Yes, I Teach Nordic Walking in a Cemetery

If you don’t live in Toronto, you may find it a little odd to read that I offer most of my Nordic walking classes and clinics in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

A cemetery?

Isn’t that a bit morbid? Sad and depressing? And boring, with all those rows of identical headstones?

Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery is anything but.

Designed for Everyone

The cemetery opened in 1876 and was designed by German-born landscape gardener Henry Engelhardt in the “picturesque” or garden-cemetery style that was popular in Europe and the U.S. at the time. Inspired in part by Boston’s famous Mount Auburn Cemetery, Engelhardt worked with natural landscapes rather than working with a formal grid. In Mount Pleasant, he incorporated the existing ravines and rolling terrain, along with the trees and sweeping views, creating a place intended not just for the dead, but also for the living.

Acres of Unexpected Beauty

Today, Mount Pleasant covers 205 acres, right in the middle of Toronto. It has colourful flowerbeds and shrubbery everywhere, curving roads, some of the oldest and most unusual trees in the city, intriguing sculptures and monuments, a waterfall, and multiple fountains.

Despite being located in mid-town and being bordered by two busy streets, the mood is peaceful and quiet just a few steps inside the stone gates. There’s the rustle of the treetops, the scent of flowering shrubs (or perhaps the stinky gingko tree) and the call of songbirds. Somehow, the city noise seems to disappear above the trees.

Leave the City Behind

It’s peaceful, but at the same time, it’s lively. Solo joggers, tiny cyclists with a parent running behind them, dog walkers, and people strolling with headphones (listening to a book, perhaps?) create a gentle energy among the mix of old and ancient headstones.

And for those in the know, there are hidden paths along with secret entrances to Toronto’s ravine system that take you to the wonderful Evergreen Brick Works or, for the more ambitious, all the way down to Lake Ontario.

There is simply so much beauty for both the eyes and the soul.

But beautiful scenery and ambience isn’t the only reason I offer my Nordic walking classes here. Research shows that spending time in nature can help us feel calmer and more relaxed, boost our mood and energy, and make exercise more enjoyable.

Your Surroundings Matter

So where do you exercise? Perhaps you’re fortunate to live in a beautiful and peaceful neighbourhood. Or maybe, like me, you live close to Mount Pleasant Cemetery or one of our city’s other beautiful cemeteries.

Your exercise space matters. The right surroundings can turn exercise from a chore into something you truly look forward to.