Sweat and Sunshine

3 Strategies for Enjoying Outdoor Adventures with Chronic Conditions

About 133 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic condition. A condition is one that lasts a year or more and requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living or both. I’m challenged by multiple chronic conditions, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a musculoskeletal issue that causes chronic pain. I’m also a nature lover. So I’m well aware that awesome outdoor adventures naturally require thorough planning and when we have chronic conditions it exponentially increases the details we’ll need to consider. That's I'm sharing my top 3 strategies for enjoying outdoor adventures despite chronic conditions. You can read the blog post here: https://sweatandsunshine.com/3-strategies-for-enjoying-outdoor-adventures-with-chronic-conditions/

Making Spirituality Part of Our Wellness Practice

Join me as I seek insight on how we can make spirituality a regular part of our lives. In this episode Suzy Jacobson Cherry, a writer who focuses on spirituality, answers my questions on how to practice spirituality, the potential benefits of practicing, and what happens when we avoid spirituality. We'll discuss how mindfulness can connect us to spirituality, the importance of fellowship, and making time to breathe in and inspire ourselves. Tempe Park with labrynth: Hudson Park https://www.tempe.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/104/3542?npage=2

Harriet Tubman, the Naturalist - Part Two

How does an escaped slave become an American hero? Our perspective holds the answer. You see Tubman wasn’t simply an escaped slave. She was a highly skilled naturalist; an expert of the natural world. In this episode we’ll learn how Tubman used her skills as a naturalist to triumph over immense evil and successfully lead 19 dangerous and exhausting missions through varying landscapes. Sources Carnegie Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://carnegiemnh.org/harriet-tubman-was-a-naturalist/ [https://carnegiemnh.org/harriet-tubman-was-a-naturalist/] Guzman, F., & Gast, P. (2020, March 10). A timeline of the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. CNN. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/us/harriet-tubman-timeline-trnd/index.html [https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/us/harriet-tubman-timeline-trnd/index.html] Magazine, S. (2022, March 10). Harriet Tubman is famous for being an abolitionist and political activist, but she was also a naturalist. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-tubman-is-famous-for-being-an-abolitionist-and-political-activist-but-she-was-also-a-naturalist-180979689/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-tubman-is-famous-for-being-an-abolitionist-and-political-activist-but-she-was-also-a-naturalist-180979689/] Michetti, J. (2021, February 28). Harriet Tubman, naturalist. Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.audubonva.org/news/harriet-tubman-naturalist [https://www.audubonva.org/news/harriet-tubman-naturalist]

Harriet Tubman, the Naturalist - Part 1

How does an escaped slave become an American hero? Our perspective holds the answer. You see Tubman wasn’t simply an escaped slave. She was a highly skilled naturalist; an expert of the natural world. In this episode we’ll learn how Tubman used her skills as a naturalist to triumph over immense evil and successfully lead 19 dangerous and exhausting missions through varying landscapes.  Sources Carnegie Museum of Natural History. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://carnegiemnh.org/harriet-tubman-was-a-naturalist/ [https://carnegiemnh.org/harriet-tubman-was-a-naturalist/] Guzman, F., & Gast, P. (2020, March 10). A timeline of the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. CNN. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/us/harriet-tubman-timeline-trnd/index.html [https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/us/harriet-tubman-timeline-trnd/index.html] Magazine, S. (2022, March 10). Harriet Tubman is famous for being an abolitionist and political activist, but she was also a naturalist. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-tubman-is-famous-for-being-an-abolitionist-and-political-activist-but-she-was-also-a-naturalist-180979689/ [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/harriet-tubman-is-famous-for-being-an-abolitionist-and-political-activist-but-she-was-also-a-naturalist-180979689/] Michetti, J. (2021, February 28). Harriet Tubman, naturalist. Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.audubonva.org/news/harriet-tubman-naturalist [https://www.audubonva.org/news/harriet-tubman-naturalist]

Lessons From the Trail; Practicing a Work and Life Balance

One of my favorite ways to expand my ideas around health and wellness is to talk with my hiking guests. They come from all over the world, offering diverse perspectives; and they all like to stay active. As a Personal Trainer and Health Coach, I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned, but mostly I love discovering how others stay healthy. I’ve found the stories they tell and the insight they offer to be uniquely valuable in my personal growth, so I’d like to share my favorites here in a series titled “Lessons from the Trail.” In this post I’ll explain how a guest encouraged me to re-commit to my established belief of a day of restoration.