Get Out There on National Take a Walk in the Park Day!

March 30th is National Take a Walk in the Park Day. As exercise is one of the cornerstones of the bariatric weight loss lifestyle, we at Dr. Shillingford’s office thought it would help to share some of the great parks we have available to us in the South Florida area to walk in.

• Markham Park- in Sunrise, this 666-acre park abuts the edge of the Everglades and offers fishing, mountain biking, boating, jet skiing, disc golf, and jogging trails. There’s even a model airplane field and a special jogging path for dog owners.
• Plantation Heritage Park- Another Broward county park, this park offers a popular walking and fitness trail, disc golf, a grove of rare tropical fruit trees, and a playground.
• Anne Kolb Nature Center- This Hollywood attraction offers very popular walking trails, observation tower, boat tours, public art, an amphitheater, and geocaching. Sounds like it’s got enough to make the whole family enjoy taking a walk and a lot more.
• Riverbend Park- Ten miles of walking or biking trails plus another 7 for canoeing or kayaking, and still another 5 miles of equestrian trails make this a great park to spend the day. This Jupiter park also offers a bit of Native American history while you get your exercise.
• Okeeheelee Nature Center- This West Palm Beach area park offers 2.5 miles of trail among it’s 90 acres, but unlike many others this park makes some trails wheelchair and stroller accessible, making it a great choice for many people.
• Tropical Park- This Miami treasure is an athlete’s dream. Not only is it free, but it also offers so many choices for those with exercise in mind: a playground, tennis, soccer, softball, raquetball, biking, an equestrian center, fitness court, running, and even boxing.
• Oleta River State Park- Located on Biscayne Bay, this park offers more than 1,000 acres to explore through mangrove trails, a swimming lagoon, and a butterfly garden. You may even have a chance to see dolphins or manatees, and you can bring your bike an experience their off road mountain bike trails after you’ve had your walk.

Exercise and fitness are crucial to meeting your weight loss goals after gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band surgery. Whether you choose to walk, jog, bike, work out, go canoeing or kayaking, exercise is not only good for your weight loss, but it’s good for your heart, strengthening your muscles, relieving stress, clearing your mind, and promoting your general well being.

Even if you aren’t close enough to any of these parks, South Florida and the state of Florida is full of parks that offer great scenery in which to go for a walk! So get out there this Friday for National Take a Walk in the Park Day, and continue to make exercise part of your post bariatric surgery lifestyle.

For more information on gastric sleeve, gastric byass, or lap band surgery, contact Dr. Shillingford’s office at (561) 483-8840. Dr. Shillingford offers several ways to attend a free informational meeting to learn more about if bariatric surgery is right for you, so whether you’re close by in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, or Boca Raton, or farther away in Tampa, Orlando, of Jacksonville, make Dr. Shillingford your next step in getting your life back.