Fitness & Wellness Archives - Page 6 of 10

ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current restrictions) at Umstead State Park.

We hiked 8 miles on Company Mill trail to Big Lake and back on a combination natural trails and multi-use trails.

The route was designed to avoid the spots that were still muddy from last week’s rain.

I was starting to worry when we didn’t see our snake friend, but then we spotted him towards the end of the hike on higher ground.

And the hikers who joined were amazing as usual! 🙂

A Different Sort of Week

It was a holiday week, since the work week started with Memorial Day.

For me, that meant an extra day to hang out with That Man and explore some new (to us) local places on foot.

Specifically, we spent time checking out the Rolling View section of Falls Lake.

View of Falls Lake from the Rolling View side.

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Falls Lake State Recreation Area is made up of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of an undeveloped 12,000-acre reservoir.

The Falls Lake Trail (a portion of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea State Trail) can be joined at the Rolling View access – which was one of the places open despite COVID restrictions – so that’s where we started.

Map showing the Falls Lake Trail in Rolling View section

The Falls Lake Trail follows the entire south shore of the lake, traveling over 50 miles from the shore of the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam all the way to the Eno River.

We were only able to go a couple of miles before the trail was too flooded to pass, due to the high water from recent heavy rain.

But we improvised on some other trails and got about 5 miles in anyway 🙂

Strength Building Hike – Bond Park, 6 miles

The middle of the week was dry (finally!) so I loaded 20 extra pounds into my pack on Tuesday for this week’s Strength Building hike in Bond Park, a 6-ish mile hike that included the Bond Park Lake Trail.

Midweek Beach Escape

After months of being unable to travel due to COVID restrictions, I decided to gamble on the weather and take a little overnight road trip to the Coast.

Though beaches and State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available, and some coastal parks have beach access.

I booked a room in Atlantic Beach, and headed for Fort Macon State Park.

Fort Macon State Park

Nearly surrounded by water at the eastern tip of Bogue Banks, Fort Macon State Park is the site of a restored Civil War-era fort, a couple of hiking trails, and offers unspoiled shoreline for swimming.

Canons line the upper fort wall on the beach side

Unfortunately, the interior of the fort and the Visitor’s Center are currently closed due to COVID restrictions, but the beach and trails are open.

There are also restrooms available.

Trailhead sign in the Visitors Center parking lot

Elliott Coues’ Trail – 3.3 mile loop

The main thing I wanted to do at the park was hike the relatively new Elliott Coues Trail.

I started at the trailhead in the far corner of the Visitor’s Center parking lot.

Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues' Trail — Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues’ Trail

The trail is a 3.3 mile loop that goes along the beach, through salt march and forest, and even along the road beside the Coast Guard station for a short time before returning to the park.

It’s a beautiful trail, with the beach side of the loop paved with a new layer of soft wood chips.

The wooded side is a combination of soft dirt and some boardwalks.

You can see different kinds wildlife from the trail: there were a lot of different birds and I startled a young doe near the marsh side.

View of the beach from inside the upper fort wall.

You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach is one of my favorite North Carolina beaches, not in the least because I usually stay in a place where can get up in the morning and walk to the beach – without worrying about trying to move my car or pay for parking.

When I’m there I usually do about 4 miles on the beach in the morning, more if time allows.

This time, I was able to get 4 miles in but couldn’t do any more because of a fast-moving thunderstorm.

The rain wasn’t going anywhere, so after my run I packed up and headed back inland.

Company Mill Accidentally Underwater Hike – 6 miles

Friday was rainy at home, too. But I decided to risk an afternoon hike between rain storms on the Company Mill Trail in Umstead State Park anyway.

Unfortunately, a couple of miles into the hike a downpour started.

I was on the natural trail when the rain started, but the trail quickly became a raging stream.

Reedy Creek Lake and multi-use trail on a sunny day.

So I diverted my route to get back to the the drier multi-use trails, and ended up with about 6.5 miles and lots of mud on my boots when I finished.

In addition to hiking at home and on the coast this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill , lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

With 4 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m still not seeing the kind of results the I’d hoped for, but I’ve still got a couple of weeks to keep trying 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

Looking down Atlantic Beach towards the pier.

