By Judi Nicholson

As the new year progresses, many people see their weight inch up and often feel powerless to stop the trend. We at the Clinton Recreation and Parks Department want to offer you the opportunity to break the cycle this year. MayoClinic.com has an article titled”6 Strategies for Successful Weight Loss” that may offer you or a loved one the framework you need to get fit. Those strategies are:

1. Make a commitment
2. Draw on support from others
3. Set a realistic goal
4. Learn to enjoy healthier foods
5. Get active, stay active
6. Change your lifestyle

You cannot change your weight or your fitness level without changing the way you live from day to day. By making a commitment to change, planning how you will make that change, and following through on those changes, you can take control of your health again. To give you some options in making your commitment, your City Recreation Department has signed up with the President’s Challenge, a free program that allows you to keep track of your progress day to day and week to week for as long as you choose to participate.

The President’s Challenge has several levels to help people get motivated about getting in shape. The program is also for those who are already in shape, but want to compare themselves with others across the country or locally. If you haven’t been exercising, we suggest that you start off with a light walking program. You can walk around your yard, your neighborhood, downtown, or go for a bigger challenge by walking the Royal Lane track. If you cannot exercise in the cold air, come to the Bellamy Center at 8:30 am Monday – Friday to walk around the gym. The opportunities for exercise are every where, you just need to take that first step to get started.

So, if you think this program like a good idea, but you want to know more, just use your computer and go to www.presidentschallenge.org and look over the site. If you are ready to get fit, then contact the Clinton Recreation Department at 299-4906 to get our group number and your participant number so you can sign up for the program. Make sure you record your activities at least once per week to reach your goal. If you don’t have internet access, you can still participate by going on line at the library. Let us help you make 2004 your healthiest year yet.

 

“Get Fit” at Clinton Recreation and Parks

If you are one of those people who have, not only made a commitment to live healthier in 2004, but have stuck to your commitment, then congratulations! To help you keep your motivation up, the Clinton Recreation and Parks Department recommends that you sign up for the President’s Challenge. If you have signed up for the challenge, then it is time to draw on support from others. According to MayoClinic.com, the support of others, who wish the best for you, will give you the encouragement to continue to improve in your healthy living. This is the second of their recommended “Six Strategies for Successful Weight Loss”.

The third strategy is “set a realistic goal.” Your support group can help you keep you new way of living in perspective. They should encourage you to expect slow but steady weight loss. By increasing your activity level a little each week or every two weeks, you will be able to track your progress. Utilizing the Presidential Challenge is a good way to set and attain realistic goals. When participating in the challenge, you can get credit for more than walking or typical exercise activities. You can also list gardening, household chores, mowing the lawn, throwing darts, and stationary bike riding, just to name a few. At Royal Lane Park, we have outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, and horseshoe pits available for use by the public. If cold weather basketball isn’t appealing to you, then you can choose to join the “Early Bird” basketball players from 6 – 8:30 am at the Sampson Center or work up a sweat with the “Men’s Night” league from 7 – 9 pm at Sampson Middle School. Both programs run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The point is to get active in whatever way will be easiest for you to start and maintain. Your daily, small successes will improve your health and your sense of well being while keeping you on the road to a healthier lifestyle. The Clinton Recreation and Parks Department is here to help you live your life to the fullest by helping you get fit in 2004. Our motto is “Little things that make a big difference.” Let the little things start to add up for you.

Anyone interested in learning more about the President’s Challenge or exercise options should contact the Clinton Recreation and Parks Department at 299-4906, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Living a healthy lifestyle should be a part of your daily routine at home. But many work places have realized that healthy employees are more productive and take less sick leave. If you are healthy, you feel better and when you feel good, you tend to have a better outlook on life whether you are at home or at work. If you want to start feeling better at work, you might ask a friend to be your partner and give up 15 minutes of lunch time to take a brisk walk. Or maybe you can see if your boss will let you have a few minutes each day to exercise with your coworkers. If you work a desk job, you can do “desk aerobics” several times a day to relieve tension, get your blood flowing, and revitalize your alertness.

Here are some suggested “chair aerobics”, try to repeat each exercise five times. First, sit up straight with your back away from your chair, inhale deeply, hold your breath for a 10 count, then let it out slowly. Concentrate on “belly breathing” by pushing out with your lower abdominal muscles as you inhale. Pull in with your lower ab muscles as you exhale.

Second, raise your arms from the your sides and stretch them overhead. Inhale when you take them up and exhale when you bring them down. Remember to belly breathe and keep your back straight! Third, scoot back in your chair and raise your right leg straight out from your seat. While your leg is up, flex your foot so your toes point toward the ceiling, then point your toes away. Flex and point twice before lowering your right leg. Repeat with your left leg. Try to remember to tighten your stomach muscles when you raise your leg.

