Fitness

Spring 2022 fitness routine and gear

 in Fitness / Shopping  tagged fitness / fitness gear / spring 2022 by
spring fitness gear routine

Spring 2022 fitness gear from top left: spin shoes / yoga mat / yoga socks / weight set / fitness shoes / hiking boots / leggings /

Spring is here, and my hip has healed. Yay!! This means I can finally get back into a somewhat normal workout routine for the spring season. Of course, a healed hip does not give me carte-blanche to go back to the way I was working out last summer, I did end up with a little bit of collateral damage.

Once my hip had healed, I decided to go on a walk with some steep hills. This was not a good idea after having not been doing anything for three months. I ended up getting some sharp pains in the arch of my foot and have been dealing with an injury to my arch since November. Now that we are into the spring season, my foot is healing, and with proper orthotics inserted into my shoes, I can finally do a fitness routine seemingly close to how I normally workout.

In order to protect my planter fasciitis tendon, I need more than proper arch support, I need to insure I am doing exercises which will not put strain on my arch yet allow me to rebuild the muscle I may have lost from months of not working out at the level I previously enjoyed. This means low impact cardio, limited squats and lunges, and allowing for rest days in between heavy days. So, without further ado, here is my current spring fitness routine!

Monday: BodyCombat (I am doing this cardio kickboxing class without jumping or any impact. I am still getting a good workout and protecting my arch.)

Tuesday: 30-minute Core class and 50-minute yoga class (this allows me to not put pressure on my foot while still getting a little workout, building strength, and stretching out)

Wednesday: Spin class (this is low impact, and if I feel pressure underneath my foot, I can sit down during the standing portions of class. This is a great way to get a cardio workout while protecting my foot)

Thursday: Cardio machine such as the PhysioStep or LifeCycle, full free weight workout, 15-minutes of core work, and at least 20-minutes of stretching. This is a great way to control my workout and build strength without injuring myself.

Friday: 30-minute walk and stretching

Saturday: Rest, rest and rest!

Sunday: Hiking with my family, who is very understanding if I need to rest and/or stop

Well, that’s it! This fitness routine for spring is currently working really well and protecting my foot while rebuilding my strength. What are your favorite spring workouts?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Stevens Creek County Park hiking trails

 in Fitness  tagged fitness / fitness gear / hiking / hiking gear / lifestyle / outdoor fitness by
stevens canyon hiking trails stevens creek county park cupertino california
stevens creek county park hiking trails cueprtino
stevens creek county park hiking trails stevens canyon cupertino hiking outfit ideas

Wearing: winter jacket (machine washable and packable! Under $100) / knit hat (old, also love this one) / long sleeve tee / backpack / G buckle belt / light wash skinny jeans / spring nail polish / hiking boots (old, also love this pair) /

How pretty is this view! We hiked at Stevens Creek County Park for the first time last weekend, and it was a real treat! This large park puts you out in the wilderness just steps from Cupertino. There is a large network of hiking trails, some of which allow dogs, if your dog enjoys hiking too. You can also ride your bike on the some of the trails. Please refer to the trail map when you arrive to see which trails allow dogs and/or bikes.

The hiking trails at Stevens Creek County Park start from the multiple picnic areas where you can enjoy a picnic and then catch a trail. We hiked the Stevens Canyon Trail for the majority of the hike, which was just over three miles, and roughly two hours long. We had my daughter’s girl scout troop (they’re teenagers) with us, and her friend’s parents brought two dogs along for the fun. We had a blast!

The main attraction from the Stevens Creek County Park hiking trails is the view. You can see Silicon Valley from the viewpoints along the trails, and of course when you get to the top. These trails are medium difficulty and offer a lot of elevation changes, which is super fun!

Stevens Creek County Park is easy to get to from Cupertino. If you are traveling down N. Foothill Blvd, it turns into Stevens Canyon Road. As soon as you stop seeing homes (civilization), there will be a parking lot on your left. That’s a great place to park and enjoy the park! The ranger’s station is a few yards from the parking lot, hidden down the road. This is where you can find tri-fold maps to take with you on the hike. There is also an ancient communications device at the ranger’s station, aka a pay phone-and it works, we tested it! haha

For more information, please visit the county’s website.

If you’re local, I hope you have a chance to check out Stevens Creek County Park!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

stevens creek county park hiking trails

China Camp State Park camping and beach

 in Fitness / Travel  tagged camping / family / hiking / staycation by
china camp state park beach

China Camp State Park is a Bay Area jewel. It’s a beautiful state park which features camping, hiking, biking, water activities, and a beach on the bay. In addition to outdoor activities, China Camp State Park offers local Bay Area history which isn’t typically taught in schools. Love!

We recently took a weekend camping trip to China Camp State Park, and it was both beautiful and fun. The campsites are flat, and well maintained. There are plenty of hiking trails, biking trails, and fabulous views of the bay. The campsite is a quick drive from the beach, which also features a museum, and several buildings that are original to the historical fishing village.

You can drive, hike, or bike to the beach from the campgrounds. Then, you can relax on the beach with your own picnic, or you can buy snacks from the shop on-site. We drove to the beach from the campgrounds, and we brought our own sandwiches. It was relaxing and fun!

China Camp State Park campgrounds are easily accessible from 101 in San Rafael. I recommend making your campsite reservations six months in advance so you can pick the site you want, and ensure you actually get a site. October was a great month to camp since it wasn’t too hot, and the campground wasn’t crowded.

The campgrounds offer bathrooms and showers. For the showers, make sure you bring quarters as they require payment with quarters. Also, prepare to store your food at night in your car, or the bear box. The racoons are very smart, and not afraid to go after your food. We kept our cooler in the car after dark, and it worked perfectly.

There is a lot of wildlife at China Camp State Park. If you need quiet while you sleep, bring earplugs. There are plenty of coyote sounds, and bird sounds, in the middle of the night.

You can learn more at FriendsOfChinaCamp.org. If camping isn’t your thing, and you are local, you can always day trip to China Camp and enjoy the hiking trails, beach, and museum!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy