Sporting out from station to station
Since September there is another possibility in the GesundLand Vulkaneifel with which one can be healthy and fit in nature. The villagers of Wollmerath have painstakingly installed a kind of trim trail around their village. The "Active-Healthy-Parcours" includes 14 stations that invite you to exercise and do sports in the beautiful surroundings of the Volcanic Eifel. The stations challenge strength, endurance and coordination - so the whole body stays in swing!
Over a total distance of 6.3 kilometers, the course runs from the sports field to the Wollmerather Kopp and from there back to the village. Everyone can choose their own pace: Whether running, walking or hiking, sports enthusiasts of all ages can exercise in the fresh air and train and exercise together.
I had to take a closer look and made my way to Wollmerath to try out the Active Healthy Trail myself. The first station is right at the top of the sports field, where you can also park your car for the time you're out and about. Let's start with a warm-up. Even before smaller sports units, the body first needs to warm up to promote blood circulation and prevent injuries. So I start by stretching my arms, letting them swing back and forth loosely, and getting into a torso bend. You can't go wrong with the exercises either, because there's a board at each station that explains the exercise well and depicts it pictorially to boot. Those who are not yet so fit can follow the instructions for "beginners". If that's not challenging enough, you can follow the instructions for "athletes".
The first "real" exercise follows directly at the sports field: situps for the beginners and hyperextension for the athletes. I'll stick with the sit-ups, because they are a good way to train the abdominal muscles. At the station, there are two low bars that are needed for the exercise. I wedge my feet under one bar and sit on the other. Then you have to raise and lower your upper body. The wedged feet ensure that you do the exercise correctly. 3 times 15 repetitions - then it goes on.
On a dirt road we go to the next station. Push-up or tricep dip. This requires only a simple bar, which ensures that you do not have to support your hands in the dirt. The push-ups work the biceps, while the triceps dip, as the name suggests, works the triceps. I try it with the triceps dip - the 2 times 5 reps work quite well.
At the next station there is only a sign, because here you do not need any tools. Classic squats train strength and endurance, the muscles in the thigh and buttocks are strengthened. And even if they look so easy, I'm sure this exercise will provide a little muscle soreness....
The fourth station also does not require any aids. Here, the lunge again challenges the strength in the legs. Everything is explained on the board: simply straddle the legs and shift the body weight from one leg to the other in turn. This can be quite a workout for the legs! After five repetitions, we move on.
Now the path leads towards the forest. That's good, because although it's already autumnal, the sun is still shining quite warmly from the sky. In the forest there is a kind of climbing frame. Here is the next station. At the climbing scaffold, the idea is to shimmy from rung to rung while exercising the muscles in the upper body. That's not so easy! Nevertheless, I'm also trying it backwards - that's a bit more difficult, but I'm managing it. The shimmy was one of the most strenuous stations so far!
Afterwards, the path leads out of the forest again and a bit through Wollmerath. On the outskirts of Wollmerath is the next stop: the stairs. It is located on an ascending field path. From here you jog or sprint up the stairs to the next station, which is not far away. I set off and am glad when I arrive at the next station - that was already very exhausting! I take a short break before I look at the next station.
This station consists of two elements: a small climbing wall and a bar. The climbing wall is a recreational activity for children. The next exercise can be done on the bar: the push-up. To do this, you hold on to the pole with both hands and then let your body hang. The task is then to pull your own body weight upwards. I notice that quite nicely in the arms, especially after the exercise on the shimmy, which was not long ago.
But the arms are challenged even more: further it goes to the pull-up bar! Here I must now again mobilize all the power reserves in the upper arms. 2x3 repetitions are actually here for beginners on the board ... but I manage unfortunately only one. Pull-ups are really hard. But anyway, I go on, a few stations are still waiting for me.
In the direction of Wollmerather Kopp, the trail now enters the forest. Coordination is now required at the balancing beam. First I balance once over it, which works without problems. But after that it becomes a bit more challenging: jumping over the beams alternately. At the end I'm a bit out of breath, but the jumping was fun.
Three more stations follow. The next one is also all about hopping and coordination. Frog hopping involves jumping over the beams in a crouched position. This is also more strenuous than you first imagine. And you have to be a little careful that you jump high enough and don't trip. But I manage it without any accidents.
Now I have almost completed the course. Stretching is important at the end. The heel bend stretches the leg muscles, and at the last station there are stretching exercises for the whole body. I do all the exercises to improve circulation and flexibility. This also helps wonderfully to come down and take a breath after the strenuous sports sessions. I feel a little exhausted, but the course was also a lot of fun! It's a very nice way to keep fit in nature - especially when the weather is nice, it doubly motivates you to do some exercise. In addition, you get to see the most beautiful corners of the little village of Wollmerath and, at the last stop, the unique Wollmerather Kopp, which bears witness to the volcanic past of the area. For me it was one of the most beautiful sport units for a long time and I feel good to have exhausted myself.
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