Sometimes the best hikes are right under our noses
Calgary walker creates guide to getting out and about
For those looking for a healthier lifestyle, Calgary author and walking/hiking enthusiast Lori Beattie details just how close that answer lies in her book Calgary's Best Hikes and Walks.
In the easy-to-use guide, 37 well-crafted maps provide a starting point for people to get out and enjoy local parks, the path system or interesting neighbourhoods.
"Walking is so simple that people overlook it," says Beattie during an interview at a Kensington coffee shop. "I want to get people out. You can stroll and you'll get something out of it. If people get moving, they'll be healthier and it'll happen just because you're out and moving."
In a friendly and encouraging tone she effectively walks the fine line between preaching and being overly nice, allowing her enthusiastic personality to shine through as she discusses some of the best places in the city to venture outdoors.
Included with each map is information on the length of the walk or hike, the approximate time required to complete the trail, where parking is located, nearby coffee shops and the level of difficulty. She also touches briefly on things like stretching, clothing and physiology, but that's just to cover all the bases.
More importantly, Beattie’s focus is on getting people out and about.
"There are many reasons to get out and go," she says. "Some people want to walk for architecture or Christmas lights. It's not just for nature."
If you believe the hype of fitness magazines and clubs, walking's appeal and benefits rank somewhere along the lines of masturbation. Yes, they concede, it's satisfying to some extent, but not nearly as rewarding as the grunting and sweating workout of spandex on steel.
"The fitness movement is so intimidating. They push the things no one likes," says Beattie. "I used to work in the fitness industry and despised what they're doing. It doesn't encourage lifestyle changes."
She explains that unlike a boxercise or aerobics class, for example, walking can easily bring together people of different interests and different fitness levels.
"People can pick their own pace. The keener can do the stairs a few times while others can stroll around. Different interests can come together on the same thing and get something different. This is a lifestyle."
And it's a lifestyle she believes is slowly catching on.
"People are beginning to find they want to slow things down. People are trying to look after their health and this is a way to do it at a comfortable pace. It's so obvious it's missed."
Judging by the book's position on the local best-seller list week after week, that may soon change. |
