Men’s Health Month and Family Health & Fitness Day (Parks & Recreation)
The National Park & Recreation Association celebrates Family Health & Fitness Day on the second Saturday of June each year. That means that June 12, 2021 will be a day to promote the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy. June is also nationally-observed Men’s Health Month, when we raise awareness about health care for men to practice and implement healthy living decisions, such as exercising and eating healthy. Manatee and Sarasota Counties abound with a wide variety of well-maintained parks offering a great range of recreational opportunities for men and their families.
If you want to get started moving more without overexerting yourself, walking is an entry-level exercise most people can utilize. There’s no shortage of trails throughout our community. Some parks to highlight that feature paved paths include: Atwater Community Park and Bayfront Park in Sarasota, and Buffalo Creek Park and Myakka Community Park in Manatee. More rigorous hiking trails that are not necessarily paved are to be found at Perico Preserve in Bradenton, Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto, and Sleeping Turtles Preserve in Venice. Perhaps a mid-level activity between walking and hiking that may suit your current stage of fitness is bicycling. There are bike paths to enjoy at Sarasota’s Legacy Trail and Nathan Benderson Park. An interactive map of Manatee County called Breezin’ Thru Manatee will help you find a park close to you. It includes links to each park’s website for details about what they have to offer.
June’s weather in Florida invites fun exercise activities at the beach and in the water. Swimming or just moving through the water is a low impact exercise to get your heart pumping and give your muscles some light work that they may not be used to. Walking through sand causes a stroll to double as both stress-releasing leisure and a mild workout for your legs, ankles, and feet. Manatee Public Beach and Coquina Beach are prime locations for local fun in the Florida sun. Not sure if the conditions will be what you’re looking for on the day you want to go? You can check what’s happening at each beach with this useful link that’s updated by our local Mote Marine Laboratory.
Not only for men, but for the whole family, fitness through exercise is usually overlooked or neglected as boring, but its merits are not only temporarily beneficial, they contribute to a long, healthy life. Gyms typically aren’t conducive to the whole family working out together, but many of our local parks feature outdoor fitness equipment. That means the children or grandchildren can work out with you, or they can play nearby under your watchful eye as you use the available tools. Urfer Family Park, Conservatory Park, and Rothenbach Park are all places the whole family can exercise together with outdoor fitness equipment.
Perhaps you already recognize the need to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle but are hindered by pain or limited by a physical dysfunction such as vertigo. Certified Physical Therapists specialize in assessing individuals to develop a plan of recovery so you can get moving again without pain. Our non-surgical back and joint pain specialists take great professional satisfaction in helping people improve their health and getting past weaknesses and pains that detract from being able to enjoy healthy recreation. To get started, call us (941) 264-1414, email us, or send a message here. We’re here in Bradenton to help Manatee and Sarasota’s residents move without pain!