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Hiking is a great way to meet people and get in shape, but most beginners hikes are not where you start getting in shape. Here are several articles on beginner hiking to help you know what to expect and how to prepare:   Top Three Things You Need to Know About Beginner Hiking Group hiking is a great hobby for those who want to enjoy nature, socialize and get in shape at the same time  Continued at: Top Three Things You Need to Know About Beginner Hiking - Yahoo     Hiking 101: What is a beginner hike? Middle Tennessee is home to many beautiful parks and greenways with a wide variety of hiking trails for walkers to enjoy. Many of these trails are paved and easy to take at a slow pace for beginners.So what is... Continue     Hiking 101: What is a moderate hike? (Video) This column has looked at beginner hikes from several different angles, so ...

January 2013 is right around the corner -- time to shape up, America! January Is 'Shape Up US Month' January is annual Shape Up US month, as well as the month with two lesser-known weekly observances on the same theme. Find out more at: January Is 'Shape Up US Month' --Squidoo

I love to go hiking, especially on moderate, scenic trails. These are some of the hikes I have been involved with recently. Full moon hikers get in shape and enjoy smallest full moon of the year Nov. 28 Fifteen hikers and two canines braved the last chill of November to enjoy the spectacle of a full moon, led by hike leader Michael D. Hughes from Cumberland Transit. November’s full Moon is known as the “Beaver... Middle Tennessee Hiking Group sponsors Radnor Lake beginners hike The Middle Tennessee Hiking Group sponsored a hike on Nov. 25 at Radnor Lake. Approximately 20 people showed up to burn off some turkey and dressing, get some exercise, and hike the lakeside trails on a sunny, cool, November morning... Full moon hike at Edwin Warner park Oct. 29 The windy, chilling effects of Frankenstorm were felt in the wind as some 24 determined hikers from Cumberland Transit and Nashville hiking Meetup pu...

Middle Tennessee Hiking Group sponsors Radnor Lake beginners hike The Middle Tennessee Hiking Group sponsored a hike on Nov. 25 at Radnor Lake. Approximately 20 people showed up to hike the lakeside trails on a sunny, cool, November morning. The day was cool enough for jackets but sunny enough for sunscreen . Article & photos at: Middle Tennessee Hiking Group sponsors Radnor Lake beginners hike - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner

The Leaves of October Today I got to walk with two friends in the beauty of Edwin Warner Park enjoying the colorful display of sunlight on autumn leaves. It was a spectacular view. The weather was mild, two of us took our small dogs, and we enjoyed talking while we exercised by walking 2.5 miles under the trees. This is a poem in celebration of autumn and the beauty of October leaves: Poem at: The Leaves of October - a Fall Poem - Yahoo! Voices

Regular readers of this blog will know I have turned into a moderate health nut in the past few years. I must admit, I was inspired to take up walking a decade ago because of my little dog Katy. I realized I was letting her approach her old age having lived the life of a complete couch potato with me. That caused me to realize my own senior years were not so distant, so we took up walking. Five or so years ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I told my doctor I wanted to treat it naturally to see if I could lower it with exercise and eating. The next year when it was high again, I redoubled my efforts to eat better and walk more. See: High Blood Pressure & Praise   Also see:  Full moon hike Sept. 29 with Nashville Hiking Meetup

I am so going to do this 100 Mile Challenge! Just walking a little over 1 mile each day will do it, and I usually try to put in 2 miles almost every day-- one walking the dogs and one jogging with Shelby.  Mayor Karl Dean announced the second year for the “Walk 100 Miles” challenge he started in 2011. Dean came up with the concept as a community-wide effort to encourage Nashvillians to improve their overall health. Find out more at: Join Mayor Karl Dean for the “Walk 100 Miles” challenge

How Far and How Long Should You Walk Your Puppy? There is nothing cuter than a little puppy exploring the world, jumping at butterflies, grasshoppers and grass, racing around the yard and tripping over its feet. Exercise is important for puppies, but when should you you start walking a puppy on a leash and how much distance should you plan to cover with your little fur friend? Here are some things I have learned about walking young puppies. Article at: How Far and How Long Should You Walk Your Puppy? - Yahoo! Voices

 I took Jack on the Nashville Hiking Meetup's Full Moon Hike last night. I carried him more than half way because at his age, he is only supposed to get about 40 minutes of forced exercise. (See How Far and How Long Should You Walk Your Puppy? ) This collage shows the early arrivals posing with the full moon behind us, as well as Jack and me at one of the two stops the group makes as it circles Edwin Warner Park. We had a great time hiking the park by moonlight and flashlight! For the article and photos, go to: Full moon hike Sept. 29 combines nature and health - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner

Hunting Easter Eggs at Red Caboose Park Red Caboose Park in Nashville, TN Bellevue's Red Caboose Park is the cute neighborhood park in Bellevue, Tennessee--a suburb of Nashville. There is actually a red caboose in the park as well as a historic log cabin. Log Cabin at Red Caboose Park Both the red caboose and the log cabin are symbols of Bellevue's early days and a reminder of Bellevue's heritage. The parkis a fun place to hunt for Easter eggs or to walk your dogs with a play area for children and a paved exercise path for walkers and joggers. Five laps around the park makes a mile.  Two dogs and a big mushroom at Red Caboose Park The community park has rules posted that park visitors are required to follow. A couple of signs are posted that cover general Metro Park rules, but another smaller sign clearly lays out the rules for the track.  No Skates, No Skateboards, No Bicycles Because a variety of people walk the track, it is not a place for kids ...