Number four is a challenge! Raise your right leg as before and push out with your left hand as if to stop traffic(I call this exercise, Stop! In the name of love! Like the song). It takes a bit of concentration to do the opposite arm and leg . . . kind of like rubbing your belly and patting your head. Last of all, slump forward letting your head and shoulders droop. Feel the stretching in your neck, back, and shoulders. Then slowly unfold yourself, raise your arms and arch backward – make sure you don’t fall out of your chair! If your are doing this with others in your office, as you stretch back, smile and shout, “I feel great!” After doing that five times, I guarantee you’ll all be laughing at one another and you really will feel great.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Being active has always been a way of life for some people, but others don’t decide to start a regular exercise program until after they retire. For both groups, there is a program called “Senior Games”. According to the NC Senior Games web site, “N.C. Senior Games began in 1983, with a vision to create a year-round health promotion and education program for North Carolinians 55 years of age and better. Today, there are over 50,000 participants in 53 Local Games programs that serve all 100 counties across the state. Senior Games is a holistic approach to body, mind and spirit staying fit, while enjoying the company of friends, family, spectators, and volunteers.”

The Clinton Recreation Department has been a part of Senior Games for years, but this year we want to help more seniors get involved by offering training sessions for a number of the activities sponsored by NC Senior Games. The local games are held at the end of March through the first week of April. However, seniors who qualify to compete in the State games have to wait until September to test their skills against other qualifiers. To help participants get ready for the local games and to stay in shape until the State Finals, we will be holding training sessions for various sports. Once the local games are over, state qualifiers can contact the Bellamy Center, at 299-4900 extension 3072, to see if we are offering training sessions for their event.

Even though we aren’t having training sessions for all the sports, we do have facilities available for seniors to practice. The Bellamy Center is open at 8:30 am Monday – Friday for walking and the Royal Lane Track is open all week long for walking and running. Walkers are also welcome at the Sampson Center gym, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 6 – 8 am to get in some laps during Early Bird Basketball. Royal Lane Park also has horseshoe pits and shuffleboard courts open 7 days a week for the public to practice.

But don’t have to wait until you retire to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It’s never too early to start your exercise program. The Clinton Recreation Department sponsors Baseball and Softball for children ages 4 – 14. We also offer adult softball leagues for ages 18 and older for men, women, and co rec. Gather the neighborhood, get a group from work, registration for adult leagues is going on the whole month of April. Call us at 299-2906 for more information.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Getting fit doesn’t do you much good unless you stay fit. Adults sometimes have problems finding ways to keep their motivation up once they start a regular exercise program. Perhaps you suffered a minor injury or didn’t exercise due to several days of bad weather and just never started back. At some point, you must make the effort to start back on the road to fitness. If you do only one activity, boredom can kill your exercise enthusiasm. That is why cross training is such a popular fitness method.

Cross training is just another way of saying you switch activities from time to time. Usually, cross training helps you cope with weather that keeps you from your favorite activity, but helps you maintain most of your fitness level. Inline skating was developed by cross country skiers looking for a way to train when there was no snow. Runners often train for triathlons or biathlons to give themselves a change of pace and who hasn’t seen boxers wearing sauna suits as they jog and punch their way down a sidewalk?

Finding another activity to keep you active might not be very hard, if you know where to look. If bike riding is your chosen exercise, inline skating might be an option for you. It works the leg muscles, like biking, but it gets the upper body as well. There aren’t too many athletes who don’t have weight lifting as part of their training schedule. Maybe you should too. You don’t have to join a gym or have a big expensive weight set to do weight training. Some simple hand weights can add enough resistance to help you improve your muscle tone. A free weight, from 2 – 10 pounds, used for simple over head lifts, arm curls, lunges, and bench press can make a significant difference in your exercising. Using light weights, doing lots of repetitions, and working to an easy fatigue will build strength without causing bulky muscles.

If you have a family, getting everyone involved in several sports can be a fun time for everyone. Tennis is a good sport for families to play together. And if you can’t find a partner, you can still play tennis. Just come to the courts at Royal Lane Park and give yourself a workout using the rebound wall. If you are as bad as me, you’ll get lots of cross training in by chasing those balls you hit out of the courts!

Now that spring is arriving, set a goal to get in shape and make your plans to stay in shape. By doing a variety of activities, you might avoid the mid winter slump next year. Get your family involved and set a good example for your children. By staying healthy, you’ll be able to enjoy your family for years to come.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Have you noticed how many children seem to be over weight and out of shape? Our society has “progressed” from active work to sedentary work. Even office work is not as demanding as it once was, we don’t have to leave our desks or offices to communicate with one another – we don’t even have to trouble ourselves to dial the phone. All we have to do is turn on our computers and send e mail. The lives of our children have changed in much the same fashion. None of us get out of our chairs to change the tv station – most children don’t have to leave their rooms to watch tv, they have a tv, vrc, dvd player, cd player, and a computer right there with them. What motivation would they have to leave the house to get exercise? They can play any sport in the cool, comfort of their rooms, never break a sweat, and chow down on some great munchies at the same time – what a life!

