If hitting the gym or running on a treadmill isn’t your thing, then hiking can be a great way to get more active.

Hiking provides positive benefits both physical and mental, and is suitable as an everyday activity for people of all ages.

Not only has hiking been associated with lower blood pressure, but it has also been shown to improve mood and alleviate depression.

Incorporating it into our routine can also help us lose weight, and improve our overall health. Let’s explore the health benefits of hiking.

What Are The Benefits Of Hiking?

Can You Get In Shape Just By Hiking?

Even a moderate one-hour hike can burn around 400 calories, all while strengthening your core and lower body.

And as the elevation goes up, so do the benefits of hiking. The more challenging the hike, the more calories you’ll burn. (Source: www.shape.com)

Does Hiking Strengthen Your Core?

If we want to tone our body and get back in shape, hiking is a great way to do so.

All of the walking through uneven terrain requires us to constantly engage our core area, which will help develop stronger abs and obliques. For an extra challenge for your core, try carrying a backpack while you hike.

Is It Ok To Hike Every Day?

Hiking provides both physical and mental positive benefits and is suitable as an everyday activity.

By incorporating it into a daily routine it can help you lose weight, fight off stress, help reduce your risk of heart disease, and improve your overall health. (Source:www.mountaintreads.com)

How Long Should You Hike For?

Hiking is like most other cardio exercises and you can get the benefit of weight loss by hiking 2-3 times per week for at least an hour.

Is Hiking Better Than Working Out?

Yes, hiking is a better exercise than walking on a treadmill at a gym, or walking on a flat surface.

If you’re walking on a flat surface like a sidewalk or a treadmill, you’re not doing as much work or putting as much stress on your muscles.

You may also be carrying a backpack or other equipment while hiking, which will increase your energy expended. Therefore when you hike, you use more energy, burn more fat, and that builds more lean muscle.

In terms of different kinds of aerobic activities you can do at the gym, hiking has advantages.  (Source: www.mountaintreads.com)

What Are The Benefits Of Hiking?

Some Of The Top Benefits Of Hiking Include:

• You exercise on your own terms.
• Lower your blood pressure.
• Develop lean strong legs.
• Strengthen your core.
• It protects your bone density.
• Connecting with nature.
• Boosts your brain concentration.
• Reduction of stress.
• Get and stay fit.

Can Hiking Make Me Happier?

Because exercise produces endorphins, hiking through nature takes the positive benefits to another new level.

Hiking creates a wonderful combination of less stress and more happiness.

Does Hiking Tone Your Legs?

The large muscles in your legs can get quite a workout.

Hiking downhill is actually what tones your leg muscles the most. On any descent, your glutes and quads are working non-stop to stabilize your hips and knees.

When Hiking Remember To Fuel Up and Hydrate

Drinking water and snacking on energy bars, dried fruits and nuts before, during and after a hike will give your body the fuel and hydration it needs to function effectively.

You should be taking in around 150 to 200 calories per hour while hiking. Carry enough water to respond to your thirst but not so much water that it weighs you down. (Source: www.heraldnet.com)

Is Hiking Cardio or Strength Training?

It’s both. Hiking is great exercise because it strengthens your lower body and core, and provides excellent cardio.

Hiking allows you to choose the difficulty of the trail, and gives you the opportunity to set your own effort level in hiking as fast or slowly as you want.

Final Thoughts:

Incorporating hiking into a daily routine can help us lose weight, fight off stress and depression, help reduce our risk of heart disease, while improving our overall health.

Hiking is good for the mind, too. Walking in the great outdoors is a healthy form of exercise that is proven to have a positive effect on your well-being.

There are many reasons to consider adding a hike into our daily routine, or at least as often as we can. We’ve seen why hiking is such a good thing, what changes it can make to your body, and some of the benefits of hiking as often as possible.

Please leave a comment, or follow the links for further reading.

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