Judith Kuse
Perhaps you’ve noticed that many publications, health news broadcasts, social media posts and caregivers advise physical activity as being vital to one’s long-term good health and well-being. It’s no coincidence. Instead, it’s sound practice based on a plethora of evidence. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week for older adults. Such a regimen can improve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and it may also reduce depression and cognitive decline. Broken up into shorter stints, that translates to 30 minutes a day on five out of seven day… and it suddenly becomes more manageable. As one orthopedic specialist likes to tell his patients, “Motion is lotion, folks!”
Participating in the Sun Lakes Hiking Club hikes can go a long way to satisfy one’s commitment to better health. Not only will you have the opportunity to join in the physical activity of planned hikes on a weekly basis, you’ll also be meeting and socializing with other club members. And we know that regular socialization is a definite plus when it comes to maintaining sound mental health.
So, make it a resolution to “take a hike” in 2019. The next monthly meeting of the Sun Lakes Hiking Club (SLHC) will be held on January 4, 2019, in the Phoenix Room at Cottonwood at 3:30 p.m. Anyone considering club membership is welcome to attend. The club requires that new members participate in two Mellow hikes prior to the club’s acceptance of their membership applications. Mellow hikes are the least challenging of the three hiking level categories. They’re generally less than five miles long and less than 500 feet of elevation gain. Moderate hikes are less than seven miles long and under 1000 feet of elevation gain. Moderate+ hikes range from seven to ten miles in length and/or 1000-2000+ feet of elevation gain. The SLHC’s scheduled hikes can be found on the club’s website, https://www.meetup.com/Sun-Lakes-Hiking-Club/. Hikers meet in the Cottonwood parking lot at 7:45 a.m. to sign in and carpool to the trailhead.
While every hike is unique in its appeal, one January hike has been combined with a geo-caching opportunity. That hike will take place on January 30 and will be led by experienced hikers who are also geo-cachers. If you’d like to find out more, check out our website.