Who needs a gym membership when you have the outdoors?
Outdoor exercise has a stronger effect on blood pressure and mood than indoor exercise. Stress is relieved within minutes of exposure to nature as measured by muscle tension, blood pressure, and brain activity.
To put it simply, time spent outside is good for you! On World Health Day, let’s take a look at a few fun outdoor activities that can improve your health.
Continue reading Five outdoor activities to improve your health
Whether you walk through the waves or jump off the dock, there’s no better way to cool off than going for a swim.
This summer, as you escape the sweltering heat in one of Ontario’s lakes, think about these head-to-toe benefits your body is receiving from that dip:
Nothing beats a cool dip on a hot summer day so we asked park staff where they think the best swimming is in Ontario: Continue reading Where to swim at Ontario Parks
Our visitors enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches and waterfronts in Ontario – from the barrier dune formations of Sandbanks to the Caribbean blue waters of Pancake Bay.
While swimming, boating and other water activities are a centrepiece of any Ontario Parks adventure, there are also risks associated with these activities.
We want our campers and day-trippers to stay safe when they hit the waves.
And that starts with a PFD (personal flotation device)!
Many people flock to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park for the sandy beach… but so do the birds!
Piping Plovers are small shorebirds seen scurrying along sandy shorelines or backs of beaches where water has pooled, searching for insects and small crustaceans. Although well camouflaged, Piping Plovers are identifiable by their short orange bills and bright orange legs. These shorebirds may be little, weighing about 2 ounces and 6 inches in length, but they are mighty. Twice a year they migrate approximately 2,000 miles to the Atlantic Coast of Mexico.
The wind and waves of Rock Point Provincial Park are a must-see, must-experience getaway this summer, especially for overheated, stressed out city dwellers that just need a break. Your getaway awaits at this jewel of a park, nestled on Lake Erie in the ancient Carolinian forest.
Rock Point is a mere hour from Hamilton and the Niagara and Fort Erie borders, an hour from Brantford and 90 minutes from Toronto. How great is that?
Continue reading Be here in an hour: why Southern Ontario landlubbers love escaping to Rock Point
What price is your health? Joining a fitness club? Jogging along city sidewalks? Or perhaps something with vastly more benefits, like packing up your gear and spending time with nature?
For visitors to Caliper Lake, near Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario, the journey, or pilgrimage for some, is worth its weight in gold. For as experts tell us nowadays, nature is the new aspirin.
Visitors come from as far south as Minnesota, as west as Manitoba and as north as Sioux Lookout to enjoy the spectacular sunsets, the northern lights, mouth-watering fish fries of Pike, Bass and Walleye or exceptional birding and wildlife viewing.
Continue reading Relax and unwind amidst the calm at Caliper Lake
When you hear Ontario Parks, thoughts of sunny beaches, campfires and trails come to mind. However, there are a group of people at Kettle Lake Provincial Park that think of sweat, exertion and competition!
The annual Mosquito Tryathlon features a 400m swim around Slab Lake, an 11km bike and a 5km run. There are also two shorter courses for youth who would like to take part. Participants can take on this triathlon as part of a team or as an individual.
Continue reading Let your competitive side loose in Ontario Parks
If you’ve ever visited one of Ontario’s more than 330 Provincial Parks, you already know that the scenery is nothing short of spectacular. Every square inch of it–the pristine forests, the vibrant sunsets, the cozy campsites and of course, the sparkling lakes. Many visitors take in these views from the seat of a fishing boat, while they paddle along shore in a canoe, or while they hang out on the beach with their family.
Have you experienced this? Was everyone wearing life jackets when on the water? Did you have a boat license when you were fishing with your kids in that motorboat?
Continue reading Water and Boating Safety Tips from BOATsmart!
Swimming, boating, fishing or just plain splashing around is part of the fun of visiting Ontario Parks and our PARKsmart Lifejacket Lending Program helps keep it that way.
Through the generous support of our sponsors, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), BOATsmart and The Canadian Red Cross and Swim Guide thousands of park visitors are exposed to water safety messaging and are able to borrow lifejackets every year and stay safe while enjoying our beautiful lakes, waterways, rivers and streams. Continue reading Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive: lifejacket lending program keeps park visitors safe
