Working in

Many are using this confinement / stay-at-home time to get (or stay) in shape. Whether it's Pilates, yoga, dancing in place or lifting weights, the lockdown is an opportunity to tone up, and if we need help, trainers and studios are offering free online workout classes... all at one's fingertips with but a quick search on the internet. Many Parisians, like former Chanel model now author Caroline de Maigret (find her books on Amazon), admit to pretty much hating anything that resembles a scheduled exercise program: in Paris, and in France in general, exercise is less important than in the U.S. However, things are changing. Gym clubs (salles de sport), once a rarity, have sprouted up in unexpected neighborhoods. While most workouts come from the U.S., Swedish Gym is popular, mostly among women, offering cheap and numerous classes around the city. Runners, another rarity until fairly recently, seem to be everywhere. And of course Montmartre, with its hilly streets and many stairways has become my own private daily workout territoire - just outside my door and the perfect excuse to enjoy this dazzling spring weather. BPJ