By Holly O’Dell
When summer rolls around, there’s no need to stay indoors to work up a
sweat. It’s time to trade in the thermal jogging suit for shorts and tops
in dry-fit fabrics that wick moisture away from your body. The great outdoors
offers a multitude of fitness opportunities. Here, chiropractors share their
favorite outdoor sports—and their favorite places to participate in them.
Southern California
In the 1980s, Cherie Smith, D.C., traveled to San Diego during a spring break
from Rutgers, where she received her undergraduate degree. It was here she became
intrigued with surfing. “I was mesmerized watching the people,”
she recalls. “I was hooked.” After graduation, she moved to Hawaii
for three years and learned how to long board, in which the surfboards are typically
9 feet 2 inches or 9 feet 6 inches. “I love the combination of meditation,
exercise and the adrenaline rush,” Smith says. In 2000, she moved to Atlanta
to study at Life University, then returned to San Diego in 2004 to open her
practice. She often uses lunch breaks from her practice, as well as weekends
(“I camp out all day at the beach), to take advantage of the waves. Her
favorite places to surf in the Pacific are Cardiff by the Sea, Leucadia and
Beacons Pipes (all near Encinitas, 25 miles north of San Diego). For more information,
log on to beachcalifornia.com.
A few hours north, the beaches near Los Angeles are home to a myriad of outdoor
activities. Famous for its Muscle Beach weightlifting area (it’s actually
an outdoor gym), Venice Beach also plays host to inline skaters, joggers, bikers,
walkers, volleyball players, swimmers and, of course, surfers. The vibe near
Santa Monica State Beach a few miles north of Venice Beach is similar. For more
information on Venice Beach, call (310) 399-2775 or visit venicebeach.com; for
Santa Monica, contact (310) 394-3264 or visit santamonica.com.
Southern California is home to hundreds of places to rock climb, but one of
the most scenic (and perhaps most surprising) is Joshua Tree National Park.
It’s only two hours east of Los Angeles in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.
Nearly 5,000 climbs are sprinkled throughout the 800,000-acre park. For those
who have never climbed before, or are looking for a new challenge, check out
the Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School. Instructors offer a one-day basic rock
climbing seminar, two- and four-day rock climbing courses and group outings.
(800) 890-4745; joshuatreerockclimbing.com.
Western/Pacific Northwest
Best known for the majestic Rocky Mountains, Colorado is also home to some great
trout fishing. The Cache la Poudre River starts in the high peaks of the Rockies
and winds through Fort Collins. Near the town of Rustic, anglers have easy access
to trout in these managed waters. Fishing permits are available at the Colorado
Division of Wildlife and local sporting-goods stores. Many stores specializing
in fly-fishing gear also dot the area. coloradofishing.net; (970) 472-4300.
Sixty miles east of Portland, Ore., is Hood River, the windsurfing capital of
the world. Winds from the Columbia Gorge offer ideal windsurfing conditions,
particularly at midday; the view of snowcapped Mt. Hood is icing on the cake.
Hood River Waterplay offers lessons to all levels of windsurfer. (541) 386-WIND;
hoodriverwaterplay.com.
Midwest
Steve Agocs, D.C., of Holland, Mich., finds plenty of kayaking opportunities
around him. The most convenient is Lake Macatawa, around which the town of Holland
is built (about two-and-a-half hours from both Detroit and Chicago). Agocs,
who has kayaked off and on for 10 years and bought his own kayak in 2002, enjoys
the solitude of this lake. “I like going out during the week in the morning
because there are no boats or jet skis,” he says. “A couple hundred
feet from the shore, there’s no sound. It’s really calm and peaceful.”
In addition, he enjoys the views of the beautiful beaches, dunes with trees,
and amazing architecture that surrounds the lake. Agocs has also kayaked on
Lake Michigan. Popular areas for visiting kayakers and canoeists include Grand
Island, Bowers Harbor and Arcadia. For information on the town of Holland: (800)
506-1299 or holland.org. For information on kayaking on Lake Michigan or the
other great lakes, log on to paddling.net.