Is that really the kind of life you want your child to experience? They participate in a team sport without a team, win and lose games with no exertion, and never learn the life lessons that come from interacting with others. They also think walking half a mile is a ridiculous request. Unless you intervene, your child may be headed for a life of constant health problems. Less time with the electronic babysitters and more time with real people will help your child physically, emotionally, and socially. Children should spend time running and playing in organized and unstructured activities. Recreation departments all over the country offer such opportunities for children and adults. Churches, YMCA’s, and scouts also have programs that allow people to get active.

Summer is upon us all and what have you done to make sure your child gets the exercise he or she needs? As always, the Clinton Recreation and Parks Department offers many opportunities for children and adults to get exercise. The pool at Royal Lane Park is open every day from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. On Monday, there is no charge for admission – but we have to limit entry to the first 200 patrons. The rest of the week (including weekends) the fee is only $2 per person. Playing in the pool burns calories, allows for unstructured and imaginative play, and can be done by the whole family at the same time. Adults can swim laps while their children play in shallow water to get their own exercise. Can’t swim? Walking or trying to run through the water is great exercise. Health clubs charge lots of money to have an instructor take members through regular exercises in the pool. At the Royal Lane Pool, you can do them yourself for no extra fee.

For structured activities, we are offering a British Soccer Camp for ages 4 –14. There are several age and price differences to meet many needs, but the campers will receive a soccer ball and a camp t shirt as part of their fee along with some great coaching. If your child is a soccer maniac, this is a great opportunity for them to get experience with advanced techniques and training.

Adults are not left out of the structured play arena. Currently, we are accepting registration for Adult Softball for Industrial and Co-Rec leagues. Companies, clubs, or even a group of friends can band together to field a team for fitness, fun, and fellowship. Many teams have already registered and have been practicing and are getting their exercise on a regular basis.

Adults can play Early Bird Basketball at the Sampson Center year round as a regular exercise opportunity. Walking, jogging, or running at the Royal Lane Track is a popular activity for many adults, even those with families. Parents can often be seen pushing their baby strollers around the track – now that is instilling good exercise habits! It is important to make that commitment, for yourself, for your children, for a healthier, longer, better quality of life. Come on! Get up, get active, get fit in 2004 – it’s not too late! Call the Clinton Recreation Department at 299-4906 for more information on our programs and facilities.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Don’t drink, don’t smoke, eat right, exercise – die anyway was a popular t shirt slogan a few years ago. It is true, we will all die eventually, but the manner of our passing can be greatly influenced by how we treat our bodies now. I’ve known of many people, usually men, who have dropped dead from a massive heart attack while playing their favorite sport. A shame – some people think, but not me. They died doing something they loved and they didn’t linger or suffer.

I contrast the manner of their passing with the slow torture I have seen others endure. I have seen men and women with oxygen tanks still smoking cigarettes. I have seen people who have lost limbs to diabetes still eating sugary desserts and unconcerned with getting exercise or keeping their blood sugar regulated.

As we get older, it gets harder to do the things we could when we were younger. But don’t use that for an excuse to quit trying. Scientific studies have shown that getting exercise helps almost every medical condition. Most recently, they have found that cancer patients who continue to exercise have a quicker recovery from treatment. Studies also indicate that pre-surgery exercise can speed recovery after an operation.

According to the Duke Cancer Center, “there is a 37% reduction of breast cancer risk among women who exercise regularly, even when all other risk factors are taken into account”. They also report that “regular exercise protects against colon cancer”. By coupling this with the positive benefits of exercise for those currently battling cancer and struggling with treatment side effects, making a commitment to get fit takes on a whole new aspect. The Relay for Life just wrapped up another campaign year with laps around the track at Clinton High School. Based on this information, the continual laps are most appropriate to celebrate survivors and to remember those who lost their battle with cancer.

Cancer patients are not the only people who can benefit from starting an exercise program. Arthritis suffers are now encouraged to get exercise to keep their joints limber and maintain their current range of motion. Exercise for arthritis is offered at the Bellamy Recreation Center on Thursdays at 10:00 am. You won’t find these folks doing high impact aerobics, but they will be having a good time and improving their health at the same time. The Bellamy Center is open most mornings for walkers to do laps in the gym. If the track is too large or you just want to be indoors, walking laps in the gym is a good alternative. You can walk at your own pace to some appropriately paced music no matter what the weather is like. If you don’t feel you can walk very far, there are benches in the gym and you can take your rest till you feel up to another lap. With water fountains and restrooms located in the lobby, the gym makes good sense for people who just can’t manage the outdoors right now.

