A trail experience for all
What brings you to the trail?
Fourteen years ago, I had no idea of the value of trails. I was in search of fitness beyond the gym. A friend posted photos of his visit to a local trail. It enticed me to get on my bike and see firsthand what he experienced. I was hooked after that ride.
Fitness brought me to the trail. I discovered unspoiled nature. I cycled through history unseen from the streets. I found people running, walking dogs, hiking, kayaking, and more. It was a foreign world to me. I am a frequent trail visitor today. Here are five observations from my visits of how people find their way to the trail.
Recreation and fitness
Trails provide fitness free of charge. There is no charge for a run outdoors. This is true for the trail running through the city center or the trail passing through forests and farmlands. Exercise stations, water stations, fewer crowds, and restrooms make for a pleasant visit while improving your health.
If you're simply jogging, you'll burn approximately 3% more calories doing it outside than you would inside, but if you up your pace, you're more likely to burn 7% more calories than you would on the treadmill.
Mental, and spiritual escape
Life is hectic in the world. The best escape from work and home challenges can be found on the trail. Join your family, friends, dog, or just yourself for a peaceful time away from life’s regular routines. The outdoors stimulates the senses, relaxes the body, and brings clarity to struggles.
“If we had a medicine that delivered as many benefits as parks, we would all be taking it. Parks deliver cardiovascular benefits, fight loneliness, combat osteoporosis, counter stress anxiety, and more. And they do those things without adverse side effects and at minimal costs.”
Challenge and exploration
Some of the best gateways to adventure are on a trail. People become explorers when they challenge themselves to cycle 326 miles from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. The victory is completing the challenge but also discovering new communities, landscapes, and people met along the way.
“Adventure is a loose word that means different things to different people. It is a state of mind, a spirit of trying something new and leaving your comfort zone. Adventure is about enthusiasm, ambition, open-mindedness, and curiosity. If this is true, then ‘adventure’ is not only crossing deserts and climbing mountains; adventure can be found everywhere, every day, and it is up to us to seek it out.”
Alastair Humphreys, Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes
Finding community
Did you know there is an outdoor community for everyone? You can find it on your local trail. The social aspects of cycling, hiking, birdwatching, and more live and breathe on the trail. Finding a group of fellow outdoor enthusiasts is best found outdoors. Trails are opportunities to socialize while improving your health, and mental state.
Because of their linear design, trails act as a meeting place for the community. Trails foster community involvement, and corresponding pride, in addition to providing an opportunity to interact with people of varying backgrounds and experiences.
Getting from point A to point B
The trail visitors that are overlooked are those who walk or cycle to work, the grocer, and everyday trips most Americans make by car. Trails are often built as a means of alternative transportation. We should celebrate and join these everyday commuters.
More than half of all trips in the United States are within a 20-minute bike ride or less, and more than one in four trips are within a 20-minute walk or less.
Life is good however you find yourself on the trail!
Tom on the Trails
Great post Tom