Preparing for Week 8!
Congratulations to the Week 6 raffle winners:
The Department of Public Health will send an email requesting your mailing address for the gift certificate to be mailed to. Please look for the email or contact Rita at rhuron@miottawa.org.
Record your activity so that you can have your name entered into the weekly prize drawing! For the week of June 11 - June 17, record your minutes of activity by this Wednesday, June 21. You can record your minutes of activity by entering your email on the Step it Up! login page found at www.miottawa.org/stepitup or by selecting the Record my Activity box found below.
Scroll down to see our upcoming group activities, strength and flexibility movements of the week, healthy eating tips and recipes, and a couple of fun and free events at Ottawa County parks.
🛶 Group Activities This Week 👟
Thursday, June 22 at 6:00 PM: Group Walk at the Upper Macatawa Natural Area - 84th Ave
Upper Macatawa Natural Area is located in Zeeland Township. The 612 acre property features stunning bridges and is popular among bikers, hikers, runners, and birders. The bike path running through the park connects to Byron Road’s Fred Meijer Kenowa Trail which leads to Kent County on the north side and to the Adams Street’s bike path, which runs to the lakeshore, on the south side. The single-track mountain bike trails are maintained by dedicated volunteers and are some of the best trails in the area. Visitors will find a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and wetlands, that are home to diverse wildlife.
Dogs on leash welcome!
 Saturday, June 24 at 8:00 AM: GRAND EXPLORER TRAIL RUN/WALK at Grand River Park/Grand Ravines
Grand Ravines South, located off Fillmore Street, is connected to the north section of the park by a paved accessible pathway leading to the Grand River. This park gets its name from the extensive system of deep ravines that are considered one of most significant natural features in Ottawa County. Within these ravines are unique plant communities, including a variety of ferns and trees uncommon to the area, such as paw paws and towering tulip trees. You can look into a ravine as you cross the 275' long, 70' high suspension bridge which is fully ADA accessible and is believed to be the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Michigan. Next year, visit the park in April and May when you'll find a variety of spring wildflowers along the trails. If you look up and around, you may catch a glimpse of our resident pair of Bald Eagles.
The 1st Annual Grand Explorers’ Trail Race
Run through two beautiful Ottawa County Parks in one race! #2Parks1Race
What can we say? This trail race is Grand: Grand River, Grand Ravines, Grand bridges, and Grand views!
The course starts at Grand River County Park winding you through a natural surface trail until you hit the newly completed Idema Explorers Trail segment that leads you along the Grand River to Grand Ravines County Park. As you enter Grand Ravines, you will see an old, covered bridge and go up a small incline to a spectacular view of the river. If you’re lucky, you might even see the resident bald eagles out fishing. You have the option to participate in the 1-mile kids fun run, the 5K or the 10K.
Dogs will be allowed to run the 10K and 5K races with their human, but they must be on a six-foot leash at all times. We know dogs are a part of the family, we just ask that you be considerate of those around you and that you only bring a dog that is well-mannered and comfortable around people, including children, and other dogs. We want everyone to have a great time!
 
Upcoming Park Activities
June 19 - June 23: Federico and the Wolf Storywalk at Paw Paw Park-East
Take a StoryWalk® at Paw Paw Park-East! In collaboration with Herrick Library and 5210, Let's Go!, this StoryWalk® features "Federico and the Wolf" by Rebecca J. Gomez. Pages from this picture book will be posted on signs along the path for your family to read together - along with ideas for things to look for and do as you walk! The story is available to read as you stroll along the path/trail.
No registration required.
June 19 - June 25: Out of Nowhere Storywalk at Riley Trails
Take a StoryWalk® at Riley Trails! In collaboration with Herrick Library, this StoryWalk® features "Out of Nowhere" by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros. Pages from this picture book will be posted on signs along the path for your family to read together - along with ideas for things to look for and do as you walk! The story is available to read as you stroll along the path/trail.
No registration required.
June 19 - June 25: Summer Color Storywalk at Hemlock Crossing
Take a StoryWalk® at Hemlock Crossing! In collaboration with Loutit Library, this StoryWalk® features "Summer Color!" by Diana Murray. Pages from this picture book will be posted on signs along the path for your family to read together - along with ideas for things to look for and do as you walk! The story is available to read as you stroll along the path/trail.
No registration required.
Storywalks: A Family Fun Activity
Storywalks are a great way to get your whole family outside and walking! Pages from a featured book will be posted along a path for you and your family to read together. Stories are available during park hours.
- June 19 - June 23: Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez at Paw Paw Park East, brought to you in partnership with 5210, Let's Go!
