Hiking
Hiking is a type of exercise for those who don’t like to exercise. You get to walk, and sometimes climb over rocks or trees, and be completely distracted by the beauty of nature.
Before you know it, you will have spent hours outside, in the sun, being physically active.
Exercising in a pleasant location was connected to a significant reduction in blood pressure for ALL the test subjects in a study done in 2005! That’s not all, this study found. When tested, self-esteem was significantly increased by just looking at pleasant pictures of rural environments during exercise.
While the greatest effect was seen in those who had pleasant rural settings to look at, even viewing a pleasant urban setting was also more beneficial than just walking with no view. Inversely, exercising while looking at pictures of an unpleasant view, such as graffiti or vandalism, broken windows, abandoned places, or even piles of garbage had negative effects on blood pressure, self-esteem, and mood. This just goes to show, its all about location, location, location. (Pretty, J., Peacock, J., Sellens, M., & Griffin, M. 2005)
Hiking and spending time outdoors is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, and to get some much-needed Vitamin D. Hiking has been correlated with a reduction in fatigue during exercise, an increased sense of calm, and even a sense of elation when compared to indoor treadmill walking. This means that you can actually hike outside for longer and not feel as tired compared to walking indoors. These results might be based on your own perception of nature, so be sure to find a place that you find beautiful and go for it! (Niedermeier, M., Einwanger, J., Hartl, A., & Kopp, M., 2017)
Hiking is a pretty inexpensive hobby to start. All you need is a water bottle, some sunscreen, and a good pair of tennis shoes. When you feel up for some serious off-roading you can get a pair of hiking boots, a backpack for snacks, a compass, map, and possibly a hiking pole to help on uneven or steep ground. You can take it as easy or as intense and you want. (REI Staff, 2019)
If you suffer from severe depression and have attempted suicide, regular mountain hiking, about 2 or 3 per week for 2-3 hours each, has been strongly associated with a significant reduction in the feelings of hopelessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide in conjunction with regular therapy and medication.
This study was done on a volunteer basis and the fact that everyone who started the hiking program chose to continue for 9 weeks while dealing with depression shows that they truly found this to be a rewarding and worthwhile practice. Sacrificing 4-9 hours per week is no small commitment, but it is definitely worth your time.
Your health is worth your time.
​
(Sturm, J., Plöderl, M., Fartacek, C., Kralovec, K., Neunhäuserer, D., Niederseer, D., Hitzl, W., Niebauer, J., Schiepek, G., & Fartacek, R., 2012)
If you want to find more information about hiking and how it related to physical and mental health, check out these sites: