Health Benefits of Regular Hiking

Hiking, which is basically nothing more than walking over uneven terrain, could quite possibly be the perfect exercise in your search for certain health benefits. For an investment of 2 1/2 hours per week, you reduce your risk of:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Heart Disease Hypertension
Obesity
Diabetes
Anxiety

Tip! When lifting weights above the head, make sure you are flexing your glute muscles during each repetition. This habit will improve your weight-lifting form and reduce the chance of injury; it also provides a little bit of exercise to help tone up your butt.

To reduce that time further, hike with a heavy backpack; then you'll need only 75 minutes per week. Any time over ten minutes counts toward your weekly goal, so try to get in a short walk/hike after lunch at work.

Osteoporosis and Arthritis

Tip! The majority of novice weightlifters do not get the full impact and benefits of their standing arm curl sets. In order to allow your triceps to reach their full range of motion, you must make an effort to completely straighten each arm at the conclusion of each rep.

In a study done by the University of Washington, they found by hiking or walking one hour a day three days per week women in the study increased their spine bone density in addition to other bones by 6% over a nine-month period.

And walking also strengthens the muscles supporting these bones, thus further strengthening your body. In regard to arthritis, most healthcare professionals will tell you the best medicine is to keep moving to keep your pain and symptoms at bay. 

Tip! Taking exercise to extremes is not a good idea. This risks damage to joints and muscles in addition to excessive stress to the heart and possible dehydration.

Heart Disease

The Center for Disease Control found from 43 separate studies that Americans who did not exercise were twice as likely to get heart disease as those that did exercise. In 2006 over 600,000 Americans died from the disease. Statistically, half of them could still be alive today if they would have exercised regularly. Hypertension

Tip! Try to do similar exercises in a fraction of the time, which can build your muscle. Speeding yourself up this way will increase your endurance level and force your muscles to exert more effort.

One-third of Americans have high blood pressure. It can cause a heart attack or stroke if left unchecked. But with regular hiking, you can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 10 points; lose weight from hiking and you can lower it even further - between 5 and 20 points.

Obesity

Hiking is great exercise to lose weight. A 150-pound person burns about 370 calories per hour hiking. In many cases, diabetes comes with obesity, so by losing weight you are reducing your risk of getting it too.

Diabetes

Lack of physical activity and our craving of processed fast food has shot up the cases of diabetes in Americans by 50% since 1983. But with a regular activity like hiking, over time with weight loss, people with Type I diabetes can lower the amount of insulin they need to take to control their blood sugar; people with Type II diabetes can actually reverse their condition and get off of their medication altogether.

Anxiety

Not only is hiking great for the body physically, it is also good for the mind. As you hike, the hormone endorphin and adrenaline are released in your body, thus lowering your feeling of anxiousness. If you are on medication for anxiety, regular hiking can lower the amount you have to take, if you need to take any at all.

Tip! Use different methods when bench-pressing weights. To work-out your upper and lower arms, forcefully push the bench bar away from you, but to work your chest muscles, tightly pull it towards you.

Hiking gets you out with nature so you can marvel at what she has to offer while getting in your much needed exercise at the same time. Get hiking and enjoy the outdoors.

In a study done by the University of Washington, they found by walking or hiking one hour a day three days per week women in the study increased their spine bone density in addition to other bones by 6% over a nine-month period. With regular hiking, you can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 10 points; lose weight from hiking and you can lower it even further - between 5 and 20 points.

Hiking is great exercise to lose weight. Not only is hiking good for the body physically, it is also good for the mind. As you hike, the hormone endorphin and adrenaline are released in your body, thus lowering your feeling of anxiousness.