This weekend, explore a swamp, paddle a lake, hang with the stars.
Coast
The 22-mile Dismal Swamp Canal runs south from the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia to the Albemarle Sound. It is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the U.S., opening in 1805 after 12 years of construction. It’s longevity is especially impressive considering the vast majority of the nation’s great canals led brief lives, opening in the early 1800s only to be quickly rendered obsolete as railroads spread throughout the nation. In addition to its natural wonder, penetrating its vast namesake wetland, the canal is rich in human history.read more
How do you get a million couch potatoes off their sectionals and into their Sauconys?
That’s the challenge BeActive North Carolina is taking on the first of the year when it launches its “One Million, More Active, More Often” program.
Despite the fact it’s been around since 1991, you may not be familiar with BeActive NC. It was founded with a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina with the goal of motivating Tarheels to move more. You may not have heard of them because they mostly work with the middleman, helping community agencies implement programs intended to get us moving. A tall ask in a state where nearly 50 percent of the kids and more than 50 percent of adults don’t get the minimum amount of physical activity they need. Those statistics — and the ripple effect in related medical costs, labor loss and reduced quality of life related to being overweight and in poor shape — are driving BeActive’s campaign to reach more people.read more
When the state first introduced the concept of a tax-free weekend the first week of August it was pitched as a way for cash-strapped families to save money on back-to-school supplies. Then people started asking questions like, “What does a wedding gown have to do with going back to school?” So the N.C. Department of Revenue eventually dropped that conceit. Now, there are all sorts of things that qualify for tax-free weekend, including many that help with an active lifestyle.read more
This weekend, there’s competitive beach volleyball at the coast, dancing in the Piedmont and a EuroHike in the mountains.
Coast
Think you’re a pretty good volleyball player? Or at least enjoy some good competition? Get your spike on Saturday at the 2 v 2 Beach Volleyball Tournament at Emerald Isle. This is open competition (two guys can be on a team, two gals, a guy and a gal … I think that covers the potential combinations) in a round robin format — “unless,” says Brittany Wood, recreation coordinator with the sponsoring Emerald Isle Parks & Rec Dept., “the number of teams exceeds 10, at which time the tournament will be set up in pool play.” Winners advance to the championship round, and the ultimate winners get to split the registration fee pool, with 70 percent to first place, 30 percent to second. Participants must be 16 or older.read more
Move more, lose weight, so goes the conventional wisdom, right?
Well … .
A curious finding comes out of a four-year study of 212 kids at 54 schools in the town of Plymouth, U.K. This latest finding from the 11-year-old EarlyBird Diabetes Study being conducted by the Peninsula Medical School finds that physical activity may not play much — or any — role in helping kids lose weight. The finding is based on a trial showing that when kids with weight issues were exposed to more physical activity, they only lost about 3 ounces each. The study did find that overweight kids tend to exercise less. Researchers were left to conclude that “early feeding errors” — hefty portions, calorie-dense snacks and sugary drinks — play a much more significant role in childhood obesity.read more