By Marcus Luft

Did you know Toronto has 1,500 parks, 870 sports facilities and 54,000 leisure and recreation programs? That kind of info will come in handy when planning your outdoor activities come spring and summer. And when thinking of an alternative to joining a gym, just being outdoors in this town is like belonging to the world's biggest fitness centre.

Don't get us wrong - belonging to a gym is a good thing. But when you just have to get outdoors, the city offers you the best bet for your buck - as a matter of fact, most of the city's activities are free.

One of the best ways to get active is to join a league. Doing so means committing yourself to teammates, and in the interests of good sportsmanship, you don't want to back out. Toronto Central Sport and Social Club organizes co-ed sports of all kinds, from beginner levels to the hard-core. With more than 6,000 league members, it is one of the largest of its kind in North America.

"Let's face it, the gym is great, but it is not nearly as fun as chasing a soccer ball or ultimate Frisbee," says Rolston Miller, Director of TCSSC. He says getting outdoors is always on people's minds. "As soon as we start seeing sunny days in February, we start taking calls and emails about sports that start in May."

The Toronto Fun Guide booklet, published by The City of Toronto, outlines a myriad sports activities. You can pick one up at your local community centre, civic centre or library. There are 210 spots to play tennis, five golf courses, more than 8,000 hectares of parkland to bike through and a program called Discovery Walks that links parks, trails, beaches and historical neighbourhoods with detailed maps.

Given its size, Toronto also has numerous other clubs to join like the Toronto Bicycling Network, which organizes bike rides of all levels and types, and Problader, which offers professional rollerblade training so you can hit the trails with confidence.

According to Health Canada almost two-thirds of Canadians are not physically active enough. What makes this stat so surprising is that all it takes is about 30 minutes of rigorous activity per day to get into better shape. And it doesn't even have to all happen at once. Research shows that if you exercise three times a day for a mere 10 minutes, you still receive similar benefits to exercising for 30 minutes straight.

Margaret Good, a Facilitator with Active Ontario, a group for greater activity levels among Ontarians, says that it isn't hard to get more active. "People should start thinking about getting active naturally," says Good. "It is very easy to do. Walking briskly for a period of time is a good workout. It is easy, free, something we all do, and makes you feel good."

To help ensure that Ontario remains active, parents should involve their children in activities. Pull them away from the television and Gameboy and get them outside.

Good adds: "Children who have active parents tend to be more active. Show them by being a good role model that physical activity is fun. See you on the trails.