We spent this weekend tent camping at Martin Dies State Park, just outside of Jasper, Texas in the piney woods of East Texas, north east of our home in Houston. The weather was beautiful. A rare cool front had blown in keeping temperatures and the humidity down. It was a great time to play outdoors.

Saturday morning, we signed up for what the Park Service calls “Paddling the Forks,” a 10 mile or so canoe trip down to where the Angelina and Neches Rivers fork together. Putting in our canoes at Bevilport, we learned that the town was once an important shipping port in the mid-1800’s shipping cotton and hides to New Orleans. Since the land was so overgrown with briar vines and brambles (this area of Texas is also called the “Big Thicket”), most early settlers used the rivers and bayous for transportation. It’s difficult to think of a town that’s 100 miles inland as a “port city” but it makes sense once you see the area.

You can’t believe how restful it was paddling down the river with thick pine forests on both sides and the occasional magnolia tree in full bloom peeking through every once in a while. You also can’t believe the physical workout you get paddling a canoe for 10 miles!

To properly paddle a canoe, you have to reach forward (working your back), insert the paddle into the water and essentially “pull” the canoe forward (working your shoulders, arms, and abs). After a couple of strokes, you switch over and repeat the process on the other side. It’s a full, upper body workout.

Now, I have to remind you at this point that this is East Texas so this is not whitewater canoeing where the only paddling you have to do is to keep your canoe pointed in the right direction. East Texas rivers are slow, meandering bodies of water. You have to actually work in order to get to where you’re going!

It took our group about 6 hours to complete the trip, including about a 40 minute stop for lunch. Although this sounds like a long time to be paddling, remember that this type of activity puts a very low load on your muscles for a prolonged period (as opposed to weight lifting which puts a high load for a low duration). As a result, although my muscles felt like they had been worked out, they weren’t completely fatigued. Nor did I feel any soreness the day after.

It was a great trip and a great way to get in some physical exercise while my mind and soul soaked in the beauty and tranquility of Mother Nature. It was a fun activity that renewed every part of me: the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. It was a perfect example of a balanced physical activity.

These types of activities are all around us. Take a walk or a bike ride in a neighborhood park. Get outside and do some gardening. Play catch with your kids. All of these activities provide some sort of physical exercise but more than that, they also provide mental relaxation, stress reduction, and they help strengthen your spiritual connections.

So get out there and play! Your body, mind, and spirit will love it – and you’ll be healthy as a result.

Hiram

The Balanced Health Guy

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