Aside from breathing in fresh air and being immersed in the great outdoors, there are many health benefits from hiking. Not only is it some of the best (not to mention free) exercise you can get, it’s also good for your mental well-being. Hiking allows you to step outside of your normal day-to-day and get out into the great outdoors.
So, let’s take a deeper look at the benefits hiking has to offer.
- Preventing heart disease
Hiking is one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease, decrease hypertension (high blood pressure), and boost blood sugar levels. Even better, this can all happen without ever needing to overexert yourself.
Hiking is so beneficial, in fact, that researches have found that walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by a whopping 31%. Not bad for a walk in the park, eh?
- Losing weight
Hiking is a great way to shed some extra weight. Walking just one mile can burn about 100 calories, which is key to losing and keeping off weight.
Another benefit of hiking is you will often encounter more difficult terrain than you would just walking on a treadmill. Even a small incline of 5% will accelerate your heart rate enough to amount to a 40% increase in calorie burn.
This kind of exercise can be done in as little as 30 minutes, making it easy to work into your busy day-to-day life. By incorporating this into your daily routine, you can easily lose and keep off those extra pounds.
- Improving your immune system
Being inside too much can weaken your immune system. Walking on a beach, in the woods, or even in a park is a great way to catch some sun.
Hiking out in the sun is one of the best ways to get some extra vitamin D, which has been proven to boost your mood and your immune system. Not to mention, fresh air is good for you and has been shown to provide benefits such as improved digestion, healthier blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.
- Making you happier
Running on a treadmill is a great way to reduce stress and improve your mental state. However, being outside is not only a free way to manage tension and stress, it also has higher rate of helping relieve common mental illnesses such as anxiety, stress, and depression.
Furthermore, it’s been proven that nature can make you happier. Going for a hike out in greenery can bring a sense of calm that you just can’t get from a cityscape.
It’s also been found that being outside can help restore your cognitive functions, which in turn can improve your memory and focus. Hiking in nature allows you to quiet your mind, which helps you to focus on your breathing and put you in a semi-meditative state.
- Hiking makes you creative
A Stanford study shows that walking improves creativity. By recording the creativity levels of 176 college students and adults when they were sitting down and walking, researchers observed that the creativity levels of the subjects walking increased by 60%.
Always looking at your phone can deplete your creative energy. Hiking without your cell phone can rewire your brain and give you relief from the stress and fatigue technology can induce. Not to mention looking at your phone screen can cause eye fatigue, so hiking can also give sore eyes a rest!
- It’s good exercise
One of the great aspects of hiking is you can modify the intensity of your workout, depending on your speed and the trail you choose. By incorporating cardio into your busy life, you can lose up to 500 calories an hour out on the trail.
This kind of exercise is great for your lower body and provides benefits for your:
- Lower legs
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
- Calves
- Abs
- Hip muscles
You’re not solely limited to simply walking while out on the trail, either. By strapping weights onto your legs or loading up a full pack, you can increase the intensity of your workout.
However, it’s important to pick the appropriate weights and weight amount to suit your body type. Ankle weights are usually between 3-5 lbs, while a fully loaded pack shouldn’t exceed 20% of your body weight.
If walking is a primary source of exercise for you, however, your upper body muscle mass can suffer. You can combat this by carrying additional free weights while you hike.
- It’s easy on your joints
While walking is great exercise, it can be harsh on your joints. Because it is a weight-bearing exercise, walking on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt can lead to joint pain or even arthritis.
This isn’t a problem with natural terrain, however. Walking on softer surfaces such as grass or dirt is easier on your joints while still offering a good workout.
- It strengthens your bones
While doing weight-bearing exercises on hard surfaces can harm your joints, when done on the right surfaces, they can actually be good for your bones. Hiking through natural terrain can help build bone density, which translates to stronger bones and a decrease in loss of bone mass.
- It improves your relationships
Hiking is not only good for you, it also helps your relationships with others which can have an immediate impact on both your physical and mental well-being.
Whether it’s with friends, family, or a significant other, hiking can be a bonding experience. Hiking with others provides a perfect opportunity to work as a team and enjoy some quality time together.
Being out in nature takes you away from the distractions of everyday life, giving you an opportunity to focus solely on the ones you love. This creates an open environment for conversation or even meaningful shared silence which can facilitate more intimate relationships.
Conclusion
Not only is hiking good for you physically, it also has multiple mental health benefits. By incorporating it into your weekly activities, you can be on your way to becoming a healthier, happier individual.
