Hiking is more than just fun. This activity is good for you, too! A myriad studies and research have always shown that regular exercise not only boosts our general health and fitness but extends and improves the quality of our lives.
Regular physical activity significantly lowers the risk of dying of coronary heart disease as well as decreasing the risk for colon cancer, diabetes in addition to high blood pressure. This type of activity also helps to:
- Control weight.
- Contribute to healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
- Relieve the pain of arthritis; and
- Reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Regular exercise is also associated with fewer hospitalisations and physician visits.
Walking (and – as a consequence – hiking) is one of the lowest-impact sports around. This means that while you obtain all the cardiovascular benefits of other aerobic activities, you do so with a minimum of stress, strain as well as pounding to your body.
Physical Benefits Of Hiking
Hiking Is Good For The Heart
Hiking is wonderful for cardiovascular health. Even light hiking may raise your heart rate to a moderate level which assists with improving aerobic fitness and endurance. Over time, your body will adjust to new fitness levels which means that you will be able to hike longer, faster as well as harder without feeling as fatigued or out of breath.
Hiking Helps With Weight Loss
While this might not be everyone’s ultimate goal, if you do want to lose weight hiking is a wonderful way to do it. The number of calories which are burned during a hike depends on a lot of factors such as weight, gender and aerobic intensity.
However, if you’re just starting out even light hiking may result in gradual weight loss. The proposal for physical activity for adults is no less than 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per week. If your goal is weight loss, try beginning with three 50-minute hikes per week on a local trail.
Mental And Emotional Benefits Of Hiking
Hiking Eases Stress And Boosts Mental Well-Being
There’s a lot of research which supports the notion that connecting with nature – while hiking – you improve mental health and well-being. Whether we are taking in the remarkable glow of a sunset – or gazing out at a field of wildflowers – these brief experiences of feeling “wowed” by nature can make us feel happy and less stressed.
In today’s world, stress and mental illness – such as depression and anxiety – are part of everyday life for many people. However, spending time in nature may help to bring us back to the present and induce a feeling of calm – as well as peace – to our otherwise chaotic lives.
Hiking Allows Us To Unplug From Technology
While technology makes our lives a lot simpler, it also comes with unintentional consequences. Living life via our phones and social media may result in anxiety and unhealthy comparison, Social media apps are intended to be addictive, so it’s vital to keep this in balance and unplug once in a while – and what better way than hitting the trail. Switching off your phone and going for a hike is a great opportunity to live in the present moment and disconnect from the pressures that we often feel when we are scrolling.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Hiking is only just one of the beneficial forms of cardiovascular exercises that you can do in order to lose weight and to also become fitter than you need to do our Personal Training Diploma. Find out more by following this link.