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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How To Stay Healthy Working from Home

Most recently updated November 24th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

Have you become a remote worker recently due to circumstances beyond your control? Whether you have chosen remote work, or it’s been thrust upon you, it can be a difficult transition for you and your whole family.

You can find yourself getting stressed, socially awkward, and extra fluffy 🙂

And this can add additional stress, which creates a really bad cycle that it’s best to avoid altogether.

So, that said, what’s the best way to protect your mental and physical health when you’re suddenly forced to work from your home???

Sign promoting hand-washing along local greenway trail

People who had already chosen to work remotely before any Stay At Home mandates have probably figured this out already.

But for those who became remote workers overnight due to the COVID-19 health crisis response or other sudden life change, this could be a problem – especially if there’s no end in sight.

As an aside, I joined the workforce when there was no such thing as “remote” work, because there were no laptops, internet or cell phones.

…. I’ll pause here so you can say “Okay, Boomer” 🙂

I also remember when working remotely was the shiny new Holy Grail of work situations, and only the Cool Kids got to do it.

The rest of us had to fight family, school buses and traffic to make it into the office on time despite a blizzard or an illness that had you burning with fever.

Your commute to work can be replaced by a nice long walk or bike ride

Those days are not entirely gone, but most companies now recognize natural disasters, communicable diseases, and different time-zones within Global teams as valid reasons to work off-site.

Fortunately, with today’s technology everyone is able to work remotely as needed, if your business will allow it.

Some people work remotely 100% of the time now and some younger workers have NEVER had an office-based job.

"Working from home" used to mean something very different. — “Working from home” used to mean something very different.

At this point in my career, I’ve worked in all kinds of remote, half-remote, on-site only, etc etc situations, and I have to say – I really like working from home most of all!

But working remotely is not everyone’s favorite thing.

When working from home – whether it’s as someone’s else’s employee or as your own boss – there are a lot of bad habits you can fall into.

Finding the discipline to manage your time and ignore distractions, especially if you’ve also got kids at home – never mind anxiety about world events, or depression due to isolation – may be unusually difficult.

And staying focused enough to get some exercise and eat right can be almost impossible!

There are some tricks I’ve learned over the years that might help you 🙂

Continue reading How To Stay Healthy Working from Home

ReFit Week 3: How Are We Doing?

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like for Week 3 of the training.

I saved my “official” hikes for the end of the week when the sun reappeared, but earlier in the week I took some shorter walks (< 5 miles) between the raindrops in Bond Park and Davis Park along the Black Creek Greenway.

The water was really high in Bond Lake and Black Creek in Bond Park.

Strength Building – Company Mill & Multi-Use Trail, 6.5 miles

My Strength Building hike for the week went into Umstead State Park, from the Harrison Ave entrance side.

I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked the first half of the Company Mill trail, then took the multi-use trails past Reedy Creek Lake and returned on the last little bit of the Loblolly Trail to create a 6.5 mile route.

I saw our snake buddy near the same spot we saw him last Sunday. He seemed pretty calm….

A Modified Reopening Phase 2 started May 22….

The Guv released a modified Phase 2 on Friday, which included increasing allowed outdoor group size from <10 to < 25 people.

Snake crossing plank bridge on the Company Mill trail.

Long Hike – Company Mill & Sycamore, 8-9 miles

So I updated the week’s “long” group hike to hold up to 20 people (plus me) on an 8-9 mile loop using the Company Mill Trail and the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.

(You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.)

We ran into our favorite snake on the trail again. He’s getting to be a regular 🙂

There were a lot of people in the park, but it’s still less crowded than normal ( and less crowded than the garden centers were this weekend).

High water in Reedy Creek, Umstead State Park

We had a shorter route option but everyone – even the first timers – chose to do the longer hike. What a great group!

Beaches Are Beckoning

Even with some restrictions still in place for North Carolina beaches, it’s hard not to head to the coast when the weather is nice.

If you’re not allowed to sunbathe, you might be able to get out on a hiking trail near the beach.