Regular exercise and proper diet are still the best pathways to maintaining good health. No matter which diet program you might try, exercise guru you believe in, or television infomercial you think will work – they all agree that diet and exercise must go together to get and maintain the results you wish.

So think about what you eat, think about what you drink, think about getting more exercise, then quit thinking about it and get busy! There are many opportunities for you and your loved ones to make a change for the better. Get up, get out, get active. Go for a walk, go for a bike ride, go for a swim. Your loved ones will thank you for being the in the best health for as long as you can manage.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many fitness opportunities for citizens of all ages and abilities. Contact us at 299-4906 for more information.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Summer is here and exercising can be a real drag when you have to deal with the heat. To compete with the temptation to stay inside you might consider combining your exercise program with some weekend trips and see more of North Carolina at the same time. In February 2002, Our State Magazine published a list of “50 Things Every North Carolinian Should Do”. Incorporating some of these suggestions as one day or weekend trips can be fun, educational, and can add an element of excitement to your summer exercise regimen.

Here are a few of the trips from the list:

• Starting at Manteo, tour Ft. Raleigh during the day, then come back at night to see “The Lost Colony”.
• Head to the coast and visit the Wright Brothers Memorial. Be sure to walk to the monument. The exercise is great and so is the view.
• Make a stop at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Be sure to hike to the top where you can see the sound on one side and the ocean on the other. Then be a kid again and run or roll down the slopes of the dune, remembering how exercise can be fun! If you really want an adventure, sign up for hang gliding lessons while you are there. If you can get off the ground, you should really be able to get a great view of the area.
• Climb the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the Hatteras National Seashore. Having done this before the light was closed back in the late 70’s to early 80’s, I can assure you –it is exercise! But it is also fun and educational.
• Visit Ft. Macon State Park, near Morehead City. For a real workout, set up on the park beach and walk the shoreline to the park. That is no easy task! Then tour the Fort itself; the stairs will make you think a Stairmaster is for wimps.
• If the mountains are more your style, then head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can drive to any number of parking areas at trailheads, leave your vehicle and get in a good hike, while admiring the plants and animals you encounter along the way.
• Another good place for hiking is Grandfather Mountain. You can choose from trails of many degrees of difficulty and length, then top it off by crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge.
• For those who seek a bigger challenge, look to conquer the highest point east of the Rockies – Mt. Mitchell State Park. But don’t take the easy route, be sure to hike from the top to the bottom, and then up again.
• You don’t have to go far from home to find history, adventure, and exercise. Bentonville Battleground is near here and offers many opportunities without a long drive.
• Our State Capitol offers another aspect for a vacation adventure. Walking from museum to museum is good exercise, while seeing the displays in the comfort of air conditioned buildings makes it an easier choice for folks with little children or grandparents who can’t be in the heat too long.

Just remember that exercise is like other aspects of our lives – as dull or as exciting as we choose. And like other aspects of our lives exercise will not always be a fun adventure, but keep up your good work so you can handle the adventures when they come along.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for public use. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

One aspect of exercise, that is often over looked, is safety. When planning a fitness regimen, we know we should see our doctor to get a check up – to make sure we are physically able to start exercising. We know we should maintain a good diet and take in plenty of fluids. But we often forget to consider our personal safety when we embark on a quest for better health.

Staying safe while keeping fit is often just a matter of thinking ahead and using common sense. This time of the year, heat and dehydration are of major concern to folks who exercise. Being a long time fitness buff does not make you immune to the effects of heat, humidity, strong sun, radiant heat from buildings or pavement, or even the absence of a cooling breeze. If you must exercise in the heat of the day, be sure you have taken in adequate fluids before you begin your exercise. If you plan to run, walk, bike, or hike somewhere away from homes or businesses, be sure you take a water bottle with you. It is also a good idea to carry some money with you in case you need additional fluids. By planning your exercise route where one or more stores are along the way, you might be able to attempt a longer distance or a new pattern to add some variety to your routine, knowing that you can get water or a drink if needed.

For some folks, the heat at this time of the year is more than they can bear, so they wait till late in the day or after dark to exercise. Regardless of the time of day, you should always wear clothing that increases your visibility. Bright, contrasting colors that are eye catching can help you avoid being run over during the day. Those same bright colors, coupled with something reflective will help drivers see you at night. One really neat gadget for bikers is a flashing light that attaches to the bike seat. The flashing light is more likely to be seen by drivers than one that is steady burning. The steady burning light can be mistaken for a reflector and mislead a driver about the possibility of a bike rider being just ahead of them. As a precaution, walkers, runners, and bikers should never assume a driver can see them. A spilled drink, ringing cell phone, or a child demanding attention can be enough to distract a driver from seeing you sweating your way down the road. It is a good idea to err on the side of caution and get off the road, especially if you know there is traffic coming from both directions. Being in the right doesn’t do much good if you aren’t alive to make it a point.