Blue moon inspires walkers and hikers at Edwin Warner Park Jack and I had a great time last night when  Michael D Hughes, hike leader and event coordinator from Cumberland Transit, led a group of more than 60 hikers from Nashville Hiking Meetup and other hiking and fitness groups on almost 4 miles of paved roads at Percy Warner Park for a special Blue Moon Hike. The large group spilled into three parking areas around picnic shelter 9 off Vaughn Road at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 31.  OK, so it's not really blue! A blue moon is the rare occurrence of a 2nd full moon in one month. Hike details and photos at: Blue moon inspires walkers and hikers at Edwin Warner Park - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner

Jack and I joined four other hikers from the Nashville Hiking Meetup to enjoy a nocturnal Warner Woods Trail hike at 7p.m. on Monday, August 27, 2012 for a hike. Jack and I actually went to the wrong entrance and so were late getting to the meeting place, and I jugged for over a mile with Jack in a pet carrier pack trying to catch the group. The trail is 2.5 miles long, so I finally wore myself out just as it was getting dark. I put Jack down and slung the pack over one shoulder and we continued walking. We caught up with a group of 3 girls which I hoped was the Meetup group. The girls were not part of the Meetup, but they had seen the group pass them earlier. I didn't have the energy to jog further and by this time it was really getting dark. My flashlight had fallen out in the car, so I tagged along with the girls who were nice enough to share their light with me. Soon we saw flashlights ahead of us, and sure enough, it was the Meetup group starting their second time...

Tonight I jogged a mile for the 3rd time in my life. The first time I jogged a mile was around the beginning of August, and the 2nd time was last week, so I am only starting to be able to say "I can jog a mile." Growing up, I read, I climbed trees, and I played with dolls. I was outside a lot, and I did run through the woods near the lake where we lived, but these were short bursts of running followed by lots of walking and contemplating nature. As I child, I could sit still for long periods studying ants, or examining flowers, or looking for mica in the slate and shale rocks near the lake. In 6th grade, however, I flew around our little playground at Una Elementary and won a ribbon for running, so in 7th grade I tried out for track. It was a rude awakening to discover I was the slowest girl who tried out and the only one who couldn't run all the way around the track. I failed so miserably and was so deeply mortified, I never thought of myself as a runner again, but t...

Healthy eating at Noodles After a busy morning writing, I met my friend Mary Ann Stasaski Liden at Noodles & Company in Green Hills for lunch today. I had coupons for free salads, so we decided to give them a try.  The verdict? Delicious! Mary Ann and I were recently reunited at our 40th high school reunion , so it was especially nice to eat right across the street from Hillsboro High School, our old Alma Mater. Read more at:   Healthy eating: Summer salads at Noodles - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner Also see: Keeping the Reunion Going  Talking Skin Care at McDonald's Later I met my friend Joan at McDonalds in West Nashville. We didn't eat because I was full of delicious Noodles salad, but we did talk about the great Rodan + Fields skin care products and business opportunity . A little socializing, a little skin care -- it's all good!   Exercising in the Park After that it was time to work a little exercise into my day by walkin...

Tonight I loaded Jack and Shelby in the car, and we drove out to Percy Warner Park to meet the Nashville Hiking Meetup group at the Mossy Ridge Trailhead. Since Jack is so little, we only walked as far as the small waterfall, but it was nice meeting others in the group and enjoying the trails. Shelby and  went out to the Percy Warner trails almost every day after Miss Katy died. Nashville Hiking Meetup hikes Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park   The Nashville Hiking Meetup held a night trek for experienced hikers at Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park on Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Eight members showed up to hike the 4.5 mile trail that winds through the hollows and ridges of the Harpeth Hills. Article at: Nashville Hiking Meetup hikes Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner

The Eating Sensibly Diet Dieting is almost a pastime with many people. Books, TV shows, and videos are devoted to teaching us how to eat. Do we really need a book or TV show to tell us how to eat sensibly? Read more at: The Eating Sensibly Diet | Skin Health Beauty Also see: Top 10 Signs You Are NOT Taking Weight Loss Seriously

Just so you know -- the guy in the middle is NOT A HEALTHY WEIGHT! Shocking obesity predictions in new Centers for Disease Control report While some Americans are living on the banks of Denial, clamoring for more plus-size models and happily fooled by vanity sizing , a new report released today from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a shocking 42% of our country's population will be obese by 2030. The report, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was released at the CDC's Weight of the Nation conference. via Shocking obesity predictions in new Centers for Disease Control report - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner 

How to avoid gaining weight over the holidays - top 6 weight loss tips  The holiday weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year are the worst time of the year for weight gain. Several factors are at play. Obviously there are all the December holiday gatherings with their smorgasbords of tempting holidays foods, but there is also a change in the weather that can signal our bodies to slow down and hibernate indoors if we are not careful. via How to avoid gaining weight over the holidays - top 6 weight loss tips - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner For more holiday weight loss tips, read Top 10 Ways to Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain Blues and see the video below. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYP9sYvUP4k] While you are outside exercising, don’t forget your broad-spectrum sunscreen. For a little color plus sunscreen I recommend the Rodan + Fields Mineral Pepties SPF Powder . Find out more about the Rodan + Fields products HERE . Find out more abou...

Green Hills Family YMCA to hold 9 * 10 * 11 5K run & neighborhood festival The Green Hills Family YMCA Director of Development, Lauren Zook, spoke at the September 7 meeting of the Nashville City Civitan Club about the 9 * 10 * 11 Green Hills YMCA Run for the Hills 5K Run and Neighborhood festival. The run will begin at the Green Hills Family YMCA and continue through the surrounding Green Hills business area and residential neighborhood. Continue reading at: Green Hills Family YMCA to hold 9 * 10 * 11 5K run & neighborhood festival - Nashville Skin Care Examiner