Though State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available. I plan to check it out ASAP – and I’ll let you know what I find 🙂

You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.

While some State Park beaches and beach trails on the Coast are open, all inland swim beaches and swim areas are CLOSED.

(This includes the swim beaches at: Cliffs of the Neuse, Goose Creek, Hanging Rock, Jones Lake, Lake James, Lake Norman, and New River (Elk Shoals access) state parks; the swim piers at Lake Waccamaw, Pettigrew, and Singletary Lake state parks; and all swim areas at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Kerr Lake state recreation areas.)

All Visitor’s Centers are also still closed.

In addition to hiking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill and outdoors, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

So with 3 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , we’re halfway through. I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for yet, but I’ll keep trying 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

Ferns enjoy the rain in the community composting garden in Bond Park.

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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ReFit Week 2: Into the Woods

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – This week, the recent change to government restrictions meant I was able to lead a group hike (of <10 people) for my longer hike.

Our local Umstead State Park is partly open again, so I hosted a hike on the Loblolly Trail – which is officially an out and back trail – and created a loop for a 7 mile hike.

It feels great to be in the Park again and to be able to see people – even socially distanced 🙂

We shared the trail with a slithery friend

You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.

(The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.)

One thing to be aware of when you go back into the woods is that the critters have had more free reign in the parks over the past 3 months, since humans have not been allowed in.

We almost stepped on a rat snake that was relaxing in the middle of the trail – – but we did some Matrix-style levitation backwards instead.

(We were seriously alert after running into that little guy.)

There are also unconfirmed reports that one hiker “screamed like a little girl” 🙂

I saw a coyote in the Park the other day, too, but from a distance and he just looked at me before slipping back into the trees.

The cemetery at Warren Hill in Umstead State Park

My Strength Building hike for the week also went into the park, but from the Old Reedy Creek trailhead side.

I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked all the way to Warren Hill cemetery and back to make about 6.5 miles.

Greenways are Still Good

I’ve been using our local greenways forever, but with State and National Parks closed for the past few months, I really started exploring because they were our only options for longer trails.

The Town of Cary has over 70 miles of paved greenways

If you’re on foot, natural trails are better for you and a harder workout, but I’m going to keep using the greenways weekly even after it’s allowed to use all of our State and National Park facilities again.

Especially for bikers, the greenways are a wonderful resource.

In fact, even though the State Parks were open again this weekend, That Man and I biked the southern portion of the Neuse River Trail greenway into Johnston County. It was a great ride!

In addition to hiking and biking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

Hiking the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park

It feels great on be back on the trails with some other hikers again!

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

So that’s 2 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape for my next medical checkup and hopefully a new hiking adventure this Summer.

Revisiting all of the allowed trails now that the parks are partly opened will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.

Hikers on the Loblolly Trail in Schenck Forest

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

To get New Idratherwalk Posts
sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!

ReFit Week 1: Here We Go Again

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – I started to get back in shape with my Refit Training last Sunday, well before The Guv decided we could tiptoe into the State Parks again.

That being the case, I started this 6 Week training with a Strength Building hike on one of the open approved trails in Lake Crabtree County Park.

I loaded 15 extra pounds in my pack and did a moderate 6-mile hike around the lake.

That trail is pretty flat and about half and half natural trails and paved trails, so no troubles.

And of course, I’ve been doing what I can on approved greenways and my own home gym all along.

That said, it was my first time with a weighted pack in a couple of months, though, and I did notice it 🙂

(Read more here about the trail and Lake Crabtree County Park.)

My other official weekly hike was a “long”one on the Loblolly Trail.

It was only 6.5 miles, but this time it was all natural trail, slightly hilly inside Umstead State Park.

Not a big deal from a length standpoint, but it was the first time I’d been able to hike that many miles on natural, slightly hilly, terrain since the State Parks were closed in March.

Even slightly hilly trails are very different than hiking on paved greenways.

We’re Baaack!

State Parks here are currently open on a “phased” basis, with restrictions in this first phase mainly around number of people in the park at once, and limited use of parking lots, shelters, picnic areas and restrooms.

Face coverings are recommended at crowded trailheads.

