Outdoor Recreation Benefits Health

Written by Kevin Schneider Health Happenings
Alamogordo Daily News
With the New Year upon us, many of us start with resolutions to improve ourselves and our lives. And of course, year after year, the most popular New Year's resolution for many people is to lose weight and get fit. Getting outside and enjoying outdoor recreational activities are a perfect way to lose weight, stay fit, relieve stress and actually generate more energy. Just think back to the last time you went out for a hike in the woods, a bike ride along a back road or a paddle on a lake. Like many people, you probably felt many of your worries ebb away for that time. You came home in a better mood and you felt better physically, mentally and spiritually.

Perhaps conservationist John Muir said it best: "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." Scientific studies have shown that getting outdoors inspires us, refreshes us and relieves stress.

Outdoor recreation is great for the family, too. Spending time with your children outdoors helps keep people healthy, relieves anxiety and hypertension, and builds confidence and self-esteem. By taking your children outdoors, you'll be laying a positive foundation about the importance of exercise and the outdoors for the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately, children today aren't spending as much time in the outdoors as their parents did. Why not?

A study in 2005 found that the average American child spends more than six hours per day in front of electronic screens. Amazingly, that is more than one-third of their waking hours. Some experts have called this "Nature Deficit Disorder." As a result, obesity rates for adolescents in America have tripled compared to two decades ago.

Luckily, those of us at The Natural Gait are in a great position to enjoy outdoor recreation and reap its health benefits. Here are some top active outdoor recreation ideas right in our own backyard:
*Hike the four-mile Yellow River Hill and Valley trail at The Natural Gait. If that sounds like more than you're ready for, try the one-mile Black Forest Trail. Watch and identify scores of song birds as this is one of the greatest places in the U.S. for bird watching. The Natural Gait Birding
*Have some fun by bringing your horses to ride miles of trails with 4 river crossings. You will have covered stalls right outside your log cabin.
The Natural Gait-Horses
* Bring your children to The Natural Gait for a picnic and let them wade and swim in the Yellow River. Also, many children play for hours searching for crawdads under rocks in the clear water.
*Hike the trails at Effigy Mounds National Monument and observe the bear and eagle mounds close up.
*Hike up to the old Indian Shelter at night and build a fire just as the natives did when they lived here.
* Breathe the fresh morning air as you stare out over a fog laden valley and ponder your day’s fun activities while sitting on the porch of your log cabin, The Grand View.
*Bring your own canoe or kayak and float the Yellow River with the whole family where you shoot through rapids and watch Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons fly along with you.
The Natural Gait-Canoeing
*Don’t forget to bring you fly rod or spinning gear to catch some of those trout or small mouth bass in the Yellow River. The Natural Gait Fishing
Active outdoor recreation can play a crucial role in leading a happy, healthy lifestyle. With our beautiful bluffs, valleys and the Yellow River, we live in a perfect setting for enjoying America's great outdoors.
Make your resolution in 2010 to get outside and be healthy.
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