Looking for an exciting way to stay in shape? Are you trying to clear your mind and expand your perspective of the world and the universe? Maybe you’re just trying to get in a high enough place that you feel something bigger than yourself. Regardless of your reasons, you are most likely to find answers to all these things in the form of a hike.
Hiking has always been around but it has never been as popular as it is today. Once a rather niche way of spending your time outdoors, hiking is now one of the most popular ways in which people of all ages, most surprisingly young adults as well, choose to stay in shape.
There are many benefits to hiking, and we’re going to go over them in just a moment.
Protect your heart
Your heart is by far the most important part of your body south of the neck. Without the heart, everything stops. And the most efficient way to make sure that your heart doesn’t stop is by always moving. Hiking is great for preventing heart disease and improving cardiovascular health by helping blood pump more efficiently and stronger through your entire body.
Get started in your muscles
Muscles are an important part of any person’s physique, but often times they are neglected or just undeveloped to the extent at which we would like them to be. Building muscles and hiking go hand in hand wonderfully, as the latter is amazing for growing muscles thanks to the work you need to put in to get to the end of your hike.
Losing weight
It’s not just about muscles, but also about losing a couple of pounds, or maybe even a lot of pounds. Hiking can be a very challenging and energy consuming workout, depending on how steep and demanding a specific hike is. That said, you can really burn some calories on a challenging hike, thanks to its length, incline, obstacles or all of them combined. So if you’re looking to get slimmer around the waist, you should really look into hiking as often as possible.
Be happy
Happiness isn’t something you can buy, or at least so they say. We disagree, as anyone can buy themselves a pair of good sports shoes which they can take on a hike. Hiking improves one’s state of mind and brings a more positive attitude to the forefront of one’s personality. Chemicals are released into your brain when you’re working out, such as serotonin. It’s not magic or a placebo effect, but pure science. So if you want to be a happier person in general, try to go hiking as often as you can and you should find in short time that you begin to smile a lot more.
Long gone are the days when slouching on the couch was your preferred occupation. It’s time to trade those slippers for a pair of sneakers and make your way to the closes hiking route for a challenging yet rewarding experience.