They still want social distancing (which isn’t a problem on the trails) and groups of 10 or less people.

Masks or face coverings that you can breathe through are recommended if there are other people around.

You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.

The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.

This week, I also kick-boxed a few times, ran on my treadmill, lifted some light weights and tried out some new Bodyweight Training exercises in my home gym.

BTW, in case you were wondering, burpees are just as horrible now as they were in Junior High…. 🙁

Hikers with two and four legs enjoy the Loblolly Trail.

It feels great on be back on the trails again!

Even though I haven’t been completely idle over the past couple of months, I feel I’ve lost some ground while we’ve been shut out of the longer natural trails in State Parks.

Revisiting all of the trails will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.

BTW, just in case you’re new around here, I’m spending the next 6 weeks getting back in shape and ready for another hiking adventure!

View from the greenway around Lake Crabtree

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

To get New Idratherwalk Posts
sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!

Training Log – 6 Weeks to Get Back in Shape

Most recently updated June 4th, 2020

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We were under COVID-19 restrictions almost overnight after I returned from an amazing hiking trip to New Zealand, and though I’ve stayed active, it’s been difficult not to lose fitness and gain Pandemic Pounds!

So I created a 6 Week Training Plan to get back in shape in time for summer trips, if they’re allowed.

I thought you might find some encouragement from training notes and videos from my 6 week training journey. Weekly logs are posted below:

Week 6 of the ReFit Training was another hot week, so I started with a lot of indoor training, but went back into the woods on foot and another long bike ride at the end of the week. I hadmy checkup and met most of my goals, but I'll keep on training for the next adventure. You could join us! #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 6: It’s Never Over

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 6 – the final week – of the ReFit Training is finished. Yay!!! And I did go...

Week 5 of the ReFit Training was a hot week, with a lot of indoor training and another out of town trip - this time to Hanging Rock State Park. With only 1 more week to go, it's time to fine tune our diet and training. You could join us! #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 5: The Home Stretch

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 5 of the ReFit Training began with a 4 mile treadmill run and arm weights on Monday. ...

Week 4 of the ReFit Training was a different kind of week, with Memorial Day at the start. It also included a midweek escape to hike at the beach, and an accidental "underwater" hike. With 2 more weeks to go, who knows what we'll do next? You could join us :-) #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current...

This was Week 3 of the ReFit Traiing plan, so we're halfway through! The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like, but we were still able to get in a great long hike in Umstead State Park with a larger allowed group size of < 25 people under our Phase 2 reopinging in NC. Maybe you'd like to join us next time? #Idratherwalk #GetBackinShape

ReFit Week 3: How Are We Doing?

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like for...

This week, the recent change to government restrictions on group gatherings meant I was able to lead a group hike (of

ReFit Week 2: Into the Woods

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – This week, the recent change to government restrictions meant I was able to lead a group hike (of...

For more info to help you get fit, eat a healthy diet, and promote wellness in your life, click on the heading below:

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I hope these training posts have inspired you to keep going and achieve your personal goals, whatever they are! 🙂

Remember – progress happens every day, a little bit at a time. See you next time! – LJ

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Get Back in Shape with a 6-Week Training Plan

Most recently updated November 27th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

It’s time to get back in shape after…..whatever happened to make you feel less than your optimal buff self.

Maybe you’ve just been really busy, or worn out from your Summer and Fall adventures, or – like me – you’ve been laid low by allergies or seasonal cold and flu?

Or maybe some of you – also like me – can’t remember how to dress yourself to go anywhere if it’s not 100 degrees and 99% humidity outside?

Well, you’d better get over it pretty quick, because Fall is here, and you know what that means?

Resort travel and Holiday parties. That’s right, and you won’t be able to hide under that bulky “ugly” sweater for all of them.

Some Resort travel will require swimwear (ack!!) and some gatherings will require the dreaded slinky dress.

The Ugly Christmas Sweater isn’t appropriate at the beach…

And then there are all of those relatives and former classmates – perhaps even at the same resorts and gatherings…..

In North Carolina, it’s pretty much always warm enough to get outdoors and exercise – even in the Winter.

