Many of us come from far away lands. We are transplants if we stay, and snow birds or winter visitors if we stay just to take advantage of the beautiful Arizona winters (only to return to our own glorious summers, instead of Arizona’s not so glorious ones)! Right now is our season! The days are filled with blue skies, a few puffy or wispy clouds, and wonderfully warm days. While our Midwest or Eastern friends and families are wearing boots and coats, we are already in our sandals and shorts! Let’s capitalize on this weather and enjoy the outdoors!
Great things about spring compared to summer in Arizona:
- You can exercise outside at 3pm instead of having to do it at 3am!
- Although you should still drink plenty of water, you won’t need to haul a large ice chest filled with frozen water bottles to keep from passing out!
- Your body will last over an hour without profuse sweating compared to sweating immediately upon hitting the concrete.
- You could actually touch the concrete without burning your hands or feet compared to being able to fry an egg in July!
Take a walk on the outskirts of a park like Tumbleweed or Arrowhead Meadows Park in Chandler. Many parks are encompassed by surrounding sidewalks, so put on your walking shoes, grab a partner or a dog and take a stroll. This time of year, any time of day is suitable for a walk or a hike. Pedometers are a great and inexpensive way to track your steps. It’s fun to keep track of your steps on a daily, then weekly basis. Other ideas are to bring a watch and time yourself around the same path each visit. Try to increase your speed just a little bit each time. Experts recommend using the 10 Percent Rule: increasing speed or endurance about 10% more than the previous time. For example, if you walk for fifteen minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of week one, you may want to walk seventeen to twenty minutes your second week. Gradually increasing your time (and mileage) will prevent overuse injury and give your body time to adjust to more exertion.
Hiking in Arizona is terrific! There are so many different hikes available. Decide what type of hiker you are. Do you like flat, long trails? Do you prefer a steeper terrain? Would you like to stroll leisurely and enjoy the views of the valley, or perhaps the views of cacti and hills? If you decide on a rockier or more rugged trail, good hiking shoes are a must. Regular sneakers are typically not safe for the slippery rocks or sediments that can be found on many of Arizona’s more advanced hiking trails.
Other great ways to get some exercise in the beautiful outdoors of Arizona are joining an outdoor boot camp, playing with the kids or grandkids in the yard, visiting the zoo or Desert Botanical Gardens, or taking a trip to one of the places listed below:
Hikes:
The Wind Caves at Usery Park: 3939 N. Usery Pass Road, Mesa, AZ 85207
South Mountain Park: 10919 South Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85042
McDowell Mountain Regional Park: 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr. MMRP AZ 85255
Camelback Mountain: 5700 N Echo Canyon Pky, Phoenix, AZ 85018
Walks:
Arrowhead Meadows Park: 1475 W. Erie St. Chandler, AZ 85224
Tumbleweed Park: 2250 S. McQueen Rd Chandler, AZ 85244
Freestone Park: 1045 E Juniper Rd Gilbert, AZ 85299
The Phoenix Zoo: 455 N Galvin Pkwy Phoenix, AZ 85008
Desert Botanical Gardens: 1201 North Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008




