by Andrea Blumenstein photo credit @kitchencomaI had a sense that not all fun is the same, but I didn’t know until recently that a specific type of not-your-average good time has a name. If you aren’t into the extreme mountain sports, you might not have come across this before. It’s called Type II fun. I heard a lot about this Type II fun while sitting at dinner or sometimes breakfast during the past month when I was teaching yoga at a mountain lodge (Llullu Llama if anyone is looking for a great spot!) in Ecuador. The Ecuadorian Andes are full, brimming really, with people who are all about that Type II fun. Don’t get me wrong, they like Type I fun too--that’s the stuff that is fun while you are doing it and after you are doing it, like mountain hot tubs and drinks on a boat. How do you know if you are having type two fun? Well, it is a bit tricky because the “during” of the event/activity you are miserable. It sucks, everything sucks, you hate yourself for doing it, you hate your friend/boyfriend/whoever for convincing you to do it--even if it was your idea. BUT, what distinguishes this from your run of the mill bad times is that later, maybe much later depending on the level of trauma, you are so glad you did it. You are laughing about it! Telling stories about it! Even considering doing it again (you crazy beast!). Did you get lost on a hike? Type II fun! No one tells a story for years to come about that time they went for a hike and then went home and ate a sandwich. But, if you went on a hike and got lost, forgot your sandwich in the kitchen before you left and ended up splitting a banana with some backwater type before slowly, painfully finding your way home, then you stumbled upon that sweet sweet Type II fun. For me, just going hiking in Ecuador was Type II. It was so hard, I thought I was dying. I couldn’t believe that all of these people came all the way out there to do this. Ugh. (I went to teach yoga! Yoga is generally not Type II fun but never discount the possibility.) But then, later, over dinner with fellow hikers laughing about how my yoga skills somehow kept me upright when, if gravity had anything to say about it, I should have definitely slipped and fell in that steaming pile of cow dung! Yeah! And cool, beautiful photos to boot! Hello, Type II fun. It’s me. I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet. You know, to go over everything… they say that time’s supposed to heal you. Other people that I met didn’t think a day of hiking in the Andes was Type II. Apparently totally forgettable in the mill of life. Fine. Those guys were usually also talking about spending twelve hours scaling an ice cliff and then--YES!--getting to the top. That is their level of Type II and that’s okay. It is a subjective thing. Things that are almost always going to be ripe with opportunity for Type II:
The moral of the story? Get after it. Spring is here and there are all kinds of opportunities for Type II fun and the family-friendly equivalent. Here are a few suggestions to get you started The Appalachian Trail offers a multitude of Type II fun opportunities and Pennsylvania boasts 229 miles of the trek that spans from Spring Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Head north from one of the many spots to enter in PA to find a challenge and for a small fee, outdoor adventurers can purchase a variety of trail maps and guides on the official website or join the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) to meet some folks to go along with you. Lehigh Gorge State Park is characterized by a steep-walled gorge featuringing sharp rock outcropping and waterfalls of the Lehigh River with an overall span of 6,107 miles of nature. Hiking and climbing abounds but the region also offers white water for those looking to get wet. Treetop Quest Philly will take you high with a range of courses spanning from easy to extreme. This aerial adventure park is really only Type II if you are under the age of 12, but family-style fun is always worth noting! Hellerick’s Family Farm in Doylestown, PA also falls under the family-style category. Open seasonally, from spring through fall, this local gem offers an aerial adventure park with options for thrill-seekers over the age of 7. Reservations recommended. Shades of Death Trail has to make the list if not just for its name. Located in Jim Thorpe, PA, the trail runs through Hickory Run State Park with enough ups and downs to challenge anyone game to try it. Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia is a half marathon (with 5K and 10K options) set along some of Philadelphia’s most historic landmarks. Scheduled for Sept. 15th, the music and community engagement makes this a great race for everyone! Finally, a friendly reminder to Leave No Trace if you embark on any of these nature journeys!
