This is the second post in a series exploring Tillamook County Wellness’ ‘This Way to Well-being’ map. Today we explore the role movement plays in our health and wellbeing.
Have you ever noticed that you are in a better mood after taking a short walk around the block? According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s not your imagination: “regular exercise can increase self-confidence, improve your mood, help you relax, and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety.” Making time to move can even help you get better sleep. In addition to helping cope with stress, the physical benefits of movement (like reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes) keep our bodies healthier and improve mobility throughout our lives.
Finding ways to fit in short neighborhood walks, playing fetch with your dog, gardening, or riding a bike can add up to significant positive changes in your health. Making a plan, adding it to your calendar and inviting friends to join will help keep you on track to your fitness goals. If you haven’t been active in a while, make sure to start off slow and increase duration and intensity as your fitness improves.
Tillamook County residents interested in experiencing the benefits of exercise have access to a wide spectrum of opportunities. The ‘This Way to Well-Being’ offers several ways we can integrate movement along the path to wellness; from the great outdoors, to the climate-controlled indoors, and activities you can do on your own or with a group.
Visit a Park: You don’t have to travel far to find a park in Tillamook County, and you might find the one closest to home is a great place to take a lunchtime walk.
Explore the Tillamook Coast Recreation Map: Between ocean beaches at Bob Straub State Park, the Hoquarton Trail in Tillamook and forest trails on Mt. Hebo, it might be hard to choose.
Try a new Fitness Class: Exercising with a group can keep us motivated and connect with other members of our community. You can find classes at the Tillamook County Family YMCA, North Coast Recreation District, or Kiawanda Community Center . Keep an eye out for the Tillamook Bay Community College Course Catalog in your mailbox which lists upcoming fitness classes in the county.
Join a Walking Group: Walking season has arrived! There are groups in North, South and Central County that meet to walk rain or shine starting in April. You can find information about a group near you on our website here.
Walk along the beach: Known as The People’s Coast, after the 1967 law that guaranteed free and unrestricted public beach access, the Oregon Coast is among the most accessible in the USA. Trails along the coast and bays in Tillamook County are wonderful spots to birdwatch, storm watch, or view tide pools (Barview Jetty and Nedonna Beach). With a tide table, clam shovel, and shellfish license from ODFW you might even bring home lunch.
For information and resources about points of interest for moving well, visit our This Way to Well-Being page on our website. By participating in our well-being campaign, you may be eligible to win a prize! See our website or Facebook page for details.
AUTHOR: Brett Buesnel, AmeriCorps VISTA with Tillamook County Community Health Center
Hello from the southern part of wonderful Tillamook County! The Kiawanda Community Center has been around for 25 years and has served our community in a number of ways. We are the host site for NW Senior Services, which serves “Meals on Wheels” to seniors all the way up to Astoria and will hopefully begin to have in-person senior lunches during the week. We are also a lovely event venue for private gatherings like weddings and reunions as well as a practical choice for public events like town halls and candidates forums. We rent offices to community partners like the Pacific City- Nestucca Valley Chamber, Nestucca, Neskowin and Sand Lake Watershed Council and PNW Tea Treehouse. We also love to share our space with local fitness instructors to offer weekly classes to locals and visitors. Check out what kind of fitness classes we have going on:
Zumba. Every Tuesday, Sally Marin hosts a Zumba session from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Complete with music and an energetic and supportive group, this zumba class is fun, improves coordination and tones your entire body. Bring your water bottle and comfortable shoes to join in the fun. $5/session.
