The bright blue skies beckoned me. Scorching temperatures and increasing humidity did not deter me. Today, I began using the Fit Trail at Stony Creek Metro Park for the interval training portion of my summer fitness program. It includes 32 stations that blend a mix of exercises to improve balance, flexibility and strength. All of these stops are set against the natural surroundings of the park grounds, which include the beach, shady woodland trails, meadows and a six-mile, black-top trail.
This morning I spent time acquainting myself with the directional flow of the trail, the three trail options available to me and with the exercises at each of the stops. I brought my camera along to provide you with a visual of this beautiful park and the Fit Trail. But, as I began jogging the trail, I soon realized the photographs taken would also help me remember station order as well as exercises; and would be great motivation for those stops I thought to be above my current fitness level.
Stony’s Fit Trail, which begins and ends at Eastwood Beach, offers three different trail or course options: short, middle and full. I love options. The short will be perfect for those sessions when time is tight, middle is what I did this morning, and full is a challenge for me to meet by the end of summer. Another bonus to the Fit Trail is the breeze off the lake and shade from all those gorgeous trees. This made training bearable today despite the dense heat.
Until the snow flies, the Fit Trail is going to be my place for weekly interval training sessions. My home fitness center in the basement just doesn’t motivate me enough to get the job done. Summer in Michigan offers so many outdoor fitness options that are only feasible for such a short time.
Kate Parish 