Sunday, September 11, 2011

Walking for the Mind

A walk in the park can do more than just burn a few calories.  In times like these when we are staring upon an unstable financial market, record high rates of unemployment, and unusually harsh weather patterns, anxiety and stress can throw you into an overwhelming downward spiral.  Equally important to your physical health, your mental health and spirit help you work through the challenges you encounter daily, cope with major stresses, and keep you thinking positive and smiling.
A stroll outside is just what the doctor ordered.  Walking acts like an anti-depressant but without the nasty side effects and for once no health insurance is needed!  A leisurely walk has therapeutic benefits that span all levels— physical, social, and psychological.  When you move your body your brain releases endorphins that naturally make you feel full to the brim with happiness, confidence, and energy.  Pharmaceutical companies couldn’t bottle this natural mood lift if they tried.  According to a Public Health Report, The Relation of Physical Activity and Exercise to Mental Health, physical activity and exercise appear to alleviate symptoms associated with mild-to-moderate depression, improve self-concept and confidence and social skills, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and may alter some aspects of the stress response and ‘Type A’ behavior.
Get moving today!  Three 10-minute walks a day can do wonders for your mind.  There are several beautiful parks with scenic trails and walking loops in the Prince Georges area.  To find the park closest to you, visit www.pgparks.com.  Here are a few of my favorite walking spots.  Hope to see you on the trails.

Watkins Regional Park – is located between MD-214 and MD-202, near the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.  This park features a 2 mile walking loop trail.  Several of its facilities are available to the public year-round: tennis courts and a baseball field, campgrounds and hiking trails, Old Maryland Farm and the Nature Center.  During the summer there is a carousel, a working miniature train and a mini-golf course.  A Festival of Lights is held each year, between November and December.  301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 

Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Tour – The tour is open daily for hiking and bicycling, and open Sundays for vehicles.  The tour connects Jug Bay Natural Area with Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and features educational displays, observation towers and a 1,000-foot long wooden bridge across the marsh.  Visitors can pick up a self-guided tour brochure from the Patuxent River Visitor's Center, and guided programs are available by reservation.  16000 Croom Airport Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail – A 3.5 mile trail that extends from Oxon Hill Road across the Potomac River to the Huntington Metro Station in Virginia.  The trail connects to the network of trails in Northern Virginia, including the Mount Vernon Trail.  To access the trail in Maryland, there are at-grade road crossings at Oxon Hill Road and National Harbor Boulevard.  For more information, call 301-669-2255.

Take good care of yourself.