The mental benefits of hiking combined with the fitness benefits it provides, make it a fantastic hobby to consider taking up or getting back into as the new year approaches.
With this in mind, let’s take a look in more detail at some of the many benefits of this brilliant outdoor activity. Hiking can help with physical and mental health by...
Improving Strength & Balance
The varied terrain which we encounter when hiking is fantastic for working the muscles. When climbing and descending hills, your glutes, quads and hamstrings will all be working hard to keep you moving. Trails which are particularly rocky or uneven require a greater amount of balance and this means your ankles, hips and knees will be working extra hard to keep you stable. When encountering these kinds of varied terrain, it’s crucial that you have the correct footwear to support you. At LOWA we have a range of military boots suitable for hiking. Leather boots such as our Zephyr Gore-tex Mid Boots contain in-built stabilisers for ankle support and use special sole technology to ensure exceptional grip when walking difficult trails.
Whilst hiking is known for improving lower body strength, especially in the legs, what shouldn’t be forgotten is the core strength it builds. Holding a strong core is crucial to helping us stay on balance when walking on uneven ground. The core will also be engaged more if you’re carrying a heavy backpack. Depending on your individual fitness level, you can carry extra weight in order to help build upper body and core strength.
Promoting Weight Loss
If you’re looking to lose a few pounds or perhaps just want to tone up, hiking is a very sensible way of burning calories naturally. Whilst any form of exercise will cause you to burn calories, the unique physical movements required for hiking means you are likely to burn calories at a higher rate than doing other exercises. This is because walking on uneven terrain requires a greater amount of energy than walking on a flat surface. Where you hike, what you bring and the speed at which you walk will all affect the amount of energy your body uses and therefore the number of calories you will burn.
Contributing To Cardiovascular Health
Trekking up and down hills really gets your heart going, and this is why hiking is so effective in improving cardiovascular health. What’s great about hiking is the flexibility you get with it. It’s easy to plan hikes according to your individual fitness, whether it’s opting for short, flat hikes or longer and more hilly expeditions. Any aerobic exercise you do is better than none but hiking on a regular basis is more than likely to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure.
Helping Build Stamina
Hiking long distances will improve your physical strength and endurance. The more you hike, the greater your strength and stamina will get. Good physical fitness is crucial to enduring long hikes, however so is your choice of equipment. The right footwear is particularly key to ensuring you remain comfortable throughout your hike. LOWA military boots are designed to be worn for long periods of strenuous activity which makes them a great choice for long-distance hiking. LOWA boots like the Renegade II Tactical boots include features such as Gore-Tex comfort lining and energy absorbing heels to provide comfort and functionality throughout your hike.
Promoting Happiness & Calm
The physical benefits of hiking are very important for wellbeing, however, the benefits of hiking on our mental health are equally as important. Research has shown that experiencing nature can reduce mental stress, including helping to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Hiking has a magical way of combining the benefits of exercise with the sense of wellbeing promoted by nature. It provides an opportunity to unplug from technology, whilst giving us a break from social media which is known for having a negative impact on our anxiety levels and self-esteem.
Increasing Cognitive Ability
Another mental health benefit of hiking which you might not be aware of is its role in promoting healthy brain function. Exercise keeps the brain healthy which in turn promotes good cognitive ability. Hiking also allows us to reconnect with nature which can help increase our attention span as well as improving our problem-solving skills and creativity. If you start hiking regularly you’re likely to find an improvement in your ability to concentrate at work and function in day to day life.
Combating Isolation & Loneliness
Hiking is a fantastic way to catch up with existing friends or to meet new people. A hike provides a great opportunity to socialise whilst promoting all the health benefits we have mentioned so far. There are numerous hiking groups which you can join if you’d like people to share your hobby with or perhaps as a way to expand your social circle.
Make sure your kit doesn’t let you down…
In order to experience the many benefits of hiking at their best, you don’t need poor equipment hampering your experience. It’s important that you wear the correct clothing to suit the weather, carry the necessary safety essentials, keep hydrated and wear appropriate footwear. Please explore our full product range to find military boots which you can rely upon for comfort and functionality when hiking. We have a range of performance boot socks to match, providing you with all the necessary gear to keep your feet comfortable wherever you choose to hike.
To summarise the points we have discussed in more detail above, we have created a short checklist containing all the key benefits of hiking which it’s definitely worth being aware of.
In short, hiking promotes physical and mental wellbeing by…
- Improving balance and strength
- Promoting weight loss
- Contributing to heart health
- Building stamina
- Promoting happiness and calm
- Improving cognitive function
- Combating social isolation
