Hiking is one of my favorite activities. It’s fun and is a great travel experience and a super easy microadventure that you can have on the weekend. It’s also good for your health and those amazing endorphins that we love! With the season winding down, here are a few reasons to try to squeeze in one last hike before it turns into snowshoeing.
- Hiking makes you happy and reduces stress.
- The fresh air and the spectacular views.
- Sunshine, Vitamin D, and a golden tan. Need I say more?
- It helps you burn more calories, look more toned and maintain a healthy weight.
- There is no wifi in the forest, so it’s a great chance to unplug, think, and reflect.
- Spending time outdoors increases attention span and creative problem-solving skills by as much as 50 percent.
- Every trail is different, no matter how many times you’ve forged the same path.
- Hiking at altitude is a great heart workout; hiking at sea is proven to relax you.
- You can hike alone, with friends or family, or even make a new friend on the trail.
- It increases energy and bone density, burns calories, and is an easy way to get in your recommended 60 minutes of activity per day.
- Hiking offers a natural kind of high. Not associated with drugs or alcohol or partying. It is a surreal sense of accomplishment and adrenaline rush. It increases your happy hormones (endorphins/dopamine and serotonin) naturally.
For me, the mountains are calling and I must go! I always think the higher the mountain, the closer to God. I can’t wait to lace up my hiking boots! There’s no better feeling than that of being on top of the world–literally!
