Exercise outside to improve endurance and muscle tone
By Dave Stant
In a report titled Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health, the World Health Organization recommends that adults ages 18 to 64 should experience around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. This can include leisure activity (fitness trail or gym), occupational activity (work-related), and transportation activity (walking or cycling). The report indicates that exercise improves cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and bone health, while reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and depression. In other words, exercise is important!
In the countless county and city parks I have been to in the greater D.C. area, I have seen only one fitness trail. It was during a trip to a local disc golf course that I found this hidden gem. While leaving the wooded area where the course was located, I witnessed a middle-aged man jogging along the trail that ran through the center of the park. I then witnessed him stop at a designated station and perform 10 push-ups. As a slightly overweight, middle-aged man myself, I was curious. I decided to attempt the trail, so I went back to the park the next day.
I was hooked on the fitness trail immediately. It was approximately a quarter of a mile, although I later learned a trail can be installed to cover a full mile. There were eight exercise stations, but the system I recommend uses 10. It blended perfectly within the park environment, even passing over a creek bridge and winding by a small pond. It was easily accessible from the parking lot.