Hike for a Better You!
Katie Larkin, January 18th 2021
Transformer Katie here! For the next three weeks my family and I will be staying in South Lake Tahoe, California. With this location’s abundant ski and hiking trails, this trip was the perfect reset to our new year’s goal of being more active.
Today’s adventure was Emerald Bay State Park. This beautiful park is considered Tahoe’s ‘crown jewel’ for its brilliant emerald green to blue water. The park consists of five great hiking trails that lead to waterfalls, a beach area, and the Vikingsholm Mansion. For only $5, we could park and explore the park all day. My family and I took the 2 mile Vikingsholm Trail down to the beach to have lunch. On our hike we encountered the cutest little Corgi who seemed to know the trail better than we did. We briefly hopped over to another trail to see a little waterfall, however, the trail and the bridge was completely iced over. We managed to get up, but I ended up sliding on my butt all the way back down. I know, very graceful.
Hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities for many reasons. Here are just a few:
- The amazing views.
Being surrounded by the tall green trees, sparkling blue water, and wildlife, it is hard to not find yourself drawn to the outdoors. If you’re clumsy like me you might find yourself staring at the ground and watching your footing, but remember to take time to look up.
- The positive atmosphere.
I have never met a mean hiker. When you are on the trail people are constantly saying “hi”, cheering each other on, and if you’re lucky, a dog will happily greet you. Upon coming to college I went on a backpacking trip with 14 strangers, some of whom became my best friends. I’ve also been on multiple hiking trips through my university’s adventure club, and every trip you are sure to leave with some new friends.
- The amazing body/mind benefits.
It’s no secret that being active is good for you physically, but even just spending a couple minutes in nature has been proven to decrease stress levels. I’m currently reading The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, which describes the four million dollar (and growing) forest therapy project occuring in Japan. Through many studies, they found those who went on a walk in nature compared to those who took a walk in an urban setting experienced physiological decreases in stress as measured by their cortisol levels, sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure, and heart rate. Many of those study participants also reported better moods and lowered anxiety.
So I challenge those reading this to go visit a park this week. You don’t need to do any crazy 14 mile hike, but just grab a couple friends or family members, a water bottle, and spend some time in nature. Your body and mind will thank you.
For those looking to get outside, below are some resources to finding parks and trails near you!
- The National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
- Delaware State Parks: https://destateparks.com/FindPark
- Or visit your state’s parks and recreation site
- Free Apps: AllTrails, Gaia GPS Hiking Maps and The Hiking Project
Happy hiking!
Transformer Katie 🙂
The Transform Lifestyle Medicine Alliance Team
Transformer – Katie Larkin
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