Pond Mountain Overlooking St. Lake Catherine • Wells, Vermont.
Exercise – not meaningfully for over six years, so I’m beginning slowly. I’m 62, a former athlete, three knee operations under my belt along with two hernias and a third not far away, so I need to be even more careful than most. And, now with social distancing and gym closures, any formal exercise is out of the question. But, there’s good news… Vermont!
Of course, we all know a thirty-minute brisk walk every day is incredibly beneficial – helps maintain a healthy weight; prevents or helps manage heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and strengthens your bones and muscles. So, tell me something I don’t already know…
Hiking, especially in nature is so powerful especially for our health and well-being that leading-edge doctors are prescribing hiking in addition to traditional treatments for disease. Research this for yourselves, but evidence suggests that hiking in dense forests may provide far more benefits due to certain organic compounds that trees emit that boost mood and improve our overall mental and emotional health.
We’ve been actively hiking for the last two weeks and we found ourselves happier, more creative and calmer despite the many hardships that this coronavirus pandemic is causing. Maybe it’s that we’re getting far more oxygen to our brain, eliminating massive sensory-overload, and the mental fatigue that comes from the persistent daily demands of life. Join us in Vermont amongst the thousands of square miles of forested mountain terrain that many would call the epicenter of happiness… at Pond Mountain Inn.
Photo: the midpoint of our two-mile hike at the top of Pond Mountain overlooking St. Lake Catherine, Wells, Vermont.
Pond Mountain Inn 