Take advantage of yet another cool spring weekend with a fitness challenge at the coast, a Mother’s Day hike in the Piedmont, and what may be the most ideal first hike ever offered.

Coast

You think of firefighters, you think of folks in pretty darn good shape. So who better to stage a fitness challenge?

Saturday, the Wilmington Professional Firefighter’s Association holds its Second Annual Charity Firefighter’s Fitness Challenge. Wondering what types of challenges the Challenge entails? “A multi-stage combination of high intensity cross-training exercises inspired by the physical demands of being a firefighter.” (If it helps, the event poster shows folks hoisting a barbell and flipping big tires.) Competition is by team, in the male, female and coed categories.

If you’re really into a challenge, there’s a 4.5-mile run before The Challenge: you can do either or both.

Logistics: Second Annual Wilmington Professional Firefighter’s Fitness Challenge & Run, Saturday, May 13, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater Park, Wilmington. $150 per team. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 78 with a chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Fort Fisher Kayak Trip, July 7, Halyburton Park, Wilmington. More info here.

Piedmont

The spring season of Sunday afternoon hikes by the Eno River Association is winding down — all the more reason to catch the ERA’s Mother’s Day Hike this Sunday at Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Hillsborough. At 867 feet, Occoneechee is the highest point in the Triangle. It includes five separate ecozones; curiously, the most mountain-like — rhododendron, mountain laurel (now in bloom), galax — is at the bottom of the mountain. The hike will be on the Occoneechee Mountain Loop and Chestnut Oak Trails.

Logistics: Eno River Association Mother’s Day Hike, Sunday, May 14, 2 p.m., Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny with a high of 78.

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Looking ahead: The last hike in the Eno River Association’s Spring Series is June 3, National Trails Day, on the Bobbitt Hole Trail at Eno River State Park. More info here.

Mountains

A dilemma: you love the idea of hiking, but only in the mountains — waterfalls, vistas, other carrots, you know — where the trails tend to be more challenging. You don’t want your first hike to be too long or too hard. You just want it to be gorgeous and memorable. Boy, do you ever ask a lot!

Fortunately, our Hike NC! affiliate is here to help. Saturday, join Christy Thrift and her team from Thrifty Adventures on a 2-mile hike at the Orchard at Altapass just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Spruce Pine. The hike is on a gently graded trail that weaves through an apple orchard. At the midpoint, the hike will pause to do some breath work (exertion and altitude, you know). The hike finishes back at the start with yoga lead by a certified yoga instructor (which will help resolve any stiffness and soreness).

It is the perfect way for a beginner to ease into hiking.

Logistics: Hike & Yoga at The Orchard at Altapass, Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m., Spruce Pine. More info and sign up, here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny with a high of 71.

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Looking ahead: Pisgah National Forest: Lower Douglas Falls Trail Hike, Asheville area, June 3. More info here.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below. 

Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below. 

Coast

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• From 2010- 2012, an estimated 52.5 million US adults (22.7 percent) annually were told by a doctor that they have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.
• An estimated 49.7 percent of adults 65 years or older reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis from 2010-2012.
• An estimated 62% of adults with arthritis are 65 years of age or older.

Staying active helps ward off the effects of arthritis, and the folks at SoMuchYoga.com tell us, working some yoga into your life is a good way to help you maintain an active lifestyle. Yoga can reduce pain, increase your range of motion, helps you build strength, improves your balance, and offers a host of additional psychological benefits.
Learn more about how a regimen of yoga can aid your active lifestyle at this article, “Yoga for Arthritis: The Amazing Way Yoga Helps Alleviate Arthritis Pain,” from SoMuchYoga.com.

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1. Have a goal. I know, I talk about the importance of having goals, about how they’re essential to keep you motivated. And yet … . Beginning last October, my goal was the Umstead Marathon, which was on March 2. I ran (mostly) the marathon, then, according to plan, took some time off. Of course, the plan was to take maybe a week or two before setting a new goal, signing up for a race and training anew. The goal was not to take a couple months, which is about what happened. Oh, I was running — every now and then. I needed a goal — I needed another trail race.

Action: I signed up for Race #3 in the River Bound Race Series in Charlotte, on the trail network at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Specifically, I’ll be doing the 15K. The race is July 20; I have 2 1/2 months to train.

Re-action: I ran 21 miles last week — about as many miles as I’ve run since March 2 — including a 10-mile trail run at Umstead.

2. Commute by bike. I’ve contemplated the bike commute for a while now; on Friday, it was time. My daughter wanted to use the car for a day-long school project. I tossed her the keys,

Action: Granted, I work mostly from home, but I also work a fair amount of the time from a collection of local coffee shops. I briefly scouted a map for secondary roads and greenways to one of my faves, gave the bike a quick tune, took 10 minutes to get my commuter gear together.

