Unquestionably, fall in Nebraska is one of the best times of the year to spend outdoors! The days are getting shorter and the summer heat is waning: the air is crisp; the leaves and other foliage are transforming into canopies of deep orange, bright yellow, and brilliant red; and the fall gardens are abundant with brightly colored fruits and vegetables. If you are looking for new and different opportunities to have fun, burn calories, acquire more Vitamin D, remain active, and maintain fitness, there is scarcely a better time of year to keep yourself and your family busy and healthy.
Take Advantage of Fall Weather and Activities
Hiking, walking, running, peddling, pushing and pulling are even more enjoyable when the temperature is lower and the scenery is at its most beautiful. Here are a variety of creative ideas for stepping outside during autumn.
- Turn leaf-raking and other fall yard work into fun family activities.
- Pick pumpkins or apples at a local farm, orchard or pumpkin patch.
- Take a stroll along a haunted trail or through a corn maze.
- Go on a weekend vacation to one of our Nebraska state park areas; the crowds have left, the weather is cooler, the nights are excellent for sleeping under the stars, and there are still plenty of activities to enjoy such as fall camping, hiking, biking, fishing, geocaching and bird watching.
- Check the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website calendar for individual state park events. Naturalist programs, bird watching expeditions, fun Halloween functions, and other themed activities can make getting some fresh air and fitness even more enjoyable.
- Try accessible parks and trails in your area that you haven’t yet explored. Visit state, city or Natural Resources District (NRD) or websites to get information.
- Embed yourself in nature and fall foliage colors by floating a nearby water trail (stretch of river).
- Wet a line, catch a fish! Plan a fall fishing trip. Try for fall-stocked, skillet-sized rainbow trout in a public water not far from your home. Autumn is a great time to catch fish as they vigorously feed building up fat reserves for the coming winter months.
- As a hunter, broaden your outdoor knowledge, refresh your hunting skills and pursue a different game species. Maybe you’ll go on a quail hunt with bobwhite numbers much increased in the Nebraska countryside!
- Obtain permission from rural landowners to enter stands of moister, more mature woodlands to gather edible, wild fall mushrooms and nuts.
Be Prepared and Be Safe
Varying autumn weather in Nebraska calls for flexible clothing needs. Be prepared with layers that can be adjusted if the temperature changes. Keep your head, hands and feet warm and dry, as these areas of the body tend to lose heat easily. Even though you may not feel as thirsty in cooler weather, staying hydrated is just as important as when you are under the hot summer sun when it comes to exercise and play. Fluid, particularly cool water, also helps in exercise recovery and appetite control. As the fall sun rises later in the mornings and goes down earlier each night, remember to be smart and safe. Go with a partner, carry a cell phone and pepper spray, use a reflective vest and a flashlight, or wear blaze orange clothing, cap lights or a head lamp when you are outside at night, or at dusk or dawn.
Put Fall Colors and Wild Game in Your Diet
The Cornhusker State’s fall season provides a cornucopia of fresh, healthful produce, so it’s an ideal time to work on good eating habits. Visit a local farmer’s market or neighborhood garden. Indulge in pumpkin, squash, eggplant, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocados, beans, broccoli and cauliflower. These contain Vitamins A and C as well as an array of other nutrients – antioxidants to help the body ward off illnesses. Choosing locally grown foods will give you and your family the most nutritional punch since the time between picking and eating is shorter. Freeze what you can’t eat right away so that you can enjoy them throughout the winter. Include wild game in your diet! Find out where you can acquire wholesome, protein-filled, delicious wild game meat in your area. If it is venison you are seeking, use the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Deer Exchange. If you are a hunter, share part of your bountiful harvest of wild game with friends, family members or neighbors. Emphasize that the meat of wild game birds and animals is lean, free-ranging, free of antibiotics, growth hormones or other drugs. Tell them wild game is not genetically modified or in any other way unnaturally “enhanced,” and has been taken in the area or region.
Being active, staying fit and eating healthy are all important to ward off the sedentary accumulation of pounds and feel great! Don’t wait until the new year to make promises for the year ahead. Start early with the beauty of autumn as your guide for overall wellness. Get outdoors!
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