Along the banks of the Olentangy, up and down High Street from Downtown to the Short North, on the numerous trails that outline Dublin, Westerville and New Albany, people have been busy.

In and around the city there are people running, walking, biking and rollerblading in droves. The activity is seemingly incessant. And it’s about time.

In 2001 Columbus ranked as the fifth fattest city in the country. Residents rallied and began shaping up, steadily improving the ranking to where it is now, 16th. Sure, there is still a lot of work to do, but at least we’re headed in the right direction.

Why did Columbus make such dramatic process in such little time? Was it Commit to be Fit, a fitness club boom, more accessible bike trails or the grassroots efforts in the suburbs? Whatever the reason, two things are clear: From Powell to Grove City, there are plenty of opportunities to avoid being sedentary; and this isn’t a passing trend – Columbus is too motivated to quit now.

Fitness Club and Personal Trainer Boom

Many are quick to point out that one of the biggest explanations for Columbus’ obese culture is the plethora of restaurants on every street corner. “They are everywhere. I came from Florida and it is just not like that there. Food is very available and very convenient here and that’s a big part of the problem,” says Jeremy Parker, sales manager at Lifestyle Family Fitness.

And he’s not talking about tofu stands. In the heart of the Midwest, Columbus doesn’t shy away from its meat-and-potatoes mentality. But fitness centers and clubs have begun popping up at a swift pace to at least slightly counter the monopoly of eateries.

Lifestyle Family Fitness is a perfect example. When it bought out California Fitness more than a year ago, there were seven facilities in the area. There are now nine and three more have been proposed. The newest, in Hilliard, has far exceeded fledgling goals, from 90 to 200 memberships a month.

Not only are gyms more available than ever, but there are more choices. Not everyone can go out of their way to get in a workout, and now most people don’t have to, with suburbs boasting their own workout entities.

“Columbus has gotten to a point where everyone has more or less integrated into a suburb they like. At the same time, everyone is realizing how important health is, so the combination has helped us grow and retain membership. Gone are the days everyone joins for a year and then quits, and I think a big part of that is because of accessibility of facilities,” says Angela Bompiani, manager at Westerville Athletic Club.

Downtown employees and residents haven’t been left out of the boom. Lifestyle Family Fitness, World Gym and the Arena District Athletic Club all offer workout facilities in the heart of the city, convenient for people who want to get in a quick workout during lunch. And remember, the Athletic Club of Columbus isn’t just for lunch and social events. The ACC is one of only four 5-Star Platinum Clubs in Ohio and features a comprehensive fitness center.

Those who have no idea what to do at a gym should take comfort in the recent surge in certified personal trainers. Scott McLain, a personal trainer who owns Five Star Fitness Training, says the more the merrier.

“In probably the past 10 years, Columbus went from having two personal training facilities to now having around 30 or so. Which is good because I think people who aren’t used to working out will get intimidated by starting a plan on their own, and a trainer can make them more comfortable with the concept, and really help them stick to it,” he says.

And for people who have short attention spans, there are numerous options beyond the treadmill/Elliptical plan. McLain conducts fitness boot camps, for example. There is a new HIT Center (High Intensity Training) in Worthington, yoga and marital arts places are abundant and classes in boxing, spinning, Pilates and more are now the fitness rule rather than the exception.

“Newer programs, like with boot camps, have taken off here because people have the desire to do something different than just go to a gym, and because oftentimes group classes or new classes are easier to commit to than working out on your own,” McLain says.

Many people don’t like gyms at all, big or small, near or far. Conveniently, running and biking trails and paths are ubiquitous in Central Ohio, most of them coupled with one of 14 Metro Parks (www.metroparks.net ).

Dan Distelhorst, president of the Columbus Road Runners, thinks the parks and rail-to-trail options that now exist are a big factor in Columbus’ shaping up. “This makes it easy to go for a run or walk and enjoy nature rather than being limited to running in your neighborhood. It never gets old,” he says.

The Road Runners have a list of running trails in and around Central Ohio at www.columbusroadrunners.org . Perhaps the trail system inspired the record number of people trying their hand at the Columbus Marathon and Half Marathon event in October, or fed the demand for races in the area, which have “grown tremendously over the past 10 years,” according to Distelhorst.

Running events have become so popular here that the inaugural Half Marathon sold out its 3,000 spots two weeks before the starting gun, according to Sarah Irvin, media director for the event.

“Since 2000, I’ve seen a definite increase this year for the marathon events. I think that is a perfect example of how people are finally realizing how important fitness is. People want to be fit and there are many avenues in Columbus for them to be so. You can see the numbers expanding everywhere with running clubs, races, in gyms. We’re catching on,” Irvin says.

Once obscure in a competitive sense, there are newly founded walking-only events, such as the New Albany 10K Walking Classic held each September that draws about 3,000 participants.

The success of the New Albany walking event is a poignant example of how grassroots efforts have contributed dramatically to the increase in health awareness. And that’s from the top down.

“(Fitness) was something we tackled early, encouraging residents to make a personal commitment.  Mayor (Michael) Coleman and WBNS-10TV did a long series of public events called Commit to be Fit. As folks started getting fitter across the community, we moved up quickly to be healthier,” says Mike Brown from the Mayor’s office.

Commit to Be Fit has kept up its end of the bargain, led by 10TV’s Andrea Cambern, who says the program was established as a response to Columbus being labeled one of the fattest cities in the country.

“We hoped that by providing people with motivation and resources, they would make healthier choices,” Cambern says. “We hope five to 15 years from now, we can look back and say this helped turn the tide.”

Westerville’s FitQuest is another example of grassroots politicking for health. The program was established simply to “encourage residents to get up and be active.” And so far it has worked. More than 1.5 million minutes of activity have been recorded by the 1,400-plus participants.

“It’s neat to have some sort of measure of progress, like FitQuest. It shows the suburbs are contributing greatly to the progress of Columbus’ goals. These grassroots programs lead to more education and awareness, which ultimately are the most important factors when it comes to getting in shape,” Irvin says.

The end goal is simple – to make Columbus the healthiest city in the country.

“It’s on the right track. It’s an uphill battle, but we’re making strides for sure. In five years, we’ll be out of the top 25. It’s just a matter of developing fitness as a habit and that takes a big commitment,” McLain says.

Typically, habits take six to 10 weeks to break or develop. The hardest part about developing the fitness habit, most agree, is just getting started. But with gyms all over the city reporting greater retention numbers, in addition to membership numbers, Columbus residents seem to be more motivated than ever.

“Everyone’s taking a stand and knowing there’s something they can do. They’re proud of themselves. And it’s a community pride thing, too. We love where we live and work, and want to make it a better place,” Bompiano says.

That means shaping up and spreading the idea. “If you have the mindset to change your life, you can affect five people to do the same. Working out and feeling good and having energy is contagious,” Parker says.

The infectious attitude is welcome to stay. “It’s a wake-up call to be called the fifth fattest city in the country. We are a progressive community, we want to do better than that,” says Patty Geiger, media relations manager for Experience Columbus. “Columbus is an exciting place to live, and we’re going to stay motivated toward fitness because we want to feel good and look good.”

Alicia Kelso is Editor of CityScene and can be reached at akelso@pubgroupltd.com.

For comprehensive lists of 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon races, as well as walking events in the area visit www.ohiorunner.com , www.columbusroadrunners.com or www.columbusrunning.com .