Can Americans and their dogs really be in the terrible shape that all the experts say we are? No one seems to be offering an opposing viewpoint, so we have to assume that it is true. More than half of us are overweight, with half of that group qualifying as obese, and we are increasingly out of shape, with most of us not getting nearly enough exercise. Recent surveys of the pet population indicate that the percentages are about the same for them. We eat too much, often the wrong foods, and many of us get little or no exercise. Pets tend to have lifestyles similar to their owners, so it is no surprise that so many of them are in equally sad shape.

For the majority of people, the easiest way to get some exercise is to just start walking. It doesn’t take any special equipment and most of us already know how to do it. Another nice thing about walking is that it is something you can do with your dog, who also needs the exercise.

A walk can be as simple as a stroll around the neighborhood, but for maximum benefit as well as maximum pleasure, a lot of people are visiting the miles of hiking trails throughout north Georgia, including the growing number in the metro area. There are close to a thousand miles of trails in north Georgia, offering a variety of terrain and scenery, and varying degrees of difficulty. Hiking these trails is not just exercise; it is therapy of another kind. As you start down the trail, the forest envelops you, shutting out the noises of everyday life until there are only the sounds of nature – a lake, river or a mountain stream nearby or some birds discussing your presence. Stress evaporates as you forget about whatever was on your mind and begin to enjoy the natural beauty all around you.

Hiking trails have a way of drawing you onward; there is always the desire to see what is over the next rise or around the next bend. Hikers tend to get more exercise than people in other activities, and part of that may be because it is an enjoyable and pleasant thing to do, and doesn’t seem like work.

Nearly a million Americans died last year due to cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, a more common term. That is 40% of the total deaths for the year. The sad part is that most of them could have been prevented, or at least postponed, by the simple act of getting some exercise. Studies show that you can reduce the risk of CVD by 60% just by getting two hours of exercise a week. A week. How hard is that? It seems like a small price for a pretty big payback.

You don’t have to go far to find a hiking trail right in the metro area. There are trails, or paths, near every part of town, and more are planned and are being built all the time.

The Chattahoochee River Recreation Area – there are miles of trails along the river at various locations from Hwy 41 to Akers Mill Rd on both sides of the river. North of 285, the Cochran Shoals area is the most visited, and most crowded, but with miles of trails to let people spread out. Island Ford and Medlock Bridge areas are farther north and are less busy.

The Atlanta-Dekalb Gateway Path will eventually run from southwest Atlanta to Stone Mountain, but only a small portion is open now. That portion goes from downtown Atlanta along Freedom Parkway to Decatur. Moreland Avenue @ North Avenue in Virginia Highlands is a good place to start, and you can go in either direction.

Chastain Park in Buckhead is small but convenient to that area. It is only a 1 1/2 mile loop around the golf course, and a lot of people do more than one lap.

The Silver Comet Trail follows the tracks of a former railroad line, which are being paved over to create a hiking/biking trail. It begins in Cobb County and will run all the way to the Anniston, Alabama when complete, a continuous 100 mile trail for hiking, biking, skating or running. Information and maps of these three trails can be found at www.pathfoundation.org.

Kennesaw Mountain National Park has about sixteen miles of hiking trails that offer a variety of terrain and scenery. People from all over Cobb County come here to enjoy the scenery and fresh air.

Sweetwater Creek State Park in Douglas County is a gem of a park, located just past Six Flags off I-20. It is a surprise to find something this unspoiled so close to Atlanta. There are six miles of trails, the ruins of a textile mill destroyed during the Civil War, and Sweetwater Creek, which has the aura of the mountains.

On the southside, Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow, has four miles of trails that wind through the hilly, wooded terrain of this small but enjoyable park. The ponds attract ducks and geese, and are home to enough turtles to start a soup kitchen. The big snappers that swim by occasionally make the No Swimming sign completely unnecessary.