Hiking is a form of exercise and with any form of exercise, you get health benefits. While you love to hike and don’t think of it as the same as going to the gym, it pretty much is. It is just more fun!
Getting in the outdoors is enjoyable for many people and it is good for you. We need to unplug and get away from it all from time to time. Hiking can be a great time to reflect or go with friends or family to enjoy some quality time with you. And hiking is not that hard, just take care of some basic hiking skills and you will do fine.
Constant exercise helps prevent many things such as premature death, chronic disease and improves the quality of life. It is known to bring down blood pressures, help the body heal, and even helps with mental illness prevention. Get moving and improve your body weight as well as become stronger.
Hiking improves overall fitness and builds muscles. If you hate the idea of the gym but want to live a healthy lifestyle, hiking is a great choice. Gyms can be so boring and rather sterile. However, a hike in the woods, mountainside, or along the trails can bring about a fun adventure. If you go quietly you might just see some amazing animals too.
We all know that exercise is good for your health. It not only helps with weight but also helps with your mind. Getting out regularly will help your mental health as well as your physical health. Getting out in nature though adds that extra level that you can’t get from walking on a treadmill in a gym.
Many people buy calming sound music. However, when you are actually out in it, there is nothing like it. Hearing the leaves rustling and the birds are something that has a calming effect on the soul.
This calming helps improve creativity and attention spans. It helps with problem-solving. This may be due to the fact that when we are hiking we are often “unplugged” from the rest of the world. Sure having all of our devices are nice little conveniences. However, they can take us away from what is real life and moments we should enjoy. By replacing our devices with trees, fresh air, and sunshine we are recharging our batteries.
Looking to lose weight?
Hiking can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. If the terrain is med too difficult you are burning even more calories, without even knowing it at times. Walking is a great exercise and can certainly help with weight loss. If you are struggling with your weight, get out, and take a hike! You will be able to enjoy the outdoors and see a bit of nature at the same time.
Hiking can burn up to 500 calories in just one hour. Of course, this is dependant on the terrain and inclines. But, never the less, it is an exercise that is hidden into a fun activity. It is a wonderful way to get in a serious workout without putting a lot of stress on your joints.
And, while your stomping through the trails know that you are bringing down your blood pressure and cholesterol, these are things that affect your heart’s condition. It is also very effective in removing blood sugars and helps regulate the body. Having your terrain change as you move helps with balance and core strength as well.
Hiking makes you more creative
When you are hiking you are unplugged from most modern technology. You might take your cell phone, but shut off all the notifications and take a minute away from it all. The constant borage of beeps, bings, and notifications is distracting and taking away our ability to stay focused for any length of time.
However, if you take this time during a nice long hike and unplug you will soon notice that you have a sense of peace and calmness come over you. The more time you spend like this the better you will get at being more focused rested, and ready to be more creative.
Improved mental health
Our modern-day technology is nice but it is also nice to get away from it all. Taking a break from all the social media and all the interruptions from your phone can be just what the doctor ordered. This allows you to take some time to just unwind and be. It is a great way to recharge and spend time with family and friends as well.
Hiking helps with depression, anxiety, and all kinds of mental issues that are so prominent in today’s world. It can boost your mood and give you more energy as well.
Our lives are full of distractions and are busier than ever. With our jobs, kids, activities, and social lives we have little time to think clearly. However, when you are out on the trails, we can shut all of that off. Take some time and just be.
There are a lot of things that cause us stress and anxiety these days. We have a lot going on in many different directions. However, when hiking, we can shut all that out. We can take time to just be with nature. All that fresh air and vitamin D will help lift your spirits and help melt the stress away.
When you are helping your physical body be healthy, you are also helping your emotional well being with hiking. Getting out and clearing your head is important to any person and hiking is great for that. Take along a friend and chit chat along the trails. Hiking is very beneficial for emotional well being.
Research has shown that people tend to have less depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Being away from technology and getting back to our roots is important to our personal well being. Enjoy the moments you have with your friends and family and put down the devices.
If you have basic flat trails to hike, that is okay too. The point of this is to get you out and away from technology and screens. Enjoy mother nature and all the beauty it has to offer. Take in the fresh air and allow the de-stressing to begin.
Getting out and enjoying time with friends and family without screen distractions is getting back to your roots. You will have time to remember when you liked them in the first place.
Reduce stress and go for a hike!
