Get outside and enjoy your community this spring!
Saturday, March 21st, 2015
Spring has sprung! This season, welcomed by most Minnesotans, officially arrived on Friday, March 20, at 5:45 p.m. We have been fortunate this year to have already experienced some warmer temperatures, and more great weather is sure to be on the way. That means it’s time to get outside and enjoy all that our community has to offer!
A great way to have fun while improving your health this spring is to participate in outdoor activities. We are fortunate that our community is near a variety of city parks and trails, both paved and natural, which allow for walking, jogging, or bicycling on a beautiful spring day.
Here’s a list of some of the possible health benefits of these activities:
- Enhance mental well-being and decrease stress levels
- Improve cardiovascular fitness
- Increase muscle strength and flexibility
- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and more
- Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- Strengthen bones
- Improved joint mobility
- Improved posture and coordination
Local recreation spots
Here are a few places to get outside and enjoy your community this spring:
Lebanon Hills Regional Park – Eagan
Lebanon Hills offers a variety of trails for walking, running, and biking. Most are paved, allowing for stroller and wheelchair access. Lebanon Hills also has an extensive mountain bike course with a 12-mile, one-way, single-use sidetrack for mountain bikers with options for beginners, intermediate, and the extremely daring! The website includes trial maps and rider reviews of each route. There is also some interesting information on the Lebanon Hills gnomes. Make sure to ring your bike bell if you see one for good luck! Lebanon Hills also has a beach and many picnic tables and restrooms, which makes it a great place to spend the whole day.
Mendota Trail
Part of Minnesota Valley State Trail Corridor, this 5.7-mile natural-surface trail begins at the Sibley House Historic Site in Mendota. It then follows a floodplain between the Minnesota River and Gun Club Lake across Fort Snelling State Park and ends at the Cedar Avenue Bridge in Eagan, where it connects to the Long Meadow Lake Trail.
Fort Snelling State Park
101 Snelling Lake Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55111
There are 18 miles of hiking trails and 5 miles of biking trails at this historic park. Plus you can enjoy canoe rentals, picnic areas, fishing, and boating. There is a daily entrance fee of $5, or you can opt for the $25 annual pass.
Crosby Farm Regional Park
2595 Crosby Farm Road, Saint Paul, MN 55116
The park contains 6.7 miles of paved trails great for biking and walking, many of which run along the river’s shoreline through wooded bottomlands.
You can also enjoy other activities, like tennis and basketball, at various city parks. And for those rainy days, don’t forget about the fitness center located right at your community.
Don’t feel like leaving the house? No problem! Research says housework burns about 300 calories an hour, so break out the vacuum and dust pan and get your activity in right at home!
We hope you have a wonderful spring enjoying all your apartment community and the local community have to offer!