Let’s be honest, we’ve all been through a lot this year and aching for that one escape from reality into the refreshing nature. Whether you want to break your boring routine, get out of your house, or want to spend some more time in nature to feel relaxed, hiking can be a great way to change things. You don’t need to be a hardcore hiker who is sweating all day to reap the benefits of hiking. In fact, you don’t even need to hit the top hiking spots in your country to enjoy it. You can hike at any place, at any elevation, and for any number of miles or kilometres.
All you need to go on a hike is very little equipment, some basic skills, and all the enthusiasm you can get! Here are a few benefits of hiking for your mind, body, and soul.
Benefits of Hiking for Your Body
1. Hiking Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
One of the important benefits of hiking is cardiovascular fitness. Even a moderate one-hour hike can burn around 400 calories while strengthening your core and lower body. It also engages your core muscles in your torso and hones your balance skills. In a way, hiking is like doing lunges over and over. It strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves while improving your cardiovascular fitness.
2. Hiking gives you an All-Round Workout
Unlike your standard exercise routines like walking, running, squatting, etc that move you either forward and backward or up and down, hiking forces you to move in every way possible. This way you strengthen your muscles and tone your whole body.
Benefits of Hiking for your Mind
1. Hiking Makes your Mind Sharper
Hiking doesn’t just make your body feel good but also keeps your brain in top shape. When you hike, blood flows to your brain, carrying oxygen and important nutrients. According to research by Harvard, this increases blood flow to the brain improves connections between neurons in the parts of the brain that is responsible for memory and cognitive function.
2. Hiking Reduces Anxiety and Depression
Hiking and connecting with nature improve mental health and well-being. Hiking has been proven to reduce stress levels, reduce anxiety, and depression by calming the mind. Hiking allows you to zone in on your breathing to a part meditative state that works as an instant mood booster.
Also Read: How to spot signs of depression and help your loved ones
Benefits of Hiking for your Soul
1. Hiking Builds Community
The utmost thing we crave now is human connection. With months locked inside our home, staring at the computer and mobile phone screen all day, we just need to be with real humans. Hiking can forge new friendships, build healthy groups, and provide social support. It is a great way to build a healthy community. This is one of the greatest benefits of hiking for your soul
Read More: Unlock the health benefits of Vitamin D & Sunlight in this lockdown
2. Hiking Makes you Appreciate Life
Hiking is your chance to let yourself loose in nature, recharge, and connect with yourself. Being one with nature for even a few hours makes you appreciate nature and life. So, no matter what, at the end of the day, you’ll always return home with a renewed appreciation for mother nature and your life.
Hiking improves your overall health and wellbeing. Physically, mentally and emotionally, hiking can help you in many ways. So, if you want to revive your mind, body, and soul, try hiking and reap all the benefits of hiking.