They were so distinctive-looking, I had to learn their story. Even though I was walking, Meg and Ben (they didn’t want to reveal their last names) were going my speed, slowly but purposely pedaling up one of Astoria’s steep hills on their tandem bicycle.

Turns out the two, both dressed in brightly colored matching cycling jerseys, hailed from somewhere in the hinterlands of Alberta, Canada, and were cycling down the Oregon Coast.

This day they were laying over in Astoria taking in the sights, including the Astoria Column, where they were headed when I interrupted.

Nothing so unusual about the above (unless you’ve attempted to pedal a tandem bike up Astoria’s 14th Street), except that the Canadians were in their 70s. They not only appeared to be younger, they acted that way, too, regularly acting lovey-dovey and referring to each other as “darling” and “sweetheart” during the course of our 10-minute conversation.

Turns out Meg and Ben have been married for 40-plus years, and they’re celebrating their anniversary the long way – from Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Francisco. By now, they should be somewhere in northern California.

Why not follow their example? Don’t wait for next February’s Valentine’s Day to work out with your sweetie. Exercise together this summer. It’ll be good for your hearts.

Routine breaksAdventure’s something we should all dose up on once in a while. Particularly when it comes to exercise, where monotony often dominates and routine rules. For example, walking around a running track, while safe and predictable, can become boring. Why not search out new stomping grounds, such as a forested trail or a section of beach?

Hey, lap swimmers: Spice up your 30 or 40 minutes of pool time by practicing something other than the crawl. A few laps of backstroke or breaststroke would be fine. Better yet, have someone teach you how to butterfly. The satisfaction of learning a new stroke, and the muscular benefits of mastering it, will make your pool time more worthwhile.

Linear workouts – walking, running, swimming or cycling in a more or less straight line – can do wonders for your arms, legs and lungs. But these activities do little to enhance balance and side-to-side agility. Sports such as tennis and basketball promote coordination as well as cardio-respiratory endurance. So what if you’re not as skilled and graceful as Serena Williams or Yao Ming? (Almost no one else is, either.)

Stress hurtsForget those unspeakable four-letter words. It’s a six-letter word that’ll kill you. Physicians and medical researchers are pretty much unanimous that stress can cause ailments ranging from high blood pressure to heart failure.

Sure, summer is supposed to be a carefree time. Yet the reality of our everyday routines make it otherwise. Add that even good things such as speaking in front of a group, landing a new job or going out on a date can be stressful and, well, stress is hard to avoid.

Take me, for example. By most accounts I’m a healthy individual. I eat well and exercise daily. Unlike Type-A personalities with high-octane lifestyles, I’m not a driven person with my nose to the grindstone. I really like my job. Still, over-ambition and too much anxiety about getting it all done can generate stress in my life. In the past, stress has contributed to maladies as far ranging as headaches and pneumonia.

You’re vulnerable, too. Health and well being are your most valuable assets. Guard them with your life. Just lighten up about it.

Don’t ‘Just do it’A friend who sometimes borders on overbearing buttonholed me on a street corner. Let’s go running after work, he urged. A tad too enthusiastically, I thought; his come-on sounded more like a challenge than an offer and, frankly, I didn’t feel like working out. So I scrambled mentally for a retort, managing only that I had previous commitments.

Legitimate or otherwise, we all need excuses for when we just don’t feel like exercising, especially during these dog days of summer. So next time that overly enthusiastic friend, fellow worker or brother/sister-in-law wonders why you don’t want to exercise today, fire back one of these verbal missives. They’re sure to silence even the most inquisitive pest.

If I exercise now, I’ll be too tired to enjoy dessert later.

My weights aren’t heavy enough.

My horoscope warns that exercise will cause a bad-hair day.

None of the health club mirrors show off my good side.

I’ve already walked from the couch to the fridge 10 times today.

Richard Fencsak is the co-owner of Bikes & Beyond. His column runs twice a month in The Daily Astorian.