Restoring harmony and well-being near water
How to restore harmony and well-being isn’t something that you study – it’s usually learned by trial and error. You can achieve it by walking on a lakeside trail at Confederation Beach Park. Experts say that spending time near water can have a positive effect on your well-being. They also say that by walking a half-hour daily, you can get better health and longer life.
If there’s anywhere city residents flock to during a pandemic lockdown to restore their harmony and well-being, it’s to a conservation area that overlooks Lake Ontario. It doesn’t matter whether it’s -15 Celsius or over 30 Celsius, a large percentage of Hamiltonians take to this lakeside trail for fresh air and exercise year-round. Being near water is the magic ingredient.
Fresh air and fitness at Lake Ontario helps restore balance
Physical fitness is a part of restoring harmony and well-being, and not exercising can easily become a nagging concern. I work from home and sit all day. So when my family members and I exchanged gift memberships to the Hamilton Conservation Authority this past holiday season, I was elated.
So far, our small bubble has walked together through the Royal Botanical Garden’s Lilac Garden, hiked up and down the hills of Dundas Valley Conservation Area, discovered Fifty Point Park, and have made a habit of visiting Confederation Beach Park regularly.
Confederation Beach Park trails can help improve your well-being
Approximately one-third of Canadians have gained weight during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an article published in The Globe and Mail at the end of 2020. Getting less exercise and eating more resulted in gains for some.
It’s easy to seek out comfort food to alleviate the stresses associated with the pandemic. But well-being can be improved without violating Ontario’s Stay at Home order.
Here are 5 ways that walking on a flat trail at Confederation Park in Hamilton can be surprisingly beneficial:
- Walking is easy
- it’s beautiful
- Walking makes you calmer
- It can cause lower stress levels
- It can improve your health mentally and physically
How far can you walk on the trail at Confederation Park?
The paved Hamilton Beach Trail at the park is 4.3 km and runs along the lake. You can walk a full 8 km from Burlington to Confederation Park near Stoney Creek. A couple of restaurants appear along the way, and mini-golf and Wild Waterworks are within easy reach.
Whether you walk, bike, rollerblade, run, swim, picnic, or lounge around at Hamilton Beach, you get to see the lake from different angles, in different weather conditions, and in all four seasons.
Where nature stays in place
During COVID-19 we may be restricted from going into establishments, but nature just stays where it is. Trees still bloom, lakes remain blue beneath the open sky, grassy meadows still turn the landscape a lush green every summer, and branches still form canopies over streets throughout the Niagara Peninsula.
It may be nature’s steadfast, unchanging aspects that cause us to be so drawn to it right now.
Restoring harmony and balance with the lake’s waves
We don’t often think of this Great Lake’s waves as being strong forces of nature. But every single stone at the lakeside’s beaches here has been smoothened by rolling around in the water and having waves wash over it.
The same can happen with us, just by walking near water.
Here’s a video of the lake’s waves lapping up against the shore, taken from the Confederation Park trail.
Contact Confederation Park
680 Van Wagners Beach Road, Hamilton, ON, L8E 3L8
Phone: 905-547-6141 ext. 2
Email: [email protected]