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Fitness & Health: Why You Should Indulge More In The Things You Love, To Improve Your Health.12/1/2018 by Stephanie Spickler  Healthy is more than just an adjective, it’s a way of life. Healthy, in our day and age, is roughly defined as being free from disease or pain; overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing; The current, full definition can be found here at merriam-webster.com We see “healthy” everywhere, in magazines, in grocery stores..on TV. But what does Healthy actually mean? I figured the definition was a lengthy scientific calculation regarding weight, height, BMI. I am slightly embarrassed to admit I thought that. I didn’t even think about mental wellness or the emotional aspect of the word. How did I not think about that? Probably because our society has been so caught up with the physical, aesthetic aspect. Apparently I did too! So why is the term healthy important and why are changing workouts regularly beneficial to overall health? Because our bodies change on a day to day basis, from the amount of sleep we get, the types of foods we eat and put into our bodies, the hormone levels, environmental conditions. The list goes on. Healthy encompasses so much more than just the physical state of being. Healthy does not necessarily mean skinny, Healthy also doesn’t mean you must look like a chiseled rock. Healthy is different for everyone. A lot of men and women, including myself at times, pack the pressure on internally, to achieve a “look” and we often forget to put enough emphasis on the way we feel. Do you eat the same thing, every single meal, every single day of the year? No, probably not. So why workout the same? Gyms have great equipment options, but they can be intimidating all around sometimes! We need to change more than just the muscles we focus on at the gym that day. Alternating from ‘leg day’ to ‘arm day’ is a great way to ensure you target all parts of your physical body, but you need to change more than that for overall health. I know that when I go to the gym, I constantly worry about my form, whos looking at me, am I doing my reps quick enough?.. Is there someone waiting for the piece of equipment I am using? All those things can distract your mind from reaping all of the benefits of the workout. Try grabbing some free weights from your local store and take them to the park. Take them to the beach with your bestie...get tan, chat with your bestie and enjoy an after workout cooldown in the saltwater! Take your workout somewhere that you can exercise and rejuvenate both your mind and body. Working out isn’t just good for physical fitness, it can provide huge benefits mentally and emotionally. It can boost your mood or help release tension, it can strengthen your muscles and your mind. It’s important to change your workout routine regularly to reap all the benefits of exercising. Just like in eating, we eat a variety of vegetables, a variety of fruits, etc.. variety is key to reaping all the benefits of the foods available to us. So... what does exercise for the mind and the emotional aspect of our health actually mean? Working out for the mind and soul can include so many things! Indulge in whatever it is that you need to work on, personally. Just like when you set a plan for physical fitness, you should create a plan for your mind and soul. Everyone is different and reflecting within yourself to find the things that stretch and work your mind and soul out is the first step. Working out for the mind and soul just means we focus on who we are as humans, our passions, our interests. We actively need to seek activities that enable us to FEEL good, not just look good - activities that help us grow our uniquely precious characteristics and individual skills. I personally change my workout style, intensity and activities. Most of November i kicked butt with intense physical workouts….but the other week I skipped my BeachBody a couple days and opted to completely rearrange the furniture in my great room. I arranged the furniture to focus around one another instead of focusing around the TV so we could inspire more conversation and family time. Everytime I switched my decorative pillows, I squatted. The next day, I rearranged the Art on the walls. I did walking lunges around my home while doing it. Then decorated for the Holiday (which did not include squats or walking lunges...I drank a beer ha! What I did do though was focus intently on making my home feel and look the way I wanted it to in order to feel good living there. It helped clear my mind while I got a workout. I came out of the experience very uplighted, excited and physically exhausted in the best kind of way and according to my iWatch, I burned 98 calories while achieving my target heart rate to consider it a cardio workout! (See more here; Burn Calories By Moving ) There are Beer and Yoga events, who says you can’t enjoy a cold beer while in Warrior pose? I personally think this sounds amazing, life is busy, combine a refreshing beer with a relaxing Yoga workout. So do what makes you happy and do what rejuvenates you. There are Wine & Painting classes you can go to that exercise your mind and soul which can rejuvenate and restore our moods. Maybe painting doesn’t necessarily burn calories or make you sweat like your spin class but it does wonders for your mind and emotional wellbeing, which is very important to overall health. Working out physically is extremely important, there is no substitute for a sweaty workout. It’s important to remember though, that you must indulge in the things that rejuvenate and build your mind and soul to. Even with perfect physical health, without emotional or mental health - we’re not healthy. So let go of the images and ideas of the perfect body or weight and focus on loving yourself all around, enjoy good sweaty workouts, laugh and love to fulfill your soul and work hard to accomplish your goals and dreams - no matter what they are or what they look like because it’s the only way to achieve a true overall healthy life. |
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