Hiking is one of the easiest and least expensive outdoor activities to take part in and the benefits reach your mind, body, and soul.
Why Hiking Is Good For You?
Well lets start with the most obvious and work our way down.
HIKING IS GOOD FOR FITNESS
Hiking can increase your fitness levels. With just a one hour hike you can easily burn 500 calories, depending on your terrain and what you bring with you.
And if you head for the hills, you work harder burning more calories, and even the higher altitude itself helps increase your lung capacity to breath better when doing strenuous activities.
HIKING IS GOOD FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
Regular hikes are a great way to keep yourself in tip top shape. Hiking has been proven to lower your blood sugar levels, helping prevent and control diabetes.
And say goodbye to high cholesterol and blood pressure. This is because hiking makes your body more effective at removing blood sugars that can cause heart disease.
HIKING IS GOOD TO GET YOU IN SHAPE
Not everyone is the same shape, nor should we want to be. But if you are looking to tone up and lose some additional weight then hiking is the perfect exericse for you.
Regular hiking can shape your butt, your legs, and if you are really getting into it and clambering over rocks then you will be sure to get an over-all body workout.
HIKING IS GOOD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Hiking heals, and there is a lot more to it than just “being one with nature”.
Read on to find out the psychological benefits of hiking that include creativity, happiness, and preventing stress and depression.
Psychological Benefits Of Hiking
Psychologists Ruth Atchley and David Strayer found in their 2012 study that a four-day-long hike in the countryside, unplugged with no access to technology, increased participants creativity potential by 50%.
Their study found that both technology and the noises of our urban life are greatly disruptive, lowering our ability to focus and impacting on our cognitive ability.
You’ve heard of the expression ‘healthy body, healthy mind’, exercise helps to keep our brain cells nourished and healthy – helping to improve memory and cognitive ability.
Studies have also shown that doing something active and getting outdoors can help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD in children.
Hiking can help to reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem, and release endorphins to combat depression and make you feel happier all round.
Professor Liisa Tyrväinen and her research team at the Natural Resources Institute Finland, conducted a study of several thousand Finnish people, and recommend ‘a minimum nature dose of five hours a month’ to help ward off stress and anxiety. While Kaveli Korpela, a Psychology professor at the University of Tampere believes a 40 to 50-minute walk has a positive impact on our mood and psychological state.
Our world is becoming more urbanised and with increased reliance on technology, Stanford University researchers believe that this is linked to depression and other forms of mental illness. Removing ourselves from an urban environment, even for a short period of time, can be advantageous for our mental health – thanks to less stress triggers, less noise and fewer distractions.
Hiking Is Good For The Soul
Can hiking solve all of life’s problems? Definitely not.
But we are now seeing further evidence through numerous scientific studies that spending time in the outdoors is good for us.
Dunbar-born John Muir referred to as ‘the Father of the National Parks’, once wrote:
“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
While hiking is good for the mind, body, and soul, it is imperative that you do not underestimate the outdoors, your own ability and the weather. Make sure you prepare and plan properly, but above all stay hydrated and enjoy yourselves! Check out some of the best hikes in the US that you can enjoy right now, for your holistic well-being.
