Over the past couple weekends I’ve been quite busy getting a little outdoor therapy. On the long weekend a couple of friends and I conquered two peaks in New York State – White Face and Esther Mountain. This past weekend my father and I spent time climbing Khatadin followed by whitewater rafting down the Penobscot River in Northern Maine. Despite the physically demanding and challenging nature of these activities I felt energized and elated and felt that I was in a much better psychological state – ready for the week to come. There is no better feeling than grinding out a three and a half hour climb to be rewarded by magnificent views at the top of a mountain, or successfully navigating tricky rapids.
So, I have decided to challenge myself to establish and complete outdoor activity challenge every week. Spending time outdoors is proven to decrease stress, increase overall feeling of well-being and even enhance your ability to have a more satisfying sleep. You can start with simple goals like checking out a new trail and advance to something that will push your limits like learning a new activity or sport. The only way to determine what your capable of is to test your limits.
If your struggling with how to get started – here are a couple of my favourite local activities.
Frontenac Park – Loads of paddling and hiking adventures
Rock Dunder – Hwy 15 (I’m sure several people already know this one)
Adirondacks – 46 Peaks – 46 mountains all above 4,000 feet. Obviously this should be done by only completing 1-2 a day but it is fun to have a goals list and keep knocking off different peaks.
Tips* Remember your sunblock, drink lots of water and bring some salty snacks.
Get Outside and soak up some Vitamin D while being active!
