Back to the Outdoors- Finding Places to Hike
Unless you grew up in a densely populated urban city, most people can remember a time in their childhood where most of the non-school day was spent outside in the yard, in the woods, or riding bikes down the road to friends’ houses. Most of us likely remember those days with nostalgia as a time when we had few responsibilities, were more adventurous than our older “maturer selves,” and were able to truly enjoy nature’s gifts. One of the fantastic things about living or visiting the Southern United States, is that you are never too far from a place to recapture some of those childhood memories. A great hike, bike, or other outdoor adventure is rarely more than an hour away from us .
Difficulties in Finding Outdoor Adventures.
Often, there are a number of obstacles both real and perceived preventing a return to the enjoyment of the great outdoors. One major obstacle perceived is the difficulty in finding places to begin the return to the outdoors. The great thing about living in the Southern United States is that there is always a place within an hour’s drive. This website will provide a great starting point to locating hikes, bikes, and other great outdoor adventures.
Solving the Problem of Time:
As our world continues to grow faster paced, finding time to slow down and enjoy nature becomes even more essential. Our bodies are not made to be constantly in a state of occupational stress. Our most primal survival skills after all comes from centuries of learning to interact with nature versus mere decades of interacting with a keyboard.
While it is easy to say we have to “make time” to relax. The cliche is often stated far too simply. After all, there are only twenty-four hours in a day. The only way to find time to relax in nature is to manage your time, not “make it” as is too often stated. The great thing about being in the South, whether in Georgia or Texas, Florida or Virginia is that a quick escape to the outdoors is rarely more than an hour away. Certainly we can find an hour or two on the weekend to escape to nature. To return to that childhood where responsibilities are at least temporarily washed away by green forests and roaring camp fires.
The Problem of Fitness
Often it is perceived that a return to the great outdoors requires excellent fitness, a granola diet, and a buff bod. BUT, whether you have been out of outdoor adventuring since the age of 7, or have been hitting the weight room for two a days, the point of this return to the outdoors is to escape that rigorous work schedule, that day to day urban monotony. The return to the outdoors is for all.
Outdoor adventures are not just for the triathletes and marathon runners in the world. We all can enjoy the great outdoors as long as we do not over do it, and have patients with our bodies. If you are concerned about your physical ability to start hiking, it is always better to be safe than sorry to discuss any new exercise program with a medical professional. If you get the okay, or feel that you are ready for some hikes, start with something slow, look for our hikes rated “EASY”. Hiking and Biking can be a great way to begin a fitness program designed for weight loss. Start off with trails that are not too steep and climbing and trails that are less than 2.0 miles in length (remember distances for trails that are not loops are usually listed as one way distances, so double it to know the actual length). Just be sure to take it slow to avoid injury and burn out. Committing to hiking or biking on the weekends provides a twofold solution to many of our problems, it provides a time to relax and a time to enjoy nature while losing weight.
V. Final words of safety.
As with all things that are began, safety is always a must. Please do not jump into an outdoor adventure without knowing all of the necessary safety precautions.
Also, don’t overdo it. Your first hike since childhood should not be a 15 miler that ends in an emergency room visit. Take it easy at first, and build yourselves up to the longer hikes. In the end it will be worth it. Hopefully, your return to the great outdoors will be enjoyable as the years I have spent embracing the environmental blessings that we have around us.
