A crisp breeze strokes across your face while you feel the warmth of the sun soaking into your skin. You inhale nature’s fresh air as you pass along trees, bushes, and wildflowers all while you listen to the sound of the outdoors and unwind from all the craziness in your everyday life.
That is tranquility, and that is found right here in Arlington.

Here are my top 5 reasons to be active outdoors, followed by my top 10 outdoor trails in Arlington:

  1. Let’s be honest, gyms can be roughWe’ve all been there. Checking the clock on the wall during a group class, wiping down the appliances from the sweaty person before you, constantly glancing at the machine only to see a whopping 0:35 seconds have passed by.
    Why not feel the distance you are going instead of tracking it by looking at the blinking numbers? Acknowledge the scenery passing you; before you know it, you’ve surpassed the distance and amount of time you were aiming for.
  2. Get the bang for your buck…or burn for your work out. Outdoor exercising helps you be more physically active. We can thank factors like having to push through wind resistance, and continuous elevation changes. Outdoor exercising is also known to increase energy levels more than indoor exercising.
  3. Unwind your mind! Yes, exercising in general helps you mentally by de-stressing and releasing endorphins. But, there have been psychological tests done that stated those who exercised outdoors also resulted in higher enthusiasm and self-esteem, while decreasing tension, depression and fatigue.
  4. It is genuinely plain funUtilize this time to catch up with friends. Train for that 5k you’ve always told yourself you would do. Or train to beat your time from your last race. Explore the bike trails that Arlington has and create your own hidden trails. Stop to do some yoga poses before you continue on your way. Take that picture of the sunset across the horizon.
  5. IT’S FREE! Year round membership at no cost. How can you top that?!

Now onto my top 10 favorite trails.

North Arlington:                                                                                                                                  

  1. River Legacy Park
  2. Richard Greene Linear Park
  3. Robert Cluck Linear Park

West Arlington:

  1. Village Creek Historical Area
  2. Veterans Park
  3. Rush Creek Linear Park- North

South Arlington:

  1. J. Stovall Park
  2. Lynn Creek Linear Park
  3. Fish Creek Linear Park
  4. Rush Creek Linear Park- South

Be it running, walking, cycling, skating, whatever is your liking, we are fortunate to have several outdoor trails in Arlington to experience. So go out and explore!