Physical and Mental Benefits of Hiking
As the world continues to progress awareness about mental and physical diseases has increased as well. Today doctors and experts seem to have plenty of knowledge regarding not only the kind of problems that people can face regarding their health but also on how these problems can be tackled by taking various measures and precautions. It is also very helpful that the ongoing research on mental and physical diseases is widely available for the general public as well as they have easy access to them online. Hence anyone can go online and keep themselves updated on how they can manage and seek professional help for problems they can physically feel and also mentally endure.
Such knowledge is important to be as widely spread as possible because this not only helps us when we are dealing with our own personal problems but also when we feel a change in the behavior of those around us. The more people that will know mental and physical complications the better it will be for all of humanity.
One of the more common things that are freely advised by our doctors and experts for both mental and physical problems is the significance of exercise. Doctors can’t seem to emphasize enough how important and crucial exercise can be for our everyday lives; not only to cure a disease but also as a precaution to avoid getting future diseases. Here are some of the more common advantages that doctors and experts like to highlight about exercising:
- Helps Reduce Depression,
- Helps Tackle Stress and Anxiety,
- Helps manage Anger Issues,
- Helps Lower Blood Pressure,
- Helps Lower Sugar levels in Blood,
- Keeps bones and muscles active,
- Improves Stamina,
- Promotes Efficient Blood Circulation,
- Helps Lose Weight,
- Encourages the feeling of Well Being.
Now there are various ways of exercising but it cannot be denied that as an adult who is trying to survive in this world, we are so consumed by our busy schedules that we can find it very difficult to make time specifically for exercising. Other things such as making money, doing chores, completing our studies, and taking care of our loved ones have become our priority that our own personal health has very conveniently taken a back seat.
While doctors understand that and also appreciate the lives and routines that we have created for ourselves, they also continue to emphasize the importance of exercising, if not every day, then at least five times a week. We are also not expected to indulge in high-intensity training, rather 40 minutes of brisk walk or running can be sufficient for us as well and give us the same kind of benefits a proper hardcore workout would.
We however understand that just walking, no matter how beneficial and sufficient it can be, can become quite monotonous after a while and also boring. Hence to spice up that walk just by a little bit, we wanted to discuss the importance of hiking in today’s article!
Hiking is a very healthy, adventurous, and refreshing way of modifying our everyday exercise routine. It is a challenging sport that will introduce you to new and great limits you didn’t think you could pass while also giving you a killer workout. We want you to imagine going up a hill and connecting to nature, fresh air, and beautiful sceneries around without even realizing that you are working hard for it. You will find yourself enjoying immensely as your mind is occupied with absorbing the nature around you and still getting that workout your doctor was after you to do!
We will list down all the reasons why hiking should be your next choice for the weekend, while you go change in your running clothes because we are positive you will want to head out the door right away after reading all the listed reasons below!
1. Excellent way of working out leg muscles
Hiking is an excellent way of working on your leg muscles as you will be using your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, abdomen muscles, and also your hip muscles. Hiking cannot be considered just walking although the main effort you will be putting in while being on your legs, when you walk on an inclined path then more pressure and effort is required from your lower body.
The amazing thing about hiking however is that you don’t need to count or do sets of repetitive exercises to get leg muscle training; rather you will have a challenge in front of you that you will need to achieve while being out in the open in nature and breathing in the fresh air and just enjoying the view. The leg workout will happen on its own!
2. Improves Core Strength
Since you will be going up a hill and you will be using a lot of energy it goes without saying that this would not be possible without using your core energy and strength. Core energy that comes from the center of our body is always present and ready to be used; it is because of our core strength that we can put any pressure on our muscles. However at first while hiking you might find it hard to channel this energy but regularly hiking will be able to make you better at controlling and activating this energy.
3. Helps Lose Weight
Hiking will definitely make you break a sweat! It’s not an easy exercise to conquer and it requires practice and patience to become actually good at it! Since so many of your muscles will become active while hiking, it goes without saying that you will be losing weight!
4. Improves Balance
Hiking will also help improve your sense of balance as many times you will need to find your step and take awkward steps for which your feet will need to be as stable as possible. Even if you are someone who finds it difficult to balance themselves on difficult terrains, don’t worry because hiking will definitely help you improve yourself!
5. Encourages Self Confidence
Imagine having a challenge in front of you of climbing a difficult and tricky terrain, at first it might even seem impossible because hiking does require mental and physical excursion, however at the end no matter how difficult it seemed, you still manage to complete that challenge! This achievement on its own will give you such a boost in confidence that you will definitely feel a lot better about yourself!
6. Helps Battle Stress and Anxiety
For people who have stress and anxiety, hiking can take a toll on your mental energy because you continue to think of scenarios that will prevent you from climbing up a terrain; however, your number one task is to battle that out by really taking up that challenge and just going for it! When you finish a hike and you begin to feel confident about yourself you begin to realize how many things such as hiking are in your own control and you just need to fight through the anxieties to really conquer those fears!
7. Refreshes and Improves Mood
Being around in nature, looking at beautiful green scenery, and breathing the fresh air will uplift your mood and make you feel positive things about yourself and life.
8. Improves Stamina
When you will first go out hiking you will realize how easily you seem to run out of breath because hiking is excruciating for the lungs. You need to have good stamina to be able to hike up a hill because so many of your muscles become active. Hiking at least three times a week will help expand your lung muscles and increase your stamina and you will definitely feel that difference.
9. Lowers Blood Pressure
Sweating, activating muscles, and improving your stamina will help burn cholesterol in your blood this in return helps to reduce and lower blood pressure.
10. Lowers Sugar Levels in the Blood
The best way of reducing sugar in your blood is by activating your muscles, and your muscles in your lower body are made up of the biggest muscles in your body. The lower body exercises that you do, the more sugar is burned and converted into energy; hence making hiking one of the best sources of reducing sugar levels in your blood efficiently.
Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “[email protected]”
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