Since the City of Makati implemented the Car-Free Sundays at Ayala Avenue last September 2023, my friends and I have truly been enjoying doing all kinds of cardio exercises along the closed roads of Ayala Avenue, Makati. Being a business central district, we’re so used to seeing the roads of Ayala congested with bumper-to-bumper traffic during the weekday rush hours. But during Sunday mornings from 6 am to 10 am, it’s transformed into a haven for fitness and outdoor enthusiasts. City folk wake up early and run, jog, walk, and even bike without the fear of oncoming vehicles! You can even walk your dog or take your kids on a morning stroll!
It’s so overwhelming to see so many people come out early to the streets because they want to exercise! The closed roads stretching to about 5 km and it is filled with hundreds of people moving: running, walking, and jogging in one direction. I didn’t know that so many city people cared so much about health and exercise, to be honest. It’s so nice of the City of Makati to give its people the opportunity to prioritize their fitness. Car-Free Sundays at Ayala Avenue give us a chance to incorporate fitness into our weekly habits, especially for us corporate slaves who are the busiest of bees! This is also a good time to bond with family and friends and start off a new week pumped and energized!
Pumped to do more cardio at Car-Free Sunday Mornings at Ayala Avenue!
As fitness enthusiasts, my friends and I enjoy trying different kinds of fitness classes around Metro Manila such as boxing, indoor cycling, dancing, and even versa- climbing! The issue that I noticed for every fitness class I attend is I don’t never get to finish it. I get exhausted too soon and can no longer keep up with the instructors. The sad part about it is since these classes are paid, I feel like I’m wasting my money if I can’t give it all I got.
My new focus and goal for the next couple of weeks is to train and strengthen my endurance. Cardio exercises like running or jogging are excellent ways to do just that. According to this article by Right as Rain, cardio exercises improve cardiovascular organs so our body can take in more oxygen. Oxygen is needed so that your body has continuous energy—the energy you need to work out for an extended period of time. This is what I’m lacking.
I want to try out running more, but somewhere that’s free. My friends and I love our experience completing Car-Free Sundays at Ayala Avenue’s 5km stretch. There’s no entrance fee and anyone can come even if they’re not a citizen of Makati. Even if running or jogging isn’t my favorite exercise, it’s really making me look forward to coming on Sundays. Doing cardio on treadmills or on the elliptical at the gym cannot compare to running outdoors. You’re not stuck in one place waiting for an hour or so. That’s so boring and super unmotivating. When you run outdoors, you’re actually going somewhere, and you can even enjoy the surroundings. You don’t even notice time pass by at all. I have to say, Makati looks so nice early morning as well! Seeing hundreds of people running around you and pushing themselves to move is also really motivating!
My Feet Hurt Easily…
One issue that I think most of us also experience, especially when we’re doing cardio exercises like running and jogging is how our feet get hurt. To be honest, most of the time I give up completing the 5 km at Ayala because my feet get uncomfortable after a few minutes of running. I can’t help but slow down to walk just to relieve that pain from my feet. It seems like our typical rubber shoes aren’t built for running even if they’re considered sports shoes. I don’t want to throw them out or buy those expensive shoes specially built for running. Those are really expensive and we’re just beginner runners!
Since I don’t have the luxury to buy completely new shoes, I learned about running insoles instead! Basically, when you wear your shoes, they are what you step on. There are running insoles that you can buy that are specially designed to provide support for your feet for running. They can help reduce fatigue, prevent running injuries, and boost your performance. Your feet will no longer feel hurt or discomfort right in the middle of your sprint. With these, I can actually finish a 5 km run easily! They are a great investment especially if you’re focusing on cardio as one of your main exercises!
My friends and I are targeting to join a 10 km marathon in the next couple of months so we will be busy running around Ayala every Sunday morning. I hope that the City of Makati will extend this program beyond 2023 and into 2024. Let’s make Car-Free Sundays at Ayala Avenue a forever thing. Hopefully, with this kind of cardio training, I can not only strengthen my endurance but also love running as a form of exercise. Hey, maybe we’ll even see you guys during the running events around Metro Manila. Catch you around!
Nnniiiccceeeee….why can’t we have this, twice a week? We need to move our feet around more. More power to these car-free Sundays.
Car-free Sunday sounds awesome. I think I’ll get this into my self-care routine when I get a car
Wow! A car-free Sunday street is amazing. I would love to go and run there!
This seem a fun thing to do, would love to join you on this cardio avenue. Thank you for sharing!
Car-free Sundays on Ayala Avenue are a fantastic initiative! Your article embraces the essence of a sustainable city and fit living.
This looks like such a special way to spend a work out morning. The photos are fantastic and I am glad you shared them.
It is such a cool idea. For some reason, I don’t drive a car and run with a double stroller around my small city daily. It helps me to stay fit.
This sounds so fun! I would be so much more motivated doing this with a group.
What an amazing idea! I love this and it’s encouraging people to get out and move more.
That is such a fun way to stay motivated! This is the kind of thing I love because I can’t give myself an out!
Kudos to the city for setting up a car-free Sunday on this avenue! Looks like the residents are taking full advantage of this.