The first month of every year brings out the eager in all of us. Gyms across the country are packed with anxious humans lifting this and bouncing that. In a few weeks the classes will thin out and the machines will be available again. The ebb and flow of active participants is not something you’ll see on St. John. On island it’s fairly easy to make activity part of life. Dozens of well-maintained hiking trails, all of which allow dogs on leashes, and water, water, everywhere for any kind of aqua exercise. Take your time with your laps in the Caribbean, swimming lanes are wide, always open, and never boring. YMCA pools don’t typically sport richly colored reefs and tropical fish to join you on your work out. Crystal clear shallow blue waters make the perfect outdoor gym for anyone looking for a low impact workout. Walk the shallow shoreline of Maho Bay and say ‘see ya later’ to your water aerobics class. Pop into the water easily at any of the national Park beaches along North Shore or Salt Pond or Lameshur bays along the south shore. Another hidden treasure for anyone looking for a great pool to work out is Haulover Bay on the east end of St. John. On calm days you can snorkel the north side but on most days the south side offers splendid snorkeling fun. It’s amazing just how long you can swim when you have snorkels and fins. Whatever you need to get in shape, Mother Nature has already created it and it’s waiting for you on St. John!