Fit and Fab. Fit and Fab happens every Tuesday and Thursday and is suitable for those new to exercising. This class focuses on dynamic cardiovascular exercise, strength training, balance, and flexibility. $5/session
Tai Chi. Tai Chi is offered Thursdays at 10:30am and is proven to decrease stress, anxiety and depression as well as improve your mood. $10/student/month
Yoga. Yoga with Dawn is a favorite among locals and is forutanetly offered four times a week: Monday, Friday, Saturday at 9:00am and Wednesdays at 5:30pm. Vinyasa yoga is “a playful dance between breath and movement. It is a practice of strength, flexibility and balance. The practice of yoga benefits the body, mind and spirit. In this class we seek to feel good in our own bodies. Celebrating with movement in the rhythm of the breath.” This class has also created a community of yogis who even had a session at the Van Gogh exhibit in Portland! $10/session
Walking Wonders. Last but not least, our weekly walking group has been steadily active (even during the pandemic!). The Pacific City Walking Wonders meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 am at the Kiawanda Community Center Parking Lot. The group walks for about an hour and takes different routes throughout the community. People walk at different speeds so everyone is invited, regardless of their fitness level. There are no dues or fees for the group. Everyone is invited to come get some exercise, meet new people, and enjoy our beautiful community. Free
Check out our website https://kiawanda.com/community/to learn more about classes offered at the Kiawanda Community Center. We want our community to be healthy, connected and thriving and believe that the classes offered here are a great step in that direction.
It’s official – 6 more weeks of winter. Or at least that’s what Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, concluded when he saw his shadow on February 2nd. The good news is that we have reached the point in the year where the days are starting to get a little bit longer. In fact, between now and daylight savings on March 13th we will have gained over an hour and a half of additional daylight!
And yet, we are still in the midst of winter weather – rain, wind, ice, fog, and maybe the occasional snowflake. It can be difficult to find any excitement in stepping outside to chilly air and sprinkling raindrops, but building a little bit of movement and physical activity into each day can have profound effects on how we feel. Physical activity not only improves balance and helps strengthen bones, but it also releases chemicals in your brain that boost mood, self-esteem, and concentration.
So what can you do to stay active during winter weather? We’ve collected a few tips below:
1. Gather Waterproof Gear
You don’t need super-fancy items, but a waterproof jacket can make a world of difference when the rain is coming down. It’s also important to have a few comfortable layers of clothing that can be easily added or removed as the temperature fluctuates. (It’s worth noting that cotton traps moisture once it’s wet, either with sweat or rain, and this will actually make you feel colder if you’re using it as your base layer. Check your tags for a lightweight polyester, wool, or polypropylene item to wear closest to your skin).
2. Monitor the Weather (and plan ahead!)
Weather forecasts are often available a few days in advance, and a quick glance on your phone will usually give you a decent idea of which day might be warmer or when there might be a break in the rain during a drizzling afternoon.
3. Start Simple
A stroll around your neighborhood or a quick walk through a park or along the beach is a great way to stretch out after a long day. You might try decompressing by listening to music, a podcast, or calling a loved one while you walk. For ideas on places to get moving, visit https://tillamookcountywellness.org/move-well/great-places-to-get-moving/
4. Notice the Nature
There’s something about stepping outside during a break in the clouds and being able to smell the rainstorm that has just ended. It’s amazing how taking a moment to appreciate the world around you can lift your mood.
5. Then Try Something New!
There are endless hikes and trails to explore in Tillamook County, you can visit https://tillamookcoast.com/recreation-map/ for inspiration in finding a new place to explore. Or try your hand at clamming or crabbing on the coast – just make sure to get a shellfish license and check local regulations here: https://myodfw.com/crabbing-clamming
Without a doubt, there will be days where the weather is just too miserable to enjoy. These might be better moments to enjoy a hot cup of tea and watch the rain fall. If you are still hoping to move a bit, there are plenty of options:
Try an online workout (the YMCA has class recordings or you can find videos on YouTube)
Finish those household chores (vacuuming counts as both cleaning and exercise — a win-win situation)
Blast music and dance (because we all need this occasionally)
And before we know it, spring will be just around the corner 🙂
Despite the recent tumultuous weather, fall and winter kayaking in the county is an excellent recreational prospect, with the right conditions. There are numerous mild days when Mother Nature calms down and takes a breather before returning to tumultuous storms. In between, think about grabbing a paddle and slipping into a kayak.