We have all kinds of reasons for stress. However, we need to work on trying to get our lives organized and ready to take on the world. There are all kinds of ways to help destress from a long walk, hike, or even a hot bath.
Some people find hobbies, well, besides hiking, that help with their stress levels as well. These things can be simple such as quilting, kayaking, or computer games. Having a nice balance of things that you enjoy can help you control your stress levels and stay in more balance.
Studies have shown that hiking will make you happier. It reduces your negative self-talk. You should never forget that nature, in general, brings on a sense of happiness. Just getting outside with the sun and cool breeze can bring down your blood pressure and reduce the overall stress on your body. This is important as we age. We need to find ways to improve our health and allow our bodies to destress.
Other factors such as family issues and children can further increase our stress. But, when you are out on a walk, chances are you are not thinking about things that bring you to stress such as your job, kids, or financial issues. There are always going to be things that we find stressful. However, we need to find ways to cope with these things in a healthy manner. Going for a hike might just be one of those ways.
Hiking is great exercise!
Hiking over unlevel terrain will take more energy than walking on flat land. This can provide all kinds of benefits such as increased heart rate, weight loss, and well, better sleep. If you take time to go for a hike that has uneven terrain, you will be burning off energy that will allow you to sleep better than ever before.
Hiking will improve your concentration levels as well. Getting out into nature has been proven to help your mental concentration. This is because your brain isn’t being pulled in all sorts of different directions. It is focused on the simple task of walking and hiking. This will help you be a better employee, person, and parent. You need to take time for yourself and hiking is a great way to do just that.
Why Hiking Is the Perfect Mind-Body Workout
In today’s world, it is easy to get your mind cluttered with information. Some of this information is useless, while some of it is important. By going hiking and clearing your mind of the useless clutter you are making headway for more room in the hard drive per se. It is easy to do, getting overwhelmed with all the information you have flashing at you at all times.
However, there is just something about getting back to nature and getting out for a nice long hike. Getting away from screen time and getting back to the roots of nature is somehow really refreshing. Taking in some sun, while listening to the birds sing helps you remember what is important.
You need this time to allow your mind to settle and even process something that you have been trying to understand or figure out. When you walk, especially on uneven terrain, your heart rate and metabolic rate go up, and you will burn more calories. The amount of energy your body uses increases by 28% compared to walking on flat ground.
Exercise
Exercise not only helps our physical health, but it helps our mental health as well. We all have stressors these days, however, the important thing is to keep them under control.
It isn’t healthy to carry around a bunch of unneeded stress, remember what is important to you and go for it. Hiking allows you to take some time away and get back to thinking about what it is that is important to you. Taking time out of the crazy rat race and time for yourself is also important.
Hiking a beautiful area can bring back that piece of you that you might have lost in the office. It is a way to go back to nature and enjoy your surroundings that are not concrete and computer screens. Getting out and away from it all either together or alone is very important to our overall health. Life is full of stress and getting away from them will help you clear your head.
Taking the time for hiking is important as well. Our days are full of appointments, running errands, and completing work tasks. Sometimes you might need to schedule in your hiking expedition to ensure you have a nice chunk of time reserved for you and nature. Invite a friend to come along and experience what nature has to offer together. This is a great time to catch up with a friend and get some exercise at the same time!
Plan your hike
If you have never been hiking, then you should probably take note of how long you plan to be. Sometimes hikes do take a bit longer, so plan accordingly as well. If you are going on a trail, oftentimes at the trailhead they will give you an idea of how long the trail is. You can then calculate how long it might take you.
We do recommend dressing in layers and wearing comfortable shoes. Also, perhaps a small backpack with some essentials such as bug spray and sunblock would be a good idea. And, well, we like to pack snacks and water too. You never know, you might find a nice place to sit and enjoy a bag of trail mix.
Unplug and enjoy nature
As our lives become more and more accustomed to always being plugged in. Getting out and away from the desk and business is also very helpful for your overall wellbeing.
Many of us have the stress of work and family life to balance and taking some time away from work altogether can really grow the bonds with family. Be sure to bring along the kids on your hike. Sure, this option might make the hike a little longer. But, you get to see and experience the world through their eyes. When bringing the kids, be sure to bring along some snacks. They tend to want to eat more on the trails than us grown-ups.
And, always take out of the trails what you brought in. Don’t leave your wrappers and trash behind.