For the more skilled adventure-seeker, the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi
in Minnesota’s Lake Itasca (200 miles northwest of the Twin Cities) are
the perfect starting point for a canoeing trip through the state. (218) 266-2100;
dnr.state.mn.
Northeast
Sailing in New England has joined the legendary ranks of clam chowder and the
Patriots. One of the most picturesque regions during the summer is Newport,
Rhode Island, with its sparkling Atlantic waters and historic mansions. If you’re
interested in renting a sailboat, you have plenty of options on Bowen’s
Wharf on the downtown waterfront. If you have a competitive streak, participate
in the 2006 Volkswagen Newport Regatta July 7-9. Sailing charters for larger
groups are also popular in this region. sailnewport.org or (401) 849-8385; bareboatsailing.com.
Southeast
The Southeast has a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities—more
than you might imagine, in fact. For example, did you know that North Carolina’s
Outer Banks is a prime place for scuba diving? For William Morgan, D.C., department
head of the chiropractic department at the National Naval Medical Center in
Bethesda, Maryland, scuba diving is a family affair: His wife, Clare (also a
chiropractor), sons Grant, 17, and Shane, 15, and three brothers are all scuba
certified. His two youngest children—Heidi, 10, and Kathleen, 5—will
learn how to scuba dive when they are older. The family travels to the Outer
Banks several times a year for scuba diving. “North Carolina is the ‘graveyard’
of the Atlantic,” says Morgan, who was certified in scuba diving at age
13 in southern California and was trained as a Navy diver. “There are
more than 500 sunken ships off shore, from Black Beard’s ship, the Queen
Anne’s Revenge, to German U-boats sunk during World War II. North Carolina
is the best place in the country for diving wrecks.” One of his most memorable
experiences in the Outer Banks happened last September, when he and his sons
were diving on Caribsea, a ship that was sunk by a German U-boat during the
war. “It was crawling with dozens and dozens of sand tiger sharks from
6 to 10 feet in length,” Morgan recalls. “I saw more sharks on that
one dive than in all my 34 years of diving. It was a bit eerie—they kept
swimming up to us to examine us, looking like so many grinning demons.”
If land sports are more your style, then there’s no better place than
the hills of northern Georgia. Daniel Batchelor, D.C., of Roswell, Ga. takes
advantage of the area with mountain biking and hiking. One of his favorite biking
trails is Blanket’s Creek near Woodstock, a trail system designed specifically
for mountain bikers. Fifteen to 20 miles of trails feature varying slopes, angles,
widths and terrain. “Mountain biking makes you feel like you’re
a little kid again,” Batchelor says. “The technology of the bikes
makes it so much fun.” He also enjoys hiking with his dog, Cameron, and
other members of the Dog Hikers of Georgia Club.
As a Boston native, Pamela Stone, D.C., of Kennesaw, Ga., appreciates the mild
weather and varied terrain of northern Georgia on her regular runs. She loves
the climate so much, in fact, that she stayed in the area after graduating from
Life University. “Once I realized I could train here year-round, I stayed,”
she says. Stone is a multidisciplined athlete; she has competed in an Ironman
(2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running) as
well as several marathons and many shorter races. “Running is really my
love and passion,” Stone says. “But as long as I’m outdoors
in the fresh air, that’s perfect for me.” She runs anywhere from
three to 10 miles four days a week and bikes twice a week between 20 and 50
miles. Her favorite place for running is Kennesaw Mountain, which features 16
miles of all-dirt trails.
Stone shares her fitness tips with her patients as well. “I’m a
big believer in practicing what you preach,” she says. “Chiropractors
need to set a good example for their patients.”
For more information on scuba diving in the Outer Banks, contact Dive Hatteras
at (703) 818-1850; for biking at Blanket’s Creek, log on to singletracks.com.