Julie Chick’s life has revolved around kayaking: she’s the former owner of Nehalem Bay Outdoor Company. She also previously worked as an Outdoor Education and Outreach Coordinator with Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and is still an avid Nehalem paddler. While she encourages kayakers to explore our waterways during the winter months, she stresses that safety is paramount to any trip no matter what date is on the calendar. First order of business is wearing a Personal Flotation Device, or PFD. “Find a good one and wear it,” Chick says. “If you don’t want to wear it, then you don’t have the right PFD, because you should love your PFD.”
Being safe also includes knowing what wind and tide can do on any given day, meaning paddlers should check local tide tables and weather conditions before setting out. “In our area, you need to pay attention to tide and wind,” she says. “You can have a November day with extremely high tides and gale force winds, or a November day with relatively typical tides, sunny, clear and perfectly ‘kayakable.’” She adds that checking wind and conditions and familiarizing yourself with how those affect the waterway you are paddling is key to a safe and fun experience.
When discussing the differences between summer and winter paddling, Chick notes that conditions for each season on the Oregon Coast can often be very similar. This is especially true when it comes to water temperatures. You may have picked a warm, sunny day to paddle, but the water is usually bone-chilling. In that regard, Chick stresses that dressing with water temperature in mind is a top priority. Cotton shirts and denim jeans won’t suffice.
“If you end up in the water and can’t get back in your boat or back to shore, you better be dressed for forty-something degree water,” she says. “Hypothermia happens fast.” Chick adds that a good dry suit not only keeps kayakers warm and cozy, but gives them peace of mind knowing that it will buy them a lot of time if they end up in the water.
The November King Tides and flooding this year also highlight the need to be aware of debris and obstacles in the water after such storms have passed through. With safety in mind, kayakers have a multitude of reasons to enjoy winter paddling.
Aside from the recent rough weather, Chick says that most winter days offer fuller rivers with flat, glassy paddling surfaces. These conditions combine to give kayakers a sense of serenity and solitude that’s hard to duplicate during the busy summer months. “It’s a lot quieter and a lot less people,” Chick says. She adds that with salmon season over, there isn’t the potential for kayaker versus fishing boat conflicts, which can be an issue in late summer and early fall. Photographers find plenty of reasons to point-and-shoot, and winter offers a chance for some excellent picture-taking.
“The light this time of year is at a lower angle, so you get crisper, cleaner pictures, especially if you get out there a little earlier,” Chick says.
There are many places to paddle year-round that offer a bevy of options. Overall, there are five estuaries in Tillamook County: Nehalem, Tillamook Bay, Nestucca, Sand Lake, and Netarts. They boast distinct characteristics and TEP has published “water trail” guides for each. With so many options for paddlers to consider, winter kayaking is the perfect way to get outside, shake off the winter blahs, and see coastal waterways from a different perspective.
Foraging for mushrooms is a great way to stay active once the rainy season returns to the Coast. On the morning of October 27th, Tillamook County residents gathered on Mt. Hebo to learn about foraging wild mushrooms while getting a bit of exercise. The walk was put on by Tillamook County Wellness (TCW) and led by AmeriCorps Vista Brett Buesnel. As a member of the TCW team and experienced forager, Brett led the eager crew on a relatively short walk packed with many mushroom foraging and identification tips. The information shared ranged from impromptu observations like, “sometimes they’re hairy, this one for example reminds me of Chewbacca”, to practical cleaning methods like gently spraying down particularly dirty Lobster Mushrooms with a garden hose. When conditions are right, the fungi on Mt. Hebo, often out of sight, underground and hidden in rotting logs will create fruiting bodies called sporocarps, more commonly known as mushrooms. These uniquely formed and functionally varied structures share one goal – to spread their spores in bid to reproduce.
Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)
A particular mushroom was on the minds of many walkers that day: the Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum). This mushroom is actually a parasitic fungus that grows on the unassuming Russula brevipes and changes the white host mushroom into a wrinkled bright-orange form, giving it the color of a cooked Lobster, that also happens to taste great on pizza. The conditions on Mt. Hebo were just right to find fresh Lobster Mushrooms earlier in the month. For the walkers on the mountain that day, all the lobsters found proved to be on the soggy side. Changing conditions can cut a season in a particular area short, or possibly extend it later into the year than what is typical. The Lobster mushrooms that were found provided a great opportunity to share the important lesson of what a mushroom looks like when it is no longer fit for consumption.
Here are some signs of when to leave a Lobster mushroom in the woods and off your plate:
It’s color has changed from bright orange to dark red
Soft areas are a sign of decay which relative to a fresh mushroom will appear more translucent than solid white when cut
Small holes in the mushroom’s flesh are an indicator of bugs having lunch
Despite a name that recalls the sea, it’s not a good sign if it smells strongly of fish
Even with the cold temperatures and increasingly strong drizzle, spirits of the group remained high. Back at the trailhead, attendees received a zine produced for the event with information on how to identify a chanterelle, important terms in mushroom identification and a healthy wild mushroom recipe. With empty baskets and full minds, the walk came to an end and folks returned to their vehicles and dispersed like so many spores until the next foray.
If this sounds like your kind of fun and are interested in learning the basics of mushroom identification, Tillamook County Wellness will be hosting a Zoom event on November 17th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Brett Buesnel will again be serving as presenter and share the process of how to identify a mushroom and additional resources you can use to further your skills. Please register using this link or by contacting Brett at bbuesnel@co.tillamook.or.us.
AUTHOR: Brett Buesnel, AmeriCorps VISTA at Tillamook County Community Health Center
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Have you ever noticed a sense of calmness and relaxation while spending time outdoors? Felt your stress slip away while hiking or spending time near a body of water? If you have, you may have recognized the benefits of forest therapy without even realizing it. Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing, is the immersion in and embracing of nature with all your senses. This practice, which has begun to grow in popularity, has mental, physical, and spiritual benefits that you can harness from right here in Tillamook County.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you may have already noticed some of the mental and spiritual benefits of forest bathing in your own life. Studies have shown that forest therapy can improve mental health, leading to reductions in stress, depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. People who participate in forest therapy sessions, especially in a group, often develop a sense of community among strangers and a deeper connection to the natural world. Additionally, time spent outdoors has been shown to be positively correlated with having more gray matter in your brain and can lead to a better mood.
There are also physical benefits to forest therapy. A study of older adults suggested spending time in nature can help lower blood pressure, especially when compared to spending time in a city. Another study showed that forest therapy may boost immune function by increasing the number of white blood cells (immune cells) and anti-cancer proteins in your blood. Both of these can improve your overall health and lower your risk of diseases like Type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Wondering how you can gain the benefits of forest therapy? Organizations like the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy offer programs for those interested in a guided forest therapy experience. Several of the guides in their registry are located in Oregon and can be contacted by those interested in a forest therapy experience. You can also attend their virtual training to become a Forest Therapy Guide yourself!
You can also get the benefits of forest therapy on your own. For a more self-directed experience, find a hiking trail or other natural area nearby and just enjoy spending time outside. Keep in mind that hiking and spending time in the woods may not impact everyone in the same way. Some people experience these benefits more when they are near water or on a mountain top. What matters is exploring which natural environments help you feel calmer and more connected to yourself and the world around you. You can use the new Tillamook County Trails and Recreation Map at https://tillamookcoast.com/recreation-map/ to find a new spot or return to an old favorite.
While you’re out, consider taking time to connect more deeply with the nature around you. You can do this by engaging senses you don’t use as frequently while outdoors (such as focusing on the feeling of the bark of a tree or closing your eyes and thinking about what you smell around you). Also be sure to take some time for internal reflection both during and after the experience, maybe involving some meditation or deep breathing. You can also share the experience with others and discuss how you felt as a group.
Tillamook County is full of wonderful natural spaces for you to explore. With all the benefits of forest therapy, physical activity, and the last of our warm summer weather, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy them.
AUTHOR: Amy McVeety, AmeriCorps VISTA at Tillamook County Community Health Center
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