So, now that it’s cooled down enough that spontaneous combustion isn’t a concern, I’ll start getting serious again 😉

Get The FREE PDF!

Everything that you need to start your 6 week training plan is included in this post.

But it’s a long read and may be hard to refer to while you’re training.

For your convenience, you can click here to sign up and download your FREE “Get Back in Shape” PDF file.

Then you can print it out and refer to your plan anytime you want. Happy training! LJ

Honestly though, I never really stopped hiking.

That said, ever since late May, when I returned from my epic 2-week hiking trip to Greece, I HAVE slacked off on my indoor cross-training – and it shows!

I worked my butt off for months prior to that trip, so I’d be able to do the 2-day Mount Olympus hike without hurting myself – and it was great!

But that was a few months ago, and now I could use a quick tune-up before slipping into that slinky party dress.

Keep reading to learn more about how I’m doing a quick tune-up for my upcoming Holiday trips and gatherings – and how you could, too!

Continue reading Get Back in Shape with a 6-Week Training Plan

Hike and Bike Your Local Greenways

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 24 minutes

We have miles and miles of local greenways available near where I live in North Carolina.

Greenways are a great off-road resource for healthy outdoor family activities like bike rides, hikes and walks.

This is especially important these days, when most State Parks and National Parks have been closed or partially closed since March- and we don’t know when we’ll be allowed to fully use them again.

At the same time, schools have been closed, children have already been home for weeks, and they need someplace to play outside!

Fortunately, if you choose to leave your yard for outdoor activities, our greenways locally and across the State have remained open for use.

If you don’t live right next to one or haven’t explored the greenways yet, it can be hard to figure out where to go.

Best Local Greenways

Black Creek Greenway, White Oak Creek Greenway, and the American Tobacco Trail are some of the longest and most used greenways in the Cary/Apex area.

The greenways also connect through some of the most popular local parks!

Continue reading Hike and Bike Your Local Greenways

Clean Your Indoor Air With Houseplants for National Indoor Plant Week!

Most recently updated April 19th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes

Indoor plants are growing in popularity in American homes and workplaces, and also in places like hospitals, shopping malls, and hotels.

National Indoor Plant Week (September 16-22) was established to promote and increase public awareness of the importance of live plants in interior spaces.

Anyone can participate in this holiday. You can do your part with something as simple as giving a plant to a friend, or picking up a new houseplant for your kitchen or living room.

Some of my potted plants spend the summer on the deck outdoors.

Houseplants and other indoor greenery improve your mental and physical well-being in a host of ways you’ve probably never thought about.

These days, with more people working from home, we’re spending more time inside our own homes than ever before.

By now maybe you’ve realized there’s a funky smell you’ve never noticed before, or the decor could use a little brightening – or maybe you’re just tired of watching screens and need to create something!

Plants can help clean indoor air, enhance your mood and create a soothing and cheerful living space.

Caring for another living thing, even a plant, can be very rewarding. — Caring for a plant can be very rewarding.

I knew a guy who grew 200 potted marijuana plants in the attic of his apartment building… But that’s not the kind of “mood enhancement” we’re talking about here 🙂

Growing indoor plants can really help alleviate loneliness and depression.

Caring for another living thing is very rewarding, especially when you see that living thing bloom and grow, all because of you!

No matter what your indoor space is like, there are many plants that would thrive at home with you – and be useful, too.

Continue reading Clean Your Indoor Air With Houseplants for National Indoor Plant Week!

Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine

Most recently updated January 20th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The idea that sunshine has health benefits isn’t anything new.

The Earth has been basking in the sun for more than 3 billion years.

And as our planet’s early life forms evolved in the ocean, they were exposed to – and adapted to – sunlight.

It makes sense that all lifeforms on our planet, including humans, have evolved to use the power of the sun to their advantage.

The sun is vitally important to all life forms on Earth.

But sun exposure has a particularly wide array of health benefits for humans.

We have a long history of using sunlight therapy – called “heliotherapy” today – that dates back to the ancient Greeks.

Here are some ways you can harness the power of the sun to maintain and even improve your own health – even if you can’t go outdoors!

Continue reading Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine