Celebrate Wellness Month in Palo Alto This August
Wellness ideas for the whole family to enjoy this August and all year long
As we continue to focus on community recovery through the pandemic, this August is National Wellness Month and a perfect opportunity to focus on community health and well-being. To get you moving, opting outside, giving back, reducing stress and nourishing your mind, body, and spirit this blog offers ideas for the whole family to focus on wellness this August and all year long. From fitness and recreation to the arts and volunteering in your community, keep safe and be well Palo Alto.
WELLNESS ACTIVITIES & FITNESS CLASSES
BOOST! Program
Give your body a boost by signing up for our various adult fitness classes, including yoga, Pilates, cardio dance, Zumba and more. Register here.
Free Virtual Meditation
The Art Center offers free virtual meditation sessions with stress management consultant Julie Forbes, Ph.D. Join Julie every Thursday at noon from July 14-August 25. Sessions will rotate each week between Mindful Meditation, Body Scan, Loving Kindness and Guided Visualization. Go here to learn more.
Virtual Tai Chi Class & Qigong with Master Chin
Enjoy this ancient martial art series, which aims to improve physical wellness, improve mind-body connection, reduce stress and more. Sign up here.
New Outdoor Exercise Equipment at Rinconada Park
Taking the kids to the new playground? Get in a workout by taking advantage of our new outdoor exercise equipment for adults, such as elliptical machines and stationary bikes. Learn more about the playground improvements here.
Senior Wellness Classes with Avenidas
Avenidas, a partner of the City of Palo Alto, offers a variety of wellness classes for seniors, from Qi Gong and Breathing Exercises for Healing and Recovery to Lotus Dance Fitness, Feldenkrais®: Awareness Through Movement, Mindfulness Meditation, Hatha Yoga and much more. Find out more here.
RECREATION PROGRAMS
Tee Up at Baylands Golf Links
Redesigned in 2018, the golf course features 55 acres of native Baylands vegetation and wetlands areas that improve wildlife habitats and offers elevated scenic views of the Baylands and San Francisco Bay. Sign up to play here.
Learn to Dance
The City offers a variety of dance classes for all ages and skill levels, such as line dancing and modern dance. Learn more here.
Adult Softball League
These leagues are open to adults 18 years of age and older. The Thursday Night Men’s recreational league at El Camino Park runs August through November and includes one game her week in the evening. Learn more here.
Tennis Classes
The City offers tennis classes for all ages and skill levels, including one-on-one tennis lessons, junior and adult novice and intermediate tennis, advanced tennis, quickstart tennis and Terrific Tiny Tennis (kids 5–7 years old). Register here.
Parks and Recreation Activities
Visit one of Palo Alto’s neighborhood parks for a game of tennis, pickleball, basketball, or enjoy a quiet picnic or walk. Find which park suits you best here.
WELLNESS THROUGH THE ARTS
Magical Series — Spectrum Friendly
Catch the last gathering of this amazing music group on August 5, where a board-certified music therapist offers music and movement specifically created for neuro-divergent friends to support social and emotional development. Learn more here.
Avenidas Arts Classes for Seniors
Avenidas is offering art classes for seniors through early to late August, such as Art from theHeart, From Sketching to Painting and Intermediate Watercolor Painting. They’re also offering language Learn more here.
Avenidas Conversational Spanish
Learn the language art of conversational Spanish with Avenidas. Learn more here.
Avenidas Improv Class
Learn the art of Improv with Avenidas. Find out more here.
Memoir Writing with Avenidas
Learn the art of writing by using your own life as inspiration. Get more info here.
RECONNECT WITH NATURE
One of the best things about living, working or visiting Palo Alto is its close access to beautiful parks, preserves and outdoor activities you can enjoy year-round. Reconnecting with nature — from scenic parks to wildlife — is a great way to boost your body, mind and spirit. Check out one of Palo Alto’s nature preserves and their offerings below:
Baylands Nature Preserve
Bounded by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve is one of the largest tracts of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay and is known as one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast. Enjoy walking, bicycling, birding, canoeing, kayaking, boardsailing, hand-launched non-motorized boating and fishing.
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
Boasting rolling grassland and evergreen forest, this beautiful preserve features views of the bay and a variety of wildlife, such as deer, bobcats, coyotes, and many varieties of birds. Enjoy hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, fishing and birding.
Foothills Nature Preserve
Miles of trails provide access through rugged chaparral, woodlands, fields, streams, a lake, and provides spectacular views of the Bay Area. Wildlife abounds, and it is common to see deer and coyotes. Enjoy hiking, fishing, seasonal canoe rentals, seasonal camping and picnicking.
Esther Clark Park
If you really want to get away from it all, this small, undeveloped nature reserve of grassland and oaks is perfect for quiet meditation, hiking at sunset and horseback riding.
Go Birding in Palo Alto
Check out the local birding site recommendations from the Santa Clara Valley Audubon for July, including Palo Alto’s Emily Renzel Ponds.
LIBRARY ACTIVITIES
Connect Together through Library Summer Events
Join the Library this summer for events of all kinds. From book clubs and spikeball to board games day, there’s something for everyone.
Mindful Book Recommendations
Here is a summer reading list to help explore bittersweet emotions, the beauty of every day, and mindful podcast recommendations.
Financial Health and Wellness Webinar — August 19
Financial wellness instructor Brad Hamada of the Heartland Institute of Financial Education hosts a webinar about Fulfilling Long Term Goals. Learn more here.
What’s Up Wednesday: Music, Movement & Imagination with Andy Z
Award-winning children’s performer, singer/songwriter and educator Andy Z will entertain and engage the audience on August 17 and August 24 with character voices, puppets, movement, storytelling, and music in multiple genres. Learn more here.
STEAM Lab Saturday!
Join Librarian Alicia on the first Saturday of every month for a fun-filled livestream of STEAM activities on our Facebook page. Learn more here.
VOLUNTEERING
This summer is the summer of service and Palo Alto offers several ways to give back to the community through service and volunteering. Giving back through volunteering has proven health benefits including improving physical and mental health, lowering rates of depression and anxiety. Volunteering also provides a sense of purpose, teaches valuable skills, and increases social interaction — the latter of which is more important than ever after so much pandemic-related isolation.
Make a difference through volunteering!
Volunteering in Open Space
Projects range from habitat restoration to building small structures to trail maintenance to trash pickup.
Volunteer at the Art Center
Volunteer opportunities for adults, teens and families range from Children’s Fine Art Studio assistants and Adult Studio assistants to administrative volunteers, school program docents, Art Center Teen Leadership and Counselors-in-Training.
Volunteer at the Junior Museum & Zoo
There are many exciting volunteer opportunities, such as facilitating live animal encounters or interpretive programs, maintaining and building exhibits, assisting with zoo animal care, supporting educational and administrative programs, and helping with special weekend events.
Volunteer with Pets in Need at the Palo Alto Animal Shelter
Assist with everything from special event support to wildlife transport. The next in-shelter volunteer recruitment is scheduled for September.
CONNECTING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY
National Night Out — August 2
The Palo Alto Police Department is inviting the Palo Alto community to participate in National Night Out events on Tuesday, August 2. National Night Out is a popular national initiative that seeks to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while fostering a sense of community. It also provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Palo Alto’s version has two parts: encouraging neighborhoods to host their own National Night Out-related events (that the Police Department will visit upon request) and also hosting a “showcase” of sorts in the 200 block of Forest Avenue (in the closed road between the Police Department and downtown library). Find details on the dedicated Police Department website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/PAPDNationalNightOut.
Palo Alto Community Health Fair — August 21
Join the City and Palo Alto Family YMCA for a community health fair at Mitchell Park Community Center on Sunday, August 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. Activities range from health talks and presentations to healthy food sampling to health screenings and more. Bring the whole family, it’s free to all. Learn more here.
Avenidas Social and Recreation Clubs
Avenidas offers a variety of clubs to help seniors reconnect with the community and themselves, from reading and hiking to poetry, music, chess and more. Learn more here.
Savor the Summer with Community Events
Summer is a great time to boost your mood and get some Vitamin D at fun community events, such as Magical Bridge Summer Concerts, Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Summer Camps and Super Family Sundays, Hot Dog Productions at Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, Twilight Concert Series, Friday Night at the Art Center and much more. Read our Savor the Summer blog here.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT & WELLNESS TIPS
Sometimes we need extra support in our lives. For those who need assistance with mental health, substance use concerns, and/or access to a 24/7 crisis and suicide prevention line, see the resources available from the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department. For emergency police or medical assistance, call 9–1–1.
The California Avenue Farmer’s Market takes place on Sundays and offers local and fresh fruits and vegetables. And after eating those fabulous new dinner ingredients, learn how to reduce food waste by going here here. The CDC offers these healthy eating tips. Drink more water, get moving, and sleep more, all these and more tips focused on health and wellness.
RESOURCES OFFERED THROUGH UPLIFT LOCAL
Join the City’s Uplift Local enewsletter, which features wellness tips each week, from healthy recipes to mindfulness exercises, to free programs all with wellness and well-being in mind. Subscribe here.
Learn more about ongoing events and activities at the City of Palo Alto here.
More Online Resources
Go here for the City’s coronavirus website with other resources.
Go here for the City’s Be Well website sharing other tools and resources to support community wellness.
