Stay fit, Be Healthy & Happy - On the Trail or at Home

KristenLodge June 26, 2008

Some tips to have the best summer ever; on the trail or at home.

  • Drink lots of water. Tired of plain water? Brew green tea and pour on ice. It’s a great refresher and it’s good for you. I keep a jug in the refrigerator and drink throughout the evening to keep cool.
  • Eat balanced meals with a lot of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Now that it’s summertime, there are great selections of fruit in the grocery store and local farmer’s markets. My favorites are cantaloupe, watermelon, and tomatoes. They are also filled with water so they help hydrate as well.
  • Do your aerobic workouts or longer hikes in the morning or evening when it’s cooler.

Not enough time in the day for writing, meditating, or reading? I try to multi-task. When I get home from work I’m usually starving and the dogs need a long walk after being inside all day. A walk on a rumbling stomach makes me grumpy.

This week I started a new ritual:

In the morning I pack my backpack with a granola bar, a magazine or book I’ve been trying to read, and a small blanket. When I get home I grab the dogs and the backpack and hike for a mile then sit down and eat my granola bar and read my Backpacker Magazine while the dogs run around and get their exercise. I normally like to walk them but some days I feel so frazzled with so much to do.

This ritual allows me to get back to the natural world and relax. I get home as the sun is setting, I can catch up on news, blogs, and emails. This way, I’m outside while it’s still light out, I can write, read or just stare into the sky, and the dogs get to play in the woods. I come home refreshed, ready to make dinner and not so frantic about getting everything done.


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