Friday, October 19, 2012

Research Sources: 'A' Mountain: Healthy Hiking


Project two has given each and every student the freedom to evaluate whatever pleases them. As topics for this assignment may have come easily to others, I on the other hand had a difficult time choosing my topic. When I was originally given the assignment, I wanted to incorporate a topic that I am passionate about: Football. With that being said, I decided to create a map of Sun Devil Stadium. However, as the week progressed I began to think more and more about the topic. I soon realized that the stadium was too big for me to create a map of and I also was not sure if I wanted to use the stadium again for which I used it in project one. In the end, I decided against my stadium idea in order to come up with a more original topic.
                                                                                'A' Mountain 
                                                                      [Source: Nicole Olnhausen]

From looking at the example “Bees on ‘A’ Mountain: a practical concern”, I was inspired to evaluate ‘A’ Mountain and it’s hiking paths. Many people consider hiking as great exercise; however, some paths are better than others. Therefore, I am curious to discover if these particular hiking paths are a good strategy for people to keep in mind while they try to get fit and in-shape.

For this particular assignment, it is crucial for me to evaluate a topic that intrigues me. If I work with a topic I find interesting, my chances of creating a better project will increase for which I will have a deeper observations, analysis, and better judgment. With that being said, this assignment is the perfect opportunity to explore ‘A’ Mountain’s hiking paths. I have always been interested in fitness and do my best to stay fit myself. If I see that ‘A’ Mountain has good paths, chances are I will use the mountain as a free alternative to get exercise.

Analyzing and observing are key factors in an evaluation. There is no better way to analyze and observe the mountain’s hiking paths than to actually hike them myself. By hiking the mountain, I will be able to determine how fast it takes an average person to hike to the top, how challenging the paths are, and the distances of each path. After the hike, I will use all of these aspects of the workout to help evaluate if the mountain paths are a success or failure for fitness. Once I make my evaluation, I will be able to identify the areas on the mountain map that I consider as evidence that supports my claim.



Research Summaries
Source 1: Article
Author: No Listed Author
Title: “A Step in the Right Direction”
Organization: American Hiking Society
Length: 2 ½ pages
What issues or ideas does this topic deal with?
   This article discusses the health benefits a person can gain from hiking up mountains and trails. In the article are proven health facts that are in result of hiking.
What interests you about what this source says?
   What is interesting to me about this article is all the facts they have listed for health benefits that they average person would not know. They discuss common health issues that can be prevented just by hiking.
What did you learn from it?
    I learned that hiking can prevent heart disease, decrease hypertension, relieve back pain, prevent osteoporosis, and improves arthritis.


Source 2: Book
Author: Erika Peters
Title: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Walking for Health”
Length: 25 Chapters
What issues or ideas does this topic deal with?
       This book discusses how to make walking a daily habit for good health, how to be a safe walker, how to lose weight while walking, how to walk as a lifestyle choice, and how to take care of your feet.
What interests you about what this source says?
       I am intrigued by this source because walking is similar to hiking. The only difference is that hiking is normally uphill. Many of these walking facts stated in the book can be related to hiking.
What did you learn from it?
      I learned how to be a safe and smart walker. For example, you can be a smarter walker by drinking a pint before you begin your walk (or any aerobic exercise) and drink a cup of water every 15 minutes.  


Source 3: Scholarly Article
Author: Bruce Jancin
Title: “Taking the stairs at Work Is a Leg Up for a Healthier Heart”
Organization: Denver Bureau
Length: 10 paragraphs
What issues or ideas does this topic deal with?
    This article discusses an experiment that was conducted in order to determine if taking the stairs is really a healthy option in the workplace.
What interests you about what this source says?
   What interests me about the article is that their studies did show a significant reduction in the waist sizes of the participants just from walking up and down stairs. In this source, they discuss taking the stairs, which is extremely similar to hiking. Because of that fact, I may be able to apply this work into my project.
What did you learn from it?
   I learned that by taking the stairs, you could increase your aerobic capacity.

Source 4: Scholarly Article
Author: Sheila L. Jackson & Annette Holeyfield
Title: “Hiking Difficulty Ratings and Heart Rate”
School: Arkansas Tech University
Length: 5 pages
What issues or ideas about the topic does the source deal with?
    The authors “compare the difficulty ratings of a popular hiking guidebook to the average and maximum heart rates of two subjects hiking six trails in Glacier National Park”.
What interests you about what this source says?
   I am intrigued on how they conducted an experiment to see how the difficulty level of a hike can affect a person’s heart rate.
What did you learn from it?
   From this source, I learned that “…the hikers had their highest heart rates with the moderated-rated hikes”. 

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