Re-action: Though it was only 5.6 miles to the coffee shop, I ended up logging more than 18 for the day, incorporating several errands into the mix. 18.6 miles, 1 hour 18 minutes on the bike, an average of 13.2 mph. Pretty good day on the bike.

3. Serenity now! Early in the week, I was stressed; lots of deadlines, lots of obstacles. I tend to withdraw when I get stressed, get glassy-eyed, pick at my fingernails, make odd clucking noises, scare the kids. Marcy is adept at spotting the early warning signs, and this time was no exception. She tried to get me to do deep breathing exercises; for whatever reason, I resisted. “You need Yoga,” she suggested.

Action: The next morning I woke up tight as Jimmy Conners’ tennis racket with an accompanying stress headache. Desperate, I tried the deep breathing exercises — and within minutes my neck and shoulders had downgraded from a T2000 to a plush Prince oversized  as forgiving as Mother Teresa (someone, please — call the metaphor police!)

Re-action: I signed up for a yoga class Thursday nights at Lake Johnson.

Act, people. Now.

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Explore Cherry Point via a triathlon, participate in the VIII Lake Lure Olympiad or try your hand (and feet and sense of balance) with yoga on a paddleboard. Just another summer weekend in North Carolina.

Coast

I’m partial to events on military bases, in part because it gives civilians such as myself access to the otherwise inaccessible, to a world we otherwise don’t get a chance to see. That exposure is compounded when the event is a triathlon, which lets you run and ride through these forbidden lands.

Saturday is your chance to explore the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point near Havelock as part of the MCAS Cherry Point Spring Triathlon (and relay triathlon). You may not see much unusual (or at all) on the 400-meter swim, but the 10-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run should be revealing. Awards to the top three finishers in each age category and everyone who survives gets a medal. $45 to race, $120 for teams.

Logistics: Race starts at 7:30 a.m. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, 60 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

Yoga Paddleboarding: Now that’s something I’d pay to see. And, perhaps, participate in if the water temperature is above 80.

Yup, it’s exactly what it sounds like: Paddle out on a Stand Up Paddleboard and downward dog you go. An interesting mix, guaranteed to keep you in line, balancewise.

Logistics: Saturday at Lake Norman, 4-6 p.m. Sponsored by Gotta Yoga and Stride Stand Up Paddleboards. $89 (includes board). 540.315.4441 to sign up, here for more information.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, 40 percent chance of rain.

Mountains

Hickory Nut Gorge is the place to be this weekend if you’re into any of the following: running a 10K (the 10K Dam Run), doing a triathlon (the Lake Lure Triathlon), a one-mile open water swim, running a 5K (the Race to the Rock 5K) or doing a 25-mile bike race. They’re all part of the 8th Annual Lake Lure Olympiad, sponsored by the Rumbling Bald Resort and Rutherford Regional Health System.

Logistics: Events begin Friday and run through Sunday. Go here for more information.

Weekend forecast: Highs in the low 80s, partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday, 20 percent chance of precip Friday.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

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The following story, which I wrote for the Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer of Raleigh, originally appeared in those papers on January 10. It appears here in expanded form, with links.

When Sidney Eagles Jr. went in for his annual physical a dozen years back, his physician reminded him that he was overweight, that his blood pressure was high, and that his cholesterol was up there as well. The reminders had become a perennial checkup ritual for Eagles, who at the time was 60 and Chief Judge of the N.C. Court of Appeals.

The annual ritual changed, though, when Eagles mentioned that he’d been short of breath recently. His doctor became alarmed, which in turn alarmed Eagles. A few days later he went to the hospital for some routine cardio tests and wound up having an operation to remove an aortic blockage. Eagles had never been big on exercise up to that point, but the event got his attention.

“I don’t have the willpower to [exercise] unless I’ve got some skin in the game,” says Eagles. With his skin literally in the game now, Eagles became devout, hitting the Rex Wellness Center three to four times a week. He still doesn’t like to exercise, but he can’t ignore the difference exercise has made in his life.

“I am — and this really sounds like braggadocio, but facts are facts — I think my balance is better and I know I’m stronger,” says Eagles, who is now 72 and in part-time practice with the Raleigh law firm Smith Moore Leatherwood. “I feel good almost all the time.”

In a state where 30 percent of all adults are considered obese and thus are at significantly higher risk of suffering a variety of maladies — from diabetes to a variety of cardiovascular-related problems — Eagles’ example is a model for the vast number of North Carolinians who have neither the inclination to exercise nor, in their minds at least, the time. Like Eagles, they don’t want to exercise, but they know they need to.

No time?

Think you don’t have the time to exercise? Can you find a half hour every day? That’s all you need to make a difference in your health, according to the National Institutes of Health. “Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling.”

Those 30 minutes can come in bits and pieces scattered throughout your day.

“Start small,” suggests Kelly Roberts, wellness specialist with Carolinas Medical Center’s LiveWELL Carolinas program in Charlotte. “Take the stairs vs. the elevator — that’s five calories right there. “Get up from your desk as many times during the day as your job allows. Keep [walking] shoes under your desk: Even 10 minutes walking at lunch is better than nothing.”