So, you have your checklist – you know you are hydrated, you know you can be seen, or you are running around the track and don’t have to worry about traffic. But does anyone know where you are, where you are going, or when you expect to be back? Always let someone know or leave a note, especially if you live alone. And leave that Walkman at home! Sure it’s great to have your favorite tunes distracting you from the drudgery of your workout, but it also keeps you from hearing things that could affect your safety. Sweatin’ to the oldies can cover the sound of a dog running up behind you. Even if it is a friendly dog, you could be startled, trip, fall, roll into traffic, break an ankle or wrist, get skinned up, and maybe even break your CD player when you fall down. Likewise, you will not hear traffic noises or someone running up on you if you are distracted by music that drowns out the other sounds around you. Always remember, your safety is your own responsibility. Make sure to exercise wisely.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for public use. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Change is the order for the next few weeks. The children are going back to school and this causes change for many daily schedules. Traffic patterns change as buses hit the road, parents will be getting their children out of bed earlier and sending them to sleep sooner! Although these changes are good and necessary, they also cause stress. A healthy lifestyle must include stress relief activities for children and adults as individuals and as family units. In other words, make time for yourself and make time for family.

The whole family can share many individual activities, such as photography and rock collecting. If your children are curious about nature, plan activities that cater to that curiosity. A pair of binoculars and a camera can be the building blocks for a grand adventure in learning.

Start by checking out books, CD’s, or videos about wildflowers, trees, birds, and other plants and wildlife. The library, the Internet, and your local video store are good places to find these resources. Share them with your family as you make plans for a day trip to try and see some of these natural wonders up close.

Some valuable online sources are:

1. Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.html
2. www.birding.com
3. http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeid.cfm

Books, videos, and CD’s that may be helpful include:

• Peterson Field Guides
• Audubon Society Field Guides
• Peterson’s Eastern/Central Birding By Ear
• National Geographic Society Guide to Bird Sounds
• Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Birdsong Tutor

After you have read, heard, and seen more than you can possibly remember, it’s time to plan your trip! Tailor your day based on what you want to see. Many areas in North Carolina offer wonderful opportunities to view birds and summer wildflowers, but you need to find one that offers the type of habitat or community that most appeals to you and your family. A community includes various elements needed for life for particular plants or other living organisms. Popular this time of the year is the beach. There are several communities you can seek out on your next trip to the coast.

Salt marshes are areas where fresh water and salt water converge. They are affected by tides and are rich with various grasses that provide food and cover for many animals. Here you would expect to find egrets, turtles, snails and many kinds of crabs, especially the easy to identify fiddler crab.

Dune or sandy beach communities include sea oats, sea gulls, pelicans, ghost crabs, as well as piles of seaweed and driftwood. This is a good place to look for animal tracks in the sand and to try and identify the kind of creature that made the tracks.

The most dramatic and most well known community is the surf area, where the waves meet the sand. Many shorebirds are found following the waves looking for mole crabs, coquinas, and minnows. An examination of seaweed, rolling on the edge of the surf, can yield many wonders such as sea hares, bubble shells, and small crabs. Tossed up by the waves, a patient beachcomber can find whelks, sand dollars, jellyfish, scallops, clams, and starfish.

There are many good reference books about shells, birds, and beach plants. A really good book for children and adults is “The Seaside Naturalist” by Deborah A. Coulombe. The illustrations and descriptions are easy for children to understand, but have enough detail to interest adults.

With your reference materials on hand, you have to decide where you want to go. For people new to the area the “North Carolina Wildlife Viewing Guide” by Charles E. Roe and the “State Parks of North Carolina” by Walter Biggs, Jr. and James F. Parnell can give you directions, contact numbers, and information on plants and animals you can expect to see.

Don’t wait to expand your knowledge and improve your stress levels. Gather the family and plan an adventure. It can be as simple or as complicated as you care to make it and best of all, it will be the perfect trip, because it was planned with you in mind.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for public use. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks (Day Trips to Boggy Places)

By Judi Nicholson

Day trips are wonderful ways to exercise your self as a whole. In the last column, I focused on habitats found at the beach, this time, let’s take a look further inland.

There are many interesting boggy places near Clinton that offer great wildlife viewing opportunities and walking trails so you can get your exercise. White Lake, Jones Lake, and Singletary Lake are all examples of a “Carolina Bay”. These elliptical bodies of water are known for the dark waters and poor soil. The prevalent plant life is limited by the soil and is mainly long leaf pine, scrub oaks, and wiregrass. Yet there are other species of trees and bushes that are fun to seek out, whether to learn how to identify them or just to enjoy the foliage. Other trees include red cedar, white cedar, cypress, black gum and sweet gum. Denser under story is often made up of sweet pepperbush, leatherwood, fetterbush, and wax myrtle. These plants offer food and cover for many small birds, insects, and lizards or anoles.

