H-Town Run Tourist

New Year. Volunteer with Hermann Park!

Dec 30, 2019, 6:11 am

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Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx

The beginning of the year is the time that everyone is more open to trying new experiences and doing the right thing. As the H-Town Run Tourist, I am always on the look out for these opportunities. Recently, I ran into one that you may want to add to your goal list. When I was researching for my article for Hermann Park, I learned that Hermann Park has many ways that you can volunteer. Which one will you try first?

If you have not been to Hermann Park recently, I suggest you take a stroll through the Japanese Gardens and the McGovern Centennial Gardens. Enjoy the beautiful foliage and take lots of pictures. Do you ever wonder how those gardens are kept up? By the wonderful volunteers that offer their helping hands to keep the park clean. Hermann Park needs you to assist the resident gardeners with weeding, trimming, planting, harvesting, trail maintenance, and dead-heading roses bushes. What a sneaky way to learn how to garden. Volunteer days are from 9am-12pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

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Annual Kite Festival

On March 29 2020, people will flock to the hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre with the same goal in mind. Let's go fly a kite. During this outdoor event that is free for all ages, inner loopers, tourists, and people from all parts of Houston and surrounding areas bring their best looking kites. This event draws thousands of people. As you can tell, it needs your help to set up tents and tables for the vendors, help people find their way around the park. assist in the many activities, help people actually fly their kites, be a stage hand, and of course cleanup and breakdown.

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Hermann Park Run

Every year, Hermann Park hosts the Park Run which is a 10K, 5K, and 1K Kid's Run throughout the park. This year's run will be held in October. Hermann Park needs you to help with setup, booths, and give directions to runners and their family and friends. There will be lots of new runners that need extra cheering and kids that need to see funny signs and be handed gummy bears.

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Park to Port Bike Ride

Ride. Party. Ride. This annual 20 mile bike ride gives riders a unique view of Houston. It starts in the early morning from Bayou Parkland, goes along Brays Bayou Greenway Trail to the Port of Houston. Once there, its party-party with music snacks, and drinks before the ride back. This event is for all ages and skill levels. This event will be happening in November 2020. Hermann Park needs you to help setup the event, booths and hand out water and of course, cheer riders.

Don't be suprised if you see me there or hopefully, we can volunteer together this year. If you want to do your own shift or organize your own group, please contact the Program and Events Coordinator, Emily Chambers at EChambers@HermannPark.org. If you can not volunteer, I'm sure they accept yo' dolla dolla bills ya'll!

hermann park health and fitness

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CRUSHING IT WITH COURTNEY

Stuck at home? Here is a workout routine to help you stay in shape

Courtney Bell photos

If you're already bored of being at home, and your couch is sunken in from binge watching all the shows you had on your must watchlist… then we're in the same boat. I know exercising isn't always the most fun thing to do, but when you are sick of being cooped up inside, we've got to get creative on how to get up and get our bodies moving. So here is a strength and conditioning workout that you can try, tips, pictures and modifications included, and no equipment needed.

Me personally, when I'm working out, I'm not a huge fan of timed interval workouts, (the 45 seconds of work, 10 second rest ones). I'm more a fan of at your own pace/goal achieved workouts, where you write it out, it's usually in a certain number of rounds or blocks, get to it, knock it out and then it's over.

Today's workout is going to consist of a quick warm up, 1 circuit round with an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) to finish.

(See photos below for instructions).

Warm up:

Windmill Twist (10 each side)

Inchworms (10) *Challenge- add push up once you are fully extended in plank

Bicycles (20 each leg) *Tip- try and get your shoulder to your knee, not your elbow. Keep your elbow back.

Round 1:

-3 rounds

Pushup series (5 each side) *Modify: Drop to knees when doing push-ups

Double Lunges (10 each side) *Tip: make sure to push off when lunging back from your forward lunge. Challenge- If you have weights, grab and hold at your sides or at chest.

Wipers (10 each side) *Modify: bend knees when dropping to each side. Challenge- Add hip thrust in the middle between each drop.

Squat + Rotation (10 each side) *Tip: Make sure body weight stays in your heels when squatting & you use your hamstrings to bring you up from the squat, NOT your knees! Challenge- If you have any weights or heavy objects, grab and hold in the center of your chest while you squat and rotate.

AMRAP for 15 min:

Shoulder Taps (10 each side) *Modify: Drop to knees when doing shoulder taps. Make sure hips stay squared to the floor, try not to turn them.

Skaters (10 each side) *Modify: step instead of hop, reach out instead of down to your toe.

Half Burpees (10) *Modify: Step instead of jump. Tip- stay in a squat when you come up from plank, no jump like a full burpee.

Full Body Sit Ups (10) *Modify: Crunch up to the ceiling instead of reaching your toes. Challenge- Grab a weight or heavy object, hold at chest and press up with hands after full sit body up.

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