Caveat: If you do the same thing at the same intensity level during those 30 minutes, you’ll only notice the health benefits for so long. “You either need to increase the intensity during those 30 minutes or extend the length of your workout,” says Logan Johnson, an instructor with the Rex Wellness Center in Raleigh.

“Otherwise,” he adds, “your body adapts and those same challenges are not enough.”

Four areas of focus

It’s also not enough to focus just on one area. Frequently, when people think of exercising to improve their health, they think of aerobic exercises, such as walking, bicycling or doing the treadmill. In fact, there are four areas you should concentrate on to improve your health:

• Strength training. Wellness experts suggest you consult one of their own before embarking on a strength training program. “You want to make sure you’re targeting the proper muscle groups, and that your form is good so you avoid injury,” says Johnson. A personal trainer can prescribe an appropriate workout program based on your time, needs and resources. (The cost of a personal training session varies. At Rex, non-wellness center members pay $45 for a half hour session, $65 for an hour session. The per session cost goes down if purchase multiple sessions.) Resistance training, using simple rubber bands available for $20 or less, is a popular home strength training option. Or, you can fashion an effective strength training program using your body weight for resistance. “The value of doing things with your own body weight” — wall sits, planks, curling a can of tomatoes — “can’t be underestimated,” says Roberts. “There are things you can do using three- and five-pound weights in the privacy of your own home while watching TV.” Exercises: For a rundown of resistance band exercises, visit About.com here.
• Flexibility. Stretching to improve your flexibility may be the easiest exercise to incorporate into your daily routine. For instance, the Mayo Clinic suggests seven quick stretches — shoulder stretch, upper arm stretch, chest stretch, chin tuck, head turn, side neck stretch, lower back stretch and standing thigh stretch — you can do at your desk. (See an instructional slide show here.)
• Balance. Of new clients, Rex’s Johnson says, “Where I find the greatest improvement is in their balance.” Strength training exercises can help improve balance, as can basic yoga poses. Exercises: To learn basic yoga poses, check out ABC-of-Yoga.com here.
• Aerobics. Walking may be the best elixir out there for improving your health. To make your walk really count, says Johnson, get your heart rate up to 75 to 80 percent of your age-predicted heart-rate maximum. To figure that out: Start with the number 220 and subtract your age. Multiply the resulting number by .75 (for 75 percent) or .80 (for 80 percent). For example, a 50-year-old person wishing to increase his or her heart rate to 75 percent would multiply 170 (220 minus 50) times .75 to come up with a target heart rate of 127.5 beats per minute. Take your pulse (your wrist or neck are the most common spots for an effective reading) for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4. To make sure that you walk regularly, Roberts is a big advocate of pedometers. “People who wear pedometers consistently are 27 percent more active during the day,” she says. Pay less attention to the actual mileage tally (pedometers are based on your average stride, which can vary considerably) and more on the number of steps you take. Shoot for 10,000 a day, Roberts says.

Payoff

Don’t expect results immediately, says Roberts. “We feel you should be feeling significant differences in within a couple weeks,” she says. “If you’re taking the stairs, for instance, within a couple weeks you shouldn’t be as winded.”

Give it another couple of weeks before really putting your new lifestyle to the test.

“After a month or so, go do something you haven’t been able to do in a while,” says Johnson. “I had one woman who began lifting a stack of plates over her head. She’d never been able to do that before.”

Again, he stresses that if you want to see continued progress you’ll need to increase either the intensity of your workout or work out longer.

Buddy up, muscle up

You’ve had a long day at work, you’re tired and — sniff! — is that a cold coming on? Maybe I’ll skip tonight’s workout, just this once.

And you likely will, unless a workout buddy is expecting you to show up.

“A support system is important,” says Logan Washburn, fitness director at UNC’s Meadowmont Wellness Center in Chapel Hill. “Someone to keep you accountable, whether it’s a trainer or someone who comes and works out with you.”

Studies have shown that people are more likely to remain true to an exercise program if there’s a little peer pressure, be it a workout buddy, a a group you train with, or simply a friend who likes to hear about your progress, and thus, someone you don’t want to let down.

“You’re not in this alone,” advises the Mayo Clinic in its “7 Tips for Staying Motivated.” “Work out with your partner or other loved ones. … Organize a group of neighbors to take fitness classes at a local health club.”

“If you’ve got a group environment for support,” agrees Washburn, “you tend to be more successful.”

Ultimate motivation

Non-exerciser Sidney Eagles Jr., who’s been exercising religiously for 12 years now, says the ultimate motivator for anyone in poor to marginal health is pretty simple:

“If you had been in my position and didn’t perceive it as a wake-up call, you’d either be foolish, slow or temperamentally doomed to be in trouble — soon.”

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