The best chances for viewing wildlife will typically be further away from the waters of the lakes. Squirrels and deer are easily recognized, common denizens. Less common is the black-throated green warbler, which may choose to nest in the more mature areas of a Carolina Bay forest. The boggy surrounds of the Carolina Bay might support rare plants as well. The Venus Fly Trap, Pitcher Plant, and Sundew can all occur in this kind of community. Each of the previously mentioned areas has one or more trails available for walks and hikes as you explore their unique provisions. Jones Lake, for example, offers a self-guided 3 mile loop. It has stops along the way that inform visitors about the Carolina Bay habitat.

For a wider variety of representative habitats, visit the Bladen Lakes Educational State Forest. Wildlife communities from old pine plantations to poccosin shrub bogs are accessible by trails. Photo opportunities to capture rare species such as the red cockaded woodpecker and pitcher plants are just a few reasons to plan a trip with your family. A quiet hiker, armed with binoculars and camera, would have an excellent chance of seeing a myriad of warblers, amphibians, and other interesting creatures.

For the plant or flower lover in the family, even the heat of July and August can offer some rare flower beauties that rival those of spring. This time of the year there are some marvelous flowers blooming that offer more than just pretty blossoms. In the bogs, look for the purple spike of the “pickerel weed” or “Pontederia” and the white topped “hatpin” or “Eriocaulion”. The bright orange of the “Carolina Lilly” or “Lilium” and the delicate, ivory blossoms of the “Green Fringed Orchid” or “Habenaria” are rare plants that can occur in the boggy wetlands. Each would be a wonderful photograph to add to your wildflower collection.

Also worth looking for are the pretty pink “Meadow Beauty” or “Rhexia” and the hard to spot yellow flowers of the “Seedbox” or “Ludwigia”. These two plants occur in many ditch banks and disturbed areas and hold a surprise for those who enjoy using dried foliage. Once the flowers are gone and the stems have dried, the Meadow Beauty looks as if it has tiny vases on its stem. The Seedbox looks like a finely polished box with a hole in the center. When it is shaken, it’s seeds come out, hence it’s common name.

True fitness encompasses the whole person. By walking on variable terrain, you exercise your body. Listening for bird calls exercises your listening skills. Watching for birds sharpens your perceptive abilities. A flash of color, blur of movement, or the merest rustle of leaves could be the clue to finding the bird that has sung tantalizingly close, but has remained hidden. Sharing these experiences with your family members strengthens the bonds between the generations.

The walking, the quiet time, and the wonder of discovery are all stress relievers for young and old alike. The pictures you take will serve to rekindle your memories of special times spent alone and with loved ones.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for use by the public. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

The last column discussed day trips to boggy areas. This time let’s look at some higher elevations. Just west of the Coastal Plain and the Sand Hills, lies an area known as the “Piedmont”. The wild areas of the Piedmont are marked by move from pine and oak woods to oak and hickory. Most of the area is overgrown, old farm fields, which develop when a field is abandoned or isn’t tilled for several years in a row.

Plant and insect life can be very evident and thrilling to see, this time of the year. The summer flowers are drawing many kinds of butterflies. There are many varieties of sunflowers and milkweed blooming. Yellow swallowtails, black swallowtails, viceroys, buckeyes, skippers, sulfurs, and monarch butterflies flit like jewels through the fields, meadows, woods, and by the streams throughout the area. There are many wonderful places to take a day trip to enjoy the delights of the Piedmont. I’ll just cover a few.

Raven Rock State Park - Take Hwy 421 to Lillington, then follow the signs to visit this fine State Park. Located on bluffs 150 feet above the Cape Fear River, Raven Rock has several habitats within its boundaries and you can see them all in one day. The park is located on the “Fall Line”, which divides the softer rocks and sediments of the Coastal Plain from the harder quartz and other rocks of the Piedmont.

For a shorter hike, take the Little Creek Loop Trail and follow the stream till you come to the stairs leading down to the river. If you have the energy, take the stairs down to the river and hike over to see the “Raven Rock”. Once you come back up the stairs, you can go back either direction on the Raven Rock Loop Trail. One direction will take you to another side trail leading down to the river. Here are the “fish traps”, a rock formation in the river where Native Americans used baskets to catch fish.

Eno River State Park – This riverside park is near the City of Durham and was saved by a group of locals who didn’t want the river to be impounded for a reservoir. The main area for visitors is the Cate’s Ford Access Area. Here you can have a picnic lunch, use the restroom facilities, launch a canoe, or hike one of the many nature trails, and even cross the river on a swinging bridge! There are many hikes of lengths from less than a mile to nearly 3 miles.

