Hiking outdoors offers lots of perks like fresh air, nice views, together with the sounds and smells of nature. So next time when somebody suggest you join a hike, thank them for taking care of your health. There is research that has proven that spending quality time outdoors will boost creative problem-solving talents and attention spans by around 50%.
Hiking offers various benefits for both mental and physical health and your well-being. Hiking for an hour will help to burn 500 calories from your body based on the terrain steepness and your backpack weight. Above all, getting in touch with nature, leaving behind the chaos of technology and routine lives will let you connect with the nature. It provides you with a good sense of well-being and peace.
A good hike will help your heart to stay healthy since it is great cardiovascular exercise. The finest part of hiking is that it covers a whole continuum – right from a gentle walk on some flat terrain to the steepest mountain climbing routes. It makes your heart pump more blood, thus satisfying the demand for the oxygen supply while hiking.
Gentle or brisk walking movements are ideal for increasing your cardiovascular fitness, and this is best when the trails are hilly. It helps to exert a stress on your heart to work harder. On the other hand, hiking on an uneven terrain will give you a natural way to engage the core muscles. This will also improve your balance skills. Hiking is a strong cardio workout that helps to reduce the risk of heart disease along with boosting your bone density. Walking is considered a powerful weight-bearing exercise.
My new friend Arun from Riderstrail sent along this neat new infographic to help explain many more ways that hiking is good for your health.
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