Green Exercise – Workout in Nature to Look and Feel Better

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that given the choice I most always prefer to be outdoors – hiking, walking, gardening, dining, listening to music and whatever else I can do outside. 

Hikers picnic in the Mont Blanc range

Frankly, sometimes my friends and family find my need to be outdoors a little tiresome.   To keep the peace, I’ve had to occasionally move activities indoors because they want to be “more comfortable”. Continue reading Green Exercise – Workout in Nature to Look and Feel Better

Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Most recently updated June 21st, 2023

Bond Park and Umstead State Park in Cary, NC are a couple of local places that I go to hike, walk and run that are easy to get to and always deliver a really good experience.

Minimum driving, maximum time on the trail is what I’m usually looking for. 

Entry sign at Bond Park in Cary, NC
Entry sign at Bond Park in Cary, NC

I’ve been using the trails and other park amenities both on my own and with my kids since I first moved to the area in 1996.

Like all of us, the park has changed over time and also – I hope like all of us – has improved with age as well.

Actually, I recently took an afternoon break to walk Bond Park’s Lake Trail, and found significant improvements to all of the the walkways and bridges along the way!   

Updated bridge on the Lake Trail in Bond Park.
Updated bridge on the Lake Trail in Bond Park.

Read on to learn about the Lake Trail and other trails and combined routes inside Bond Park.

Continue reading Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Hiking for Beer – A 5-Step Calorie Counting Plan

Most recently updated July 31st, 2023

Alcohol and a diet plan for weight loss don’t really go together – especially if you’re calorie counting to lose weight. 

You can drink beer on a diet - if you plan for it!
You can drink beer on a diet – if you plan for it!

I should probably also mention that alcohol and altitude don’t go together, either – even though you can really burn calories hiking

(Seriously, don’t drink if you’re hiking at altitude.)

That said, when you’re sweaty and parched after hiking umpteen miles of vertical gain (then back down again) carrying a heavy pack, nothing tastes more like victory than a nice cold beer.

Surely, after all that, you’ve earned it.   Right??  Well, yeah.  But you’re still going to pay – with lots of extra calories. 

And that’s not all… Continue reading Hiking for Beer – A 5-Step Calorie Counting Plan

Easy Guidelines for Hiking to Lose Weight!

Most recently updated January 9th, 2023

So, you’ve been getting into hiking lately, and really love it.  You are energized, and less stressed than you’ve been in a while.

Author near summit of Mont Blanc
Author near summit of Mont Blanc

You also think you could burn calories hiking and hike to lose weight – and that’s absolutely true! 

The question is, do you need to train like you’re going to climb Mount Everest to make it happen?

Probably not.   

But wouldn’t you want to be fit enough to hike Everest if you got the chance? 

My goal is to always stay fit enough to do anything – whether it’s an afternoon playing disc golf or a week hiking the Inca Trail – with just a little bit of extra training if I need it.
Continue reading Easy Guidelines for Hiking to Lose Weight!