Catch a wave on Great Salt Lake for a workout blast

In the not-so-distant past, I spent as much time trying to avoid working out as I did actually exercising.

As I have aged, I have learned (although sometimes too slowly) that fitness has to be fun if there is any hope that I will commit to it.

Some of that shift may be a change in the reasons I run. Instead of trying to find a way to lose or maintain my weight, I worry more about how fit I am. As a younger woman, I jogged and occasionally went to an aerobics class so that I could eat all the fast food and sugar my heart (or, more accurately, my mouth) desired.

As an aging woman, I now eat — at least more often — food that will fuel an active lifestyle. I want to be able to play soccer, softball, basketball and volleyball without aches and pains. I want to be able to keep up with my kids. I want to wake up energized and able to do whatever it is life rolls out before me.

I cannot do that on burgers and fries and a semiregular step class.

So when I get an offer to try something new, I jump at the chance. This has led me to the realization that not only are we blessed to live in a state with stunning scenery, but we also have about 1,000 ways to enjoy the great outdoors.

Most recently, I was invited to try paddle surfing at the Great Salt Lake. The photos on the Utah Paddle Surfing Web site looked so serene, I didn't think it would be much of a workout, but it did look fun.

Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m., Bekka Stone, a transplant from Florida, allows anyone to give the sport a try for just $10.

So I changed from my usual sports-department uniform of jeans and a T-shirt into a swimsuit and headed out to the Great Salt Lake's Marina. Of course, since it was my first time, there were waves — lots of waves. One woman said she'd been coming for two months and had never paddled on waves. Lucky me.

I finished the five-minute lesson and climbed aboard the specially designed board. As I wobbled from my knees to my feet, I struggled to keep from tipping on the modest waves. Once I got into a rowing rhythm, I was able to take in the breathtaking scenery around me, which included the Great Salt Lake's Yacht Club.

Wow. Wow. And yahoo!

Not to sound like a 10-year-old, but it was so cool! I actually started giggling at one point because it was so fun, so gorgeous, and I had to remind myself this was a workout!