Morrow Mountain State Park – Expect a 3 hour drive to get to this park, but be ready for a grand adventure. Morrow Mountain is large enough to be classified a mountain, but small enough for a regular, reasonably fit person to hike. If you are looking for a weekend get away, Morrow Mountain State Park has a nice family campground that is located between the nature trails to the lake and to the top of the mountain. Skinks, woodpeckers, and deer are plentiful and easy to see if you pay attention when you hike. Be sure to pick up a trail map at the ranger station and pay attention to the designations on the map. If the map says a trail is strenuous – believe it!

Pilot Mountain State Park – You will see Pilot Mountain long before you reach it and you’ll know it when you see it! The distinctive knob is visible from the highway in North Carolina and in Virginia. There is a nice picnic area on top of the “Little Pinnacle”, and rocky ridge adjacent to the famous Pilot Mountain. There are many trails at this park that can be enjoyed by people of various abilities. The Little Pinnacle Trail is the shortest and the easiest of all. There are large boulders you must navigate, but they are not too difficult. I have seen people with limited mobility tackle and conquer this trail. The end of the trail offers a spectacular view of Pilot Mountain’s “Big Pinnacle” and is worth the effort to reach. There are other trails of various lengths and difficulty and all have points of interest. But, if mobility is not a problem, be sure to hike the Jomeokee Trail. It is only ¾’s of a mile and it circles the base of the Big Pinnacle. The rock formations are a wonder to behold. If you have a large group or want to take a group of scouts, be sure to contact the ranger station and ask for a guided tour of the Jomeokee Trail. The history of the area, the speculation of how the mountain was formed, and identification of plants and animals will be of interest to everyone.

If you do plan a day trip or a weekend of hiking, be sure to pack for your hike. Take a small daypack with water, snacks, and rain poncho, hat, bug spray, and small first aid kit. Take your camera, film, binoculars, and a wild flower, wildlife, and/or bird identification guide. I like to take a walking stick with me. It is good to lean on, good to point out items of interest, and great for warding off snakes! Always remember, plants, animals, and minerals are protected in State and National Parks and it is illegal to collect or harm them. As the old saying goes: take only pictures, leave only footprints.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for use by the public. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Family time is great for people of all ages, but as we get older, it can become harder to get the family together. Many Senior Citizens become isolated in their homes and lose much of their quality of life. They have no jobs to go to or no family nearby to visit. They may not be comfortable driving at night and don’t get involved in activities at church or with civic organizations because they meet at night. The lack of exercise, interaction with others, and feeling of purpose can affect their health – physical, mental, and spiritual. The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs for older adults that can help them stay active, mentally sharp, and give them opportunities to socialize with others.

At the Bellamy Recreation Center, Alice Montague plans programs that address these issues: exercise, crafts, socializing, better health, wellness issues, and trips. Throughout the week, older adults can walk for their health – indoors or outdoors, participate in exercises geared toward arthritis suffers, and shake a leg by learning to line dance. Once a month, interested Seniors can take a trip to go bowling and not have to worry about driving. This is a great chance for Senior Games Participants to keep up their skills. Master Gardeners meet twice a month, Bridge for beginner’s is once a week, a cake decorating class will begin in September, and an AAPR Chapter meets once a month offering many benefits to their participants.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, as we age we need to exercise our minds and our bodies. Some of the challenges we all face as we get older are: loss of physical conditioning, loss of cognitive skills, lifestyle changes, trouble sleeping, depression, increasing health concerns, limited resources, general decline in over all well-being. The Mayo Clinic offers these suggestions to older adults: Exercise your mind – learn a musical instrument, interact with people, start a new hobby, volunteer. Exercise your body – aerobic activity (walk for fitness), strength training, stretching. Increase your daily activities – with your Doctor’s ok, walk, spend more time in the garden, get out in the sunlight.

Coming up in October, the Bellamy Center is sponsoring a trip to Lancaster Pennsylvania. This is a perfect chance for seniors to make new friends, see new sights, and start stretching their possibilities. Taking the first step toward making a change is the only way to break out of destructive or poor habits. Taking a nice, 3 day trip would break you out of the mold in a big way! The cost is only $269.00 per person, double occupancy and includes your transportation, accommodations, 2 breakfasts at the hotel, 1 dinner, and much more.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Yet for many seniors, even $269 is more than they can afford. A limited income and one or two medical conditions can take every bit of money a retired person has each month. So we want to ask the community to help us give some deserving older adults a chance to take a nice trip. Our department will be accepting donations to help offset the cost of the trip for some seniors who might not otherwise be able to afford a small vacation at all, much less with a group of their peers. To make a donation, contact the Clinton Recreation Department at 299-4906. For more information about the trip and other activities offered for Senior Citizens, call Alice Montague at 299-4900 extension 3072.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Did you meet your fitness goals yet this year? Are you and your loved ones making significant progress in living a healthier lifestyle? If so, congratulations and keep up the good work! If you haven’t met your goals or you haven’t made the effort to start – it’s still not too late. With soccer season under way, football is just around the corner. Clinton Recreation is taking registration for children, ages 4 –12, who wish to play football or be a cheerleader.

