The Diet Logs

I had a friend in town over the weekend from the east coast. He had visited Seattle on several occasions and wanted to do something outside of the downtown area. I suggested that we drive east for 30-40 minutes to visit Snoqualmie Falls.

A two-acre park, observation deck, gift shop, and the Salish Lodge surround the stunning 270 foot waterfall. It was an unusually warm day for April in Seattle so we decided to hike down the steep grade to the lower viewing area at the river.

Going down was easy, although a little tough on those with shin splints. Once at the bottom of the hillside, we gazed at the beauty of the Snoqualmie river and watched the tourists pick there way through the rocks and sand to get the best picture of the falls above. Then it was time to hike back up to the top.

Here’s where “The Best Workout” verbiage comes in.

We huffed and puffed and slowly sweated our way up the 1/2 mile incline. Teens and 20-somethings were sprinting up the grade, but we plodded along methodically, wondering how many calories you burn when your heart rate hits 200. When we made it to the top, we laughed at the look on each others’ faces and sat in the grass to cool down in the spring breeze.

Every muscle in my body was tingling with fatigue. Nature’s gym had just provided me with the best workout I’ve had in months — and it didn’t cost a dime. I didn’t need to drone out with a magazine or sitcom to get through the one-hour exercise session. In fact, the time flew by.

Mother Nature provides a natural setting for regular exercise. Try it for your next workout.

Patty Harder wrote this on April 25th, 2005 and filed it under Diet Logs, Exercise Tips, Working Out |