Getting active at some great local trails
By Karyn Bowman
Recently we noticed that family pooch, Storm, has begun to gain weight. Storm is a three-year-old Labrador retriever and can be very active. He also likes to eat anything that falls on the floor, has been deserted on the table, or is not being looked at while still in a child’s hand. Plus we had him fixed this past spring.
He has become bulked up in the hips and tummy, leading to knocking down our five-year-old son more often than not. Then the kid usually socks the dog but that is another story.
I feel for our Storm because he has been put on a diet. Nothing ruins the mood of sneaking candy out of the kids’ Halloween stash more than having big brown eyes looking up at you in the hope that something will drop directly into his mouth. Plus, I know where he is right now, if a dog cares that they have more weight than they should.
In the past few years I have finally been successful at losing weight that has crept up on me over the years. It has not been easy but it meant that I had to change some bad habits. I stopped drinking soda and lowered my chocolate intake. Then I worked to add good habits such as drinking unsweetened ice tea or water and having yogurt as a snack everyday. Plus I am trying to make sure I add a piece of fruit to my lunch menu and salad at supper.
That can get you only so far. Now it is time to up the ante.
The last few Sundays the husband and I make a point of taking the dog – and the whole family – for a walk in one of the great forest preserves we have nearby. This past Sunday we went the entire three mile trek at the Aroma Park Forest Preserve on Heiland Road that took us to the shore of the river and back.
The week before I took the kids and the dog to the new path by KCC that has been paved. We took the entrance drive by the softball fields and went all the way back. We did not go as far as we could have but the dog and the kids were happy with the trip. And before you think I allowed my dog to do his business recklessly, let me inform you that we always, always, carry bags with us for the solid matter.
I asked my husband how long he felt we could do this, considering the cold weather that is coming our way. His response was perfect for a man who loves to hunt in the winter.
“We’ll just bundle them up and make sure to bring hot chocolate and water along,” he said.
That’s good because I am planning for the family to hit Perry Farm and the State Park walking trails in the near future. Do you have any other great suggestions for a Sunday afternoon trail walk?
Karyn Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies and wrote for The Daily Journal as their movie reviewer for over seven years. She lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children.
