic Lucuma Powder, Organic Golden Flaxseed Powder, Organic Wheatgrass Powder, Organic Chlorella Powder (with cracked cell wall), Organic Moringa Leaf Powder
Certified Organic (EU)
Gluten-Free
Low Glycemic Index (GI)
No Added Sugar
Non-GMO

Or this product:

Organic Sun-Dried FIGS, Unsweetened & Unsulphured

INGREDIENTS
100% Organic Figs, Whole & Dried
Certified Organic (ECOCERT)
Rich in Vitamins & Dietary Fibre
Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free Snack
Unsweetened
Unsulphured
Non-GMO

Check this website out: https://www.facebook.com/NaturalGarden.Cambodia/

Cheers.

Joe

Thanks JoeKhmer, for a handy link

Cross over the motor cycle bridge .  Take a right.  Cross the high way.  Keep going approx 1 mile.  It’s on the right with bright blue roof

I like to run up mountains don't know if that's safe to do in Cambodia

Miles? You love imperial connections? Get up to date

Riding the Tuk Tuk and traveling to Thailand and Vietnam.

Yup... km. Besides you get to brag a bit more in matter of distance. Example you can now say 1 walked 16 kilometers instead of 10 miles. Here in KK lots of spaces to run but I walk instead.

Boy there's nothing like reading these posts to make me feel like I'm an underachiever, diet of chips and soda pop and my workout is seeing how long I can stay on the couch each day! I do 12 oz beer curls frequently, about a 12 pack a day!... I find it a workout  convincing myself to take out the trash each day, when I finally do I winded from the 20 steps I take... Yep I need to see to it..

Haurqermer swartz wrote:

Boy there's nothing like reading these posts to make me feel like I'm an underachiever, diet of chips and soda pop and my workout is seeing how long I can stay on the couch each day! I do 12 oz beer curls frequently, about a 12 pack a day!... I find it a workout  convincing myself to take out the trash each day, when I finally do I winded from the 20 steps I take... Yep I need to see to it..

Hi There
My Mantra for keeping fit in a new place as well as exploring and interacting with the locals,  is walking.
Eating only when really hungry,eating hot food and sniffing out the places locals go to is a good way of eating safe. Will be there in PP on the 22 feb ......let the walk begin
Stan

Joe,
to make sure we exercise naturally we rented a condo on the 3rd floor, that is a total of 60 steps.
So, if we only go out once a day, that's already 120 steps, but we often go out more than once, so success guaranteed for us, lol.

I run at 6 every morning, but I must confess it’s easy where I am, but I am 62 running “slow” 5k and the concrete is starting to hurt, traffic no problem lots of people out exercising, so I’m headed to Vietnam now and my proity was a apartment with a gym, I found one in Saigon, I arrive next week , goodbye cambodia, good morning Vietnam !

Hello Joekhmer!

Where's a good place to get grass fed beef and cage free chicken eggs in PP?

My family and I have been shopping at Aeon and we see khmer beef but it doesn't specifically say grass fed.

Thanks!

Jeremy

My mates and I have decided post Covid to start, sponsor and train a proper Soccer team in Siem Reap, we were horrified at the ladies defeat to Iran of 15-0. We gonna put this together and see how it goes. We don’t see much sport in SR so hopefully next year we can feed some good players into the National side

Go to one of the shops of Natural Garden,  they have both items.

Cheers 

Joe