If you sign your children up, they will not start practice till after the September 15 th registration deadline. After that, they will have to start attending practices several times a week and you know you will be bringing them to the park. Instead of waiting until you have to come, make it a habit to come now. Let your children do laps around the track with you for 30 minutes, then let them get more exercise on the playground. This will get them used to having a structured activity in the afternoon, give them some preseason conditioning and you will get started on your own exercise program. The Mayo Clinic website recommends you set goals as a means to motivate yourself to start exercising and this is an easily attainable goal.

These 30 minutes of exercise can actually give you some quick results. Again, according to the Mayo Clinic “… it only takes 30 minutes a day most days of the week to create a significant change in your quality of life.” Dr. Edward Laskowski, MD says that incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle is the key to increasing your fitness level. Dr Laskowski also says, “Consistency is more important than intensity and you can accumulate short periods of exercise throughout the day rather than doing it all at once.” Some of the benefits to regular exercise include: more energy, better body composition (replacing fat with muscle), improved sleep, longer life expectancy. And better quality of life.

Perhaps you feel that all that exercise is going to make you tired not give you more energy. But think of energy as you do exercise. In other words, to improve your performance, you have to work a little harder each time. To increase your energy level, you need to expend a little more energy so the body will respond. Being tired is actually a benefit as well. When your body is being exercised, you tend to sleep better. Couple your new exercise habits with regular bedtimes and your sleep should improve. If you have to give up your late night TV fix to make these changes, then do it!

Once your children start their practices, you can continue doing your laps. The coach will appreciate you being nearby if needed and your children will have that same security. Often parents treat volunteer coaches as free babysitters by leaving their children at practice and not coming back in a timely fashion. By using your child’s practice time as your exercise time, you don’t make the coach feel like he or she is being taken advantage of and you are getting good, physical benefits! Invite other parents to join you and you can make the time and the laps fly by as you share the joys and trials of daily living with one another.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for use by the public. For more information, call us at 299-4906.

 

“Get Fit” With Clinton Recreation and Parks

Exercise is your best self defense against many ailments, diseases, and problems associated with growing older. An article in The British Journal of Sports Medicine notes the marked differences between men and women practitioners of Soo Bahk Do; a Korean martial art, with those of sedentary subjects. Volunteers age 40 – 60 were tested for body composition, balance, flexibility, quadriceps strength, grip strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic capacity.

In every test except grip strength, the martial arts practitioners out performed their sedentary counter parts, so much so that the BJSM suggested, “Health professionals should be aware that there are alternative methods to traditional exercise that can increase the physical fitness and health of the middle aged population.” ( Br J Sports Med 2004; 38:143-147 © 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine)

So if running around the track or sweatin’ to the oldies is not the sort of activity you want to participate in, perhaps you should consider a martial arts class. There are many kinds of martial arts and, unless you are familiar with the styles, you should shop around and find a style that will meet your needs.

One of the most popular styles is Tae Kwon Do, which is a Korean martial art as is the style used in the BJSM study. Many schools offer TKD and it is a good way to improve in all the health areas cited in the study. Tai Chi is a Chinese art that is popular with many middle age and older adults. The difference between the two styles can be seen as “hard” and “soft”. In TKD, students learn and practice punching and kicking objects such as punching bags or hand held targets before they start punching and kicking one another. For personal defense, these are excellent training methods to insure your ability to fend off an attacker. But, if you have underlying health problems, the softer methods of Tai Chi might be better for you. Tai Chi consists of gentle, flowing motions that help with stretching, balance, and range of motion. Practicing Tai Chi on a regular basis, just as any exercise program, helps improve muscle tone and endurance.

Martial arts classes are often thought of as activities for children or young men. Many women are intimidated by the thought of being involved in classes with people who are already in shape and would never consider signing up for such an activity. Here at Clinton Recreation, we want to offer women an alternative to traditional martial arts class. “Exercise-Self Defense” is a new program set up for women who are not happy with their physical condition but can’t stay motivated with the other exercise programs they have tried. The program is for women 30 and older, who are in reasonably good health, and want to try an exercise program that will address more than one or two fitness areas of concern. The class will incorporate stretching, static exercises, low impact movement, and resistance training with self defense applications. The class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 5:15 – 5:45 pm at the Bellamy Gym. There is a small fee for the class but each session lasts 3 months. Contact the Clinton Recreation and Parks Department at 299-4906 for more information.

The Clinton Recreation Department offers many programs and facilities for use by the public. Take time soon to find out what we can offer you.