National Wellness Week – a reminder to get healthier

With National Wellness Week (March 19-25), Couch Potato wants to make it a year-round event for everyone and those they love!

Here are some ideas to get started:

(Do one or more.)

1. Start with what you do as you get out of bed! Think positive thoughts about how your day will be.

2. Do a short exercise routine – before you even leave the bed. Wiggle and rotate each foot and hand.  Bring your knees to your chest.

3. Smile! (Smiling uses less muscles than frowning and it makes you look so good!)

4. Once you are up, if you have time, do a short yoga or stretching routine.  Be peaceful with it – no jolting movements.

5. Have breakfast! —

I know, I never seemed to have time for breakfast, either.  But I usually was starved by mid-morning.  Not a good way to fuel your body.  Try eating something like eggs, yogurt, or a high fiber cereal. Try stevia to sweeten things – no calorie, natural sweetener.

6. Prep some crunchy items to bring with you to eat instead of empty, sugary calories.  Carrots, celery, fruit.  Ah, Ambrosia apples – crunchy, juicy and sweet!

More ideas to be posted tomorrow…

An unexpected gem: Joshua Tree National Park

After living in the desert for eight years, I was not in a hurry to visit Joshua Tree National Park, in eastern California.  More of the same?  No, it definitely offered some new Couch Potato hiking opportunities with dazzling scenery.

An Oasis in the Desert

Entering from the Oasis Visitor Center, we took the opportunity to see the exhibits, and then headed out to the wheelchair-accessible Oasis of Mara trail.  Only a half-mile long and paved, the trail gives a good view of the shaggy California fan palm trees that benefitted from the water at the oasis.  There are interpretive stands along the way to explain what you are seeing.  For instance, Indians left the area about a century ago and settlers planted cottonwoods and willows.

After seeing the Oasis of Mara, we headed into the rest of the park.  The entrance gate, where you would pay $15 for a carload of people – with the pass good for a week – gives you miles to drive until you reach the campsites and hiking trails.  The trail descriptions in the brochure do not begin to provide a complete view of what each trails offers.  We arbitrarily chose the Hidden Valley Trail first.

Hidden Valley Trail

With only about a mile to hike, the Hidden Valley Trail would appear to be an ideal Couch Potato hike.  There are sections that are totally flat, but there are areas where you would climb step-like granite rocks.  The trail is definitely not for wheelchairs and, if you are a beginning hiker, you would want to pace yourself and bring water.

The granite rocks are rounded, golden-colored mounds that are quite unusual.  As you weave your way on the trail, you find yourself looking at the climbers, spiderlike on the nearly vertical surfaces.

Pets are not allowed on the trails, so it was with great surprise that we saw a dark, furry Samoyed dog heading toward us on the trail.  The poor thing had gotten away from his owner.  We briefly adopted the dog and a kind person offered a plate to give the dog water.  Eventually, the owner turned up.

Note: Cell phone reception is extremely poor in the park, so we couldn’t contact the park rangers or the dog’s owner, whose number was on the dog’s collar.

There are restrooms, but they are the open pit in the shed variety, so best to use the restrooms at the visitor center.

Barker Dam

With a late start in the park, we ran out of time to try out the Barker Dam trail. Although only a one-mile loop, there was a mob of tourists who descended at the same time, so we opted just to see the entrance to the trail, which was flat.

Anyone who makes the trip to Joshua Tree National Park will find some new vistas to explore.  There is not much going on in the adjacent towns, so enjoy your slice of nature and the peace.

And, as we always caution, bring water, sun block, hats, a hiking pole and comfortable, protective shoes.  Bring your own snack and food supplies if you’re going to be visiting, since there is no snack bar inside the park.

How to get there, where to stay, food options

Located near the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree National Park has three entrances, two on the north off route 62, and one off Interstate 10 near Indio.

If you’re visiting, several accommodations are available in Twentynine Palms.  We enjoyed our stay in the one-year old Holiday Inn, which has terrific amenities, including the complete breakfast, plus heated pool and spa, and a great workout facility. The staff was also friendly and extremely helpful.

There are other name brands like Fairfield Inn and some local motels to spend the night in the Twentynine Palms area.

We picked up some great sandwiches at Staters, a local supermarket.  There are restaurants with cuisine options ranging from Mediterranean, to fast food, to ribs, etc.

Enjoy your hike!

Fall – a time of year for change!

With leaves colorfully reminding us of changes in our seasons, it is a great time to change our attitudes and our actions.

And, what does that mean to a Couch Potato?

Well, hopefully, not another run to the pantry for more snacks!
Instead, do the following –

• Get up
• Put on your walking shoes -
• Perhaps a jacket (in cooler climates)
• Grab some water and a house key
• Go outside and
• START WALKING!

Yes, you know you can do it!  And, it feels so good…

Whatever pace you take, let it be something that makes it an easy start.

Keep going.

Yes, this is really possible!

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