- June 19 - June 25: Out of Nowhere by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros at Riley Trails
- June 19 - June 25: Summer Color! by Diana Murray at Hemlock Crossing
- June 30 - July 16: Green on Green by Dianne Whitte at Paw Paw Park West
- July 7 - July 21: Now by Antoinette Portis at Connor Bayou, brought to you in partnership with 5210, Let's Go!
- July 17 - July 30: Look and Listen by Dianne White at Pine Bend
- July 31 - August 18: The Hike by Alison Farrell at Hemlock Crossing, brought to you in partnership with 5210, Let's Go!
- July 31 - August 18: A Perfect Day by Lane Smith at Paw Paw Park East
- August 14 - August 27: Bird Watch by Christie Matheson at Riley Trails
5210, Let's Go! is an easy-to-remember plan to help you and your family implement healthy habits, including drinking fewer sugary drinks, making healthy food choices, reducing screen time, and adding physical activity into your daily routine. More information to come soon!
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Four Pointes Telephone Reassurance Program
Four Pointes offers free phone-based service connecting seniors with calls from kind and compassionate volunteers.
Calls can be received up to five days a week. No membership required.
To make a referral for yourself or someone you love,
please call 616.842.9210.
Four Pointes mission is to promote the vitality, independence and
well-being of older adults in the North Ottawa County community by providing needed services and information, encouraging recreation and lifelong learning and advocating for solutions to issues of aging.
Learn more about programs and services
💪🏽Movements of the Week from Darebee🧘🏼♂️
This week's movement, and many others, for all different types and levels of difficulty of movement, body part focus and equipment usage, can be found at Darebee.com.
Check out ALL of the Eco Trek Fitness moves, as highlighted in the previous Step it Up! emails, by clicking here.
Warm Up Activities on 8.5" x 11" printable page
Warm Up Activities on 5.5" x 8.5" printable page
Videos of the individual movements and the full warm up can be found here.
Make a goal to do a least three different stretches a day!
This week's healthy and delicious recipe, provided by Step it Up! program partner Ottawa Food.
About Ottawa Food: Ottawa Food is a collaborative effort of over 45 agencies and individuals in Ottawa County to ensure our community has access to healthy, local, and affordable food. Formerly the Ottawa County Food Policy Council, our members come from a variety of backgrounds: public health, food pantries, human service organizations, farmers, community members, Feeding America West Michigan, the MSU Extension, and more. Learn more at OttawaFood.org
Healthy Food Preparation
Think balance. Include a variety of delicious foods from all 5 food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, dairy or fortified soy and other plant-based milk alternatives when making meals. Chop fresh produce in advance. Cut up fresh fruits like melons and pineapples, and veggies like carrots and broccoli, when you have a few minutes. Store them in the fridge for meals and snacks. Bake, grill, broil, or roast. Limit frying—especially deep frying—to reduce saturated fat and calories in the dishes you make. Most recipes can be adapted for healthier cooking methods. Sweeten foods with fruit. Mix fruit into plain yogurt, cooked oatmeal, and smoothies to sweeten without adding sugar. Or use plain yogurt, uncooked oats, and fruit for some overnight oats. Find more flavor. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to cooked vegetables and meat/or meatless alternatives, chicken or fish. Experiment with fresh and low-salt herbs and spices. Read food labels. Use the Nutrition Facts Label to find out how much added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium (salt) are in the packaged foods you eat. Adjust your cooking methods and other ingredients accordingly. Healthy Food Preparation | MyPlate
Start your day easy. To prep this delicious breakfast recipe—Cranberry Overnight Oats with Almond Butter, you don’t have to heat the oats—it’s the ultimate in convenience. Add plenty of color to your plate with these colorful fantastic fruit salads—Sweet-and-Spicy Layered Fruit Salad and Grapefruit Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette. These Chipotle Asparagus Quesadillas stuffed with veggies deliver a smoky heat and make a perfect quick lunch. Whip up Linguine with Grill-Roasted Tomatoes & Zucchini Pesto or Puttanesca Sauce with Fried Capers Over Linguine for a spectacular satisfying simple scrumptious dinner that scores on all levels. Add a super-nutritious salad to satisfy without weighing you down—All-You-Can-Eat Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette.
Tips and recipes are provided by Angela Venderley, a professional Nutritionist & Certified Fitness Trainer with Nutrition, Health, Fitness & Sport Group LLC, a Step it Up! program partner.
Step It Up! Group Activity Schedule
Find a list of all the Step it Up! activity dates and locations:
miottawa.org/stepitup
Step it Up! is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, under 1 NB01OT009436-01-00.
Questions: Contact Rajvir Kaur at rkaur@miottawa.org
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