HIking & Climbing
Need A Reason To Start Hiking? These Hiking Benefits Should Convince You
It may surprise you that the trail has a lot of hiking benefits you didn’t know about. You’re not only enjoying what nature has in store for you but also reaping numerous benefits for your health.
Published
5 years agoon
By
Jeffrey Buck![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/hiking-trails-feature-1-ss.jpg)
I hike because I love being in the outdoors. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people enjoy the trail as much as I do with the same set of reasons, and luckily we are also living the endless hiking benefits. It’s a great form of exercise and also provides us an escape from our hectic everyday lives. Being able to breathe and relax away from the suffocating crowd in the city puts us in a pleasant mood that we keep getting back to. It’s a good way to clear your head and provide a peaceful place outdoors. Start your day right, feel the excitement, hit the trail and reap the benefits of energy well spent.
Hiking Benefits That Should Convince You To Hit The Trail
What’s more soothing than being able to relish the beautiful creations around you? It’s easier to breathe out in the open with your heart pumping freely as you walk. It’s like being able to get countless benefits from something that you ultimately enjoy doing. I hit the gym two to three times a week but honestly, I feel more active when I’m walking with my backpack and sometimes not knowing what other challenges lies ahead on the trail. To give you more reasons to hike, here are some great hiking benefits for your health that might convince you.
1. Hiking Strengthens Your Heart
Hiking will reduce your risk of heart disease. It lowers the level of bad cholesterol while increasing the levels of good cholesterol. It also keeps your blood pressure in check. I personally like it when I’m breathing heavily but steadily in sustained hikes.
2. Lowers Risk For Diseases
Hiking lowers your risk of developing respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cell damage. Active people have a lesser risk of colon, breast, and womb cancer compared to those who are less active.
3. Hiking Can Be An Exercise to Lose Weight
If you’re trying to lose weight you need to burn about 600 more calories a day more than you’re eating. If you weigh 60 kg, you burn about 75 calories simply by walking 2 miles per hour for 30 minutes.
4. Helps Prevent Osteoporosis
Walking can be considered a weight exercise in the sense that you’re carrying the full weight of your body plus the gear that you’re carrying along the hike. It promotes growth and toughens your bones. It also helps maintain healthy joints which also helps prevents arthritis.
5. Tones Your Legs, Butt, and Stomach
Hiking can help strengthen and improve the form of your legs. But if you look closely at your posture as you walk, it can also tone your abs and shrink your waist.
6. Hiking Increases Your Happiness
When you’re focused on your beautiful surroundings you appreciate what you have. Facing the challenges of hiking gives you confidence as you conquer it. If you’re looking for a reason to start hiking, just do it and discover the happiness you didn’t expect.
Watch this video about hip exercises for hikers.
To sum it up, hiking and backpacking allows you to enjoy what you’re doing as well as give you all these great benefits for your health. I find it as a stress reduction activity and kind of boosts my mental health. I feel like I’m ten years younger when I’m out on the trail.
Click here and learn some fitness regimen for hiking enthusiasts.
Feature Image Via – trailscarolina
You may like
![primitive debris hut survival shelter wilderness | How To Build A Debris Hut | featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/primitive-debris-hut-survival-shelter-wilderness-debris-hut-ss-featured-80x80.jpg)
How To Build A Debris Hut
![Triathlon Triathlete Man Running Suit Training | Ironman Triathlon | Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/triathlon-triathlete-man-running-suit-training-ironman-triathlon-ss-featured-80x80.jpg)
Ironman Triathlon Podcast: What You Need To Know As An Aspiring Ironman
![family enjoying camping |Awesome Family Camping Tips For Beginners | Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Family-Enjoying-Camping-Holiday-In-Countryside-camping-tips-for-beginners-ft-image-80x80.jpg)
Awesome Family Camping Tips For Beginners
![young-upset-man-having-trouble-feeling | Hiking Safety Tips: What To Do When You Have Knee Pain On Trail? | Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/young-upset-man-having-trouble-feeling-hiking-tips-SS-Featured-80x80.jpg)
Hiking Safety Tips: What To Do When You Have Knee Pain On Trail? [PODCAST]
![Primeval Caveman Wearing Animal Skin | stone age tools](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Primeval-Caveman-Wearing-Animal-Skin-stone-tools-SS-featured-80x80.jpg)
How To Craft Sharp Stone Tools To Survive The Great Outdoors
![Mountain Bike cyclist riding single track outdoor-Mountain Bikers-SS-Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Mountain-Bike-cyclist-riding-single-track-outdoor-Mountain-Bikers-SS-Featured-80x80.jpeg)
Mountain Bikers, Why You Don’t Want to Ride Like a Pro!
![Pair of touristic boots on moss in forest-Boot Accessories-ss-featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Pair-of-touristic-boots-on-moss-in-forest-Boot-Accessories-ss-featured-80x80.jpg)
Hiking Boot Accessories
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pistol-handgun-feature-ss.jpg)
The Handgun Safety Test For Beginners
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/hunting-shotgun-feature-us.jpg)
These Hunting Shotguns Are The Best Bang For Your Buck
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Guns-Doomsday-feature-pb.jpg)
11 Types of Guns That Will Keep You Alive On Doomsday
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ATV-feature-3-pb.jpg)
Best ATV Tires – The Top 6 Lightest Mud Tires
![animal-bird-catch-dog-field-gear | The Top 5 Hunting Guns You’ll Ever Need For A Wilderness Walk-out | Feeatured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/animal-bird-catch-dog-field-gear-hunting-guns-PB-Featured-80x80.jpg)
The Top 5 Hunting Guns You’ll Ever Need For A Wilderness Walk-out
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Pack-A-Backpack-For-A-7-Day-Hunting-Trip-feature-pb.jpg)
Arizona Hunting Laws and Regulations
![hunter-rifle Hunting And Conservation Discussion | Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/hunter-rifle-Hunting-And-Conservation-Discussion-SS-Featured-80x80.jpg)
Hunting And Conservation Discussion | Call Of The Outdoors Podcast [LISTEN]
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pistol-handgun-feature-ss.jpg)
The Handgun Safety Test For Beginners
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/hunting-shotgun-feature-us.jpg)
These Hunting Shotguns Are The Best Bang For Your Buck
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Guns-Doomsday-feature-pb.jpg)
11 Types of Guns That Will Keep You Alive On Doomsday
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ATV-feature-3-pb.jpg)
Best ATV Tires – The Top 6 Lightest Mud Tires
![animal-bird-catch-dog-field-gear | The Top 5 Hunting Guns You’ll Ever Need For A Wilderness Walk-out | Feeatured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/animal-bird-catch-dog-field-gear-hunting-guns-PB-Featured-80x80.jpg)
The Top 5 Hunting Guns You’ll Ever Need For A Wilderness Walk-out
![](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Pack-A-Backpack-For-A-7-Day-Hunting-Trip-feature-pb.jpg)
Arizona Hunting Laws and Regulations
![hunter-rifle Hunting And Conservation Discussion | Featured](https://outdoorwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/hunter-rifle-Hunting-And-Conservation-Discussion-SS-Featured-80x80.jpg)