Hiking is healthy not only for your body, but also your mind and spirit.
“When you’re dressed for success, hiking is a great total-body workout,” says Michael Bednarz, DPM, FACFAS, a podiatric surgeon at Piedmont. “It strengthens the large muscles in your body, while stimulating the feel-good chemical hormones of adrenaline and endorphins that boost your mood and energy levels.”
Why hiking is awesome for your entire body
- Going up and down hills gets the heart pumping, creating a great cardio workout.
- Like most cardio exercises, hiking helps reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even some cancers.
- Hiking is a weight-bearing exercise, which builds muscle mass and helps prevent osteoporosis.
- Hiking can help you manage your weight.
- It is a joint-friendly form of exercise that can keep arthritis sufferers more limber and mobile.
- Being outside in the sunshine provides the body with vitamin D.
- For those with type 2 diabetes, hiking can possibly reduce, or even eliminate, your need for insulin. Talk with your doctor about how exercise may reduce your need for medication.
- Hiking offers psychological benefits, often contributing to a feeling of relaxation and enhanced well-being.
“If you have any type of hypertension or heart disease, be sure to consult your doctor before hiking,” says Dr. Bednarz. “Even if you are healthy, climbing vertically can be a whole new ballgame. You use very different muscles than you do on flat surfaces, so be sure to stretch and listen to your body’s limits.”
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