fitness


National Hiking Day 2022

villa montalvo hiking trails

Happy National Hiking Day! This is a beautiful day for a hike! You can go for a short hike before work, so go on a more adventuresome hike after work. If you can get away, go during the day!

If you are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, here are a few local hikes you can check out on this fabulous day dedicated to hiking, fitness, and enjoying nature.

In Saratoga, Villa Montalvo has beautiful trails. Check out my post about them!

Cupertino has a fabulous trail next to a winery. Check out my post about the Zinfandel Trail!

Stevens Creek County Park has a ton of amazing trails. Check out my post about them!

Love history? China Camp is a great place to hike, camp and learn about local history. Check out my post.

Alum Rock has really cool trails with a bit of historical remnants along the way. Check it out!

Looking for a fabulous view? Check out the Marin Headlands.

Still wish it was Halloween? Hike this trail to find a ghost town!

San Antonio Creek Trail in Cupertino offers several amazing trails, check them out!

Interested in more history? Almaden Quicksilver trails offer hikes through an extinct mercury mine.

Santa Teresa County Park offers trails with some pretty cool views. Check it out.

There are hundreds of amazing places to hike in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hop on a trail near you and have fun!

Thanks for stopping by, and go hiking!

XOXO

Cathy


Villa Montalvo hiking trails

villa montalvo hiking trails
villa montalvo hiking trails
hiking trails saratoga california

The Villa Montalvo hiking trails are some of the prettiest trails in Saratoga, California. If you are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, you may already be familiar with Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. It is an historic mansion which is currently used as an event venue, artist retreat, children’s activities, and for outdoor activities.

Sometimes you don’t want to go on an aggressive hike. There are days when a one or two-hour hike is just perfect. The hiking trails at Villa Montalvo are for those days. There are several connecting trails which you can make into a half-hour hike, or a three-hour hike. It all depends on how long you feel like staying out. It is easy to adjust and find a linking trail which takes you back to the Villa or the parking lot in a few minutes when you get tired.

We hiked at Villa Montalvo with my daughter’s girl scout troop, and since we had some younger girls with us, we lasted roughly two hours. This was perfect because the girls had fun, but it wasn’t overly strenuous. There is definitely some elevation on the trails, so even if you hike for a short time, you will still enjoy beautiful views of Silicon Valley and get a great outdoor workout. Love that!

In addition to hiking, the artists in residence have added some beauty to the natural trails. There are inspirational quotes along the trail as well as occasional artwork. It is very pretty and unique.

saratoga hiking tails art work

The hiking trails at Villa Montalvo can get busy since it is a favorite hiking spot for locals and families. If you plan to go, I recommend arriving early in the morning, before 10am. The trails close at 5pm, so plan ahead.

What I wore hiking on a fall day:

Have you hiked at Villa Montalvo before? What did you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

family friendly hiking trails bay area

Summer 2022 fitness routine

summer fitness

wearing: summer weight jacket / short sleeve blue top / leggings / summer nail polish / running shoes /

Summer is here, and just because school is out for summer, does not mean we can relax on our fitness schedule! Our bodies need to continue staying fit and healthy. So this summer, my fitness routine hasn’t changed much from the spring.

I am still dealing with a healing hip and plantar fasciitis. Therefore, I need to keep my fitness low impact and ensure it has core and hip strengthening exercises intertwined. In addition to strength, my routine incorporates enough cardio to help keep the forty pounds I lost last year-off! Thankfully I have been maintaining my new weight through exercise and staying away from sugar.

One of the reasons I am healthy is because I was able to get my BMI into a normal range. People knock BMI, but unless you are extremely muscular, BMI helps ensure your weight is in a healthy range. There are so many problems that can occur with an unhealthy weight. Weight can affect joints, heart health, cardiovascular health, and more. It is so important to stay healthy!

So, without further ado, here is my summer fitness routine:

Monday: BodyCombat (cardio)

Tuesday: Les Mills Core and yoga (strength, stretch)

Wednesday: Cycle class (cardio)

Thursday: Treadmill, weights, core (cardio and strength)

Friday: 30 min. walk

Saturday: hike, swim or walk

Sunday: hike, swim, or walk

That’s it! It’s a fun routine and incorporates outdoor exercise to take advantage of summer. What is your fitness routine this summer?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy