Getting in your 30 minutes of exercise each day by walking on a treadmill, scaling the endless steps of a Stairmaster, or cycling to nowhere while you stare at a monitor that seems to be perpetually stuck on a channel you hate can make you a hair shy of homicidal (or bore you to tears, at the very least). This is not the way our bodies were meant to move, and our brains certainly get no satisfaction out of the equation when you opt to take your workout at the gym! Exercise should be a fun way to relax and de-stress at the end of a rough day, or a great way to get energized before you even approach the tasks that make up your daily existence. It’s supposed to make you feel good. So if you’re looking for a way to incorporate the best of Sonoma into your workout, you should think about getting fit by hiking in and around the valley.
By now you are probably familiar with many of the trails in your area, so you know that different spots provide for various levels of activity. If, for example, you are feeling pretty fatigued and you don’t necessarily think you can make it up a hill (much less miles of them), consider an easy (and level) walk on the Joe Rodota Trail. You can take your pooch for his evening exercise as you go the whole eight mile course, or just take it easy with a portion of the strip. This is a great choice for those days when you really don’t want to work out, but you know that it will help you slough off some of the stress of your day and sleep better that night.
If you’re up for something a bit more strenuous (and scenic), why not head over to Jack London State Historic Park? The level of hiking varies here, so you can either take it easy with a short lap up to the lake, or you can up the ante with a tougher route that will take you through the woods and up to the Valley of the Moon. But if this is still a bit too easy, head over to Dry Creek Valley. There are hiking trails all through the area (although you will be crisscrossing vineyards), but you can virtually set the difficulty level of your hike here, with routes that go from just a few miles round trip to several miles, and could have you traversing steep hillsides.
Of course, the best hike, if you’re able, can be found at Hood Mountain Regional Park, which offers spectacular views of both the Sonoma Valley on one side and the Ocean on the other (on a clear day, you can actually spot the Golden Gate Bridge!). The trails are notoriously rough, so you should only undertake a hike here if you’re feeling like a super workout and you have plenty of stamina to make it through. But for advanced hikers, this route will give you the high-level workout you crave and leave you feeling fantastic! At the very least, it’s better than watching yet another boring soap opera without sound, courtesy of your gym.
Michelle Lindon writes for Fatty Weight Loss where you can find articles on health and nutrition in addition to information on stationary exercise bikes and weight loss milkshakes.
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