Natures Treadmill and Making Time for Yourself

Natures Treadmill and Making Time for Yourself

I just got back from a trip to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. I live in South Florida and we do not have anything resembling a hill here. The land is flat, flat, flat. But we do have the ocean! Being a country girl (originally from Connecticut) at heart, every time I go to the mountains I feel a sense of calm, it brings me back to my roots of growing up with hills, trees, the seasons and the beauty of nature.

I think we get so caught up in our day-to-day life, that no matter where we live we start to tune out the beauty of our surroundings and take them for granted. There is beauty all around us no matter where we live if we take the time to stop, look and listen.

The Mountain

My girlfriends and I stayed halfway up the mountain in a beautiful cabin in the woods. The road to get to the top of the mountain was so curvy and windy if you got just a little too close to the end your car would have fallen down the mountain. It was scary at first and then it became second nature to drive there.

We went on a three-hour hike in the woods and it seemed as if the rest of the world disappeared. From the scenic views to the rushing water charging over the rocks, there was beauty everywhere. The best part was the crisp mountain air; I kept taking deep breaths that filled my lungs. In Florida, it is just too hot to do that.

Hiking is such a great form of exercise. Hills are like natures built in treadmill machine. They work your leg but most of all your booty. I am in shape but when you are taken out of the norm or what you usually do and do something different your body feels it.

 

Hills Are Natures Built-In Treadmill for the Booty

So if you live in Florida, with no hills like I do the best way to simulate the “booty effect” of walking up hills is to put your treadmill at a high incline and take long, slow steps. Focus on squeezing your glutes with each stride. This is such a great workout and totally different than running or jogging on the treadmill. It’s great cardio and a lower body workout at once.

It is so important to make time for yourself. You don’t need to go on vacation to do it. Sometimes my husband and I will get up early on a Sunday and go to the beach for a 1-hour walk. It takes us about 20 minutes to get there. Early in the morning, the ocean is so peaceful, there are very few people at the beach and we get to enjoy each other’s company without any interruptions. Just one hour feels like we have been on vacation for a week.

You don’t need to go to the mountains or the beach, you can take a walk, listen to music, read a book, paint, meditate, garden, ride a bike. The point is to take time to do something to slow down every so often just for you. It’s a great way to cut down on stress, regroup and rediscover yourself and what you love to do.