Benefits of Hiking: Mental, Physical, and Other
How do you feel after a trek or other outdoor activity? Do you typically feel less anxious, more focused, and more at ease? If so, it is not by chance. Or perhaps you've never gone hiking but are interested in what it has to offer.
Numerous advantages, both physical and emotional, come with hiking. Some advantages can be noticeable right away (such lowered blood pressure and stress levels, improved focus, and improved immunological function), while other advantages might appear over time (like weight reduction and a decline in depression).
Benefits for Physical Health
Due to the cardiovascular benefits of hiking, it can also significantly improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Hiking strengthens the leg muscles, strengthens the core muscles, and improves balancing abilities. More balance and core strength are needed as the terrain becomes more complex and the climbing effort rises since more muscles are needed to negotiate the steeper terrain. The major muscles in your legs—such as the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves—are worked as you ascend, and on the way down, your quadriceps and glutes are working hard to keep you from falling forward as the slope steepens. Uneven ground works a lot of the smaller stabilizer muscles, which improves general stability and balance.
Hiking is accessible to people of all abilities and ages since the difficulty of a trek may be adjusted to meet the capacity of the person hiking, from an easy hiking trail in a neighborhood to a strenuous journey up a mountain. Your heart will work harder on a hillier course, potentially enhancing the cardiovascular benefit.
Benefits for Mental Health
Anxiety and weariness may lessen right away after hiking in mountainous places with altitude changes, according to research, and sensations of valence (pleasure), elation (or happy), and relaxation may increase. For instance, a study found that outdoor hiking reduced stress-related reactions, such as lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva.
Rumination, or the habitual thinking about unpleasant feelings, is reduced by time in nature, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. This same study showed that spending time in nature may enhance mental health and give city dwellers the break they require for eliminating negative thought patterns. The subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC), a region of the brain connected to withdrawal and linked to rumination in both healthy people and those with depression, actually showed a decrease in activity in research participants.
An increase in cognition and affect, or feelings and emotions, as well as a decrease in anxiety are some additional advantages of being in nature. Being in nature may also give you the chance to be more mindful and present to the moment you're experiencing, which has been shown to lower stress and blood pressure.
How to get started
What can you do to start? It's obvious that being in nature has the capacity to improve our bodily and emotional well-being. It will be simpler for you to get started if you start with shorter hikes on nearby, more familiar routes. Shoes with thicker soles can support your feet by giving you a more secure hold on unlevel and sometimes slippery surfaces (hiking-specific footwear is ideal). As you begin trekking, a decent pair of shoes can also assist in preventing ankle injuries or falls (and when you may have less leg strength and overall stability). In order to lessen the likelihood of blisters, these shoes should ideally have been well-broken in.
Even if you don't anticipate being outside for very long, be sure to pack plenty of water, some snacks, and weather-appropriate clothing. Wearing layers will keep you warm in cooler areas. Wear sunscreen every day, especially on overcast days. Use a map or an app on your smartphone to have a clear understanding of the path you will walk. Better still, invite a friend to join you on the hike; this will make the experience more pleasurable and strengthen your sense of community (which is also important for positive mental health).
Try it out
Try going on a hike and see how it makes you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. If nothing else, it can help you disconnect from the screens and technology that dominate daily life and put more of your attention toward the outdoors and your surroundings, which can help you practice mindfulness.
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