1. Hiking Reduces Tension and Anxiety

Stress is one of the major elements which take away our happiness. Fortunately, there are many ways which help you to overcome this situation and one such method is hiking in the outdoors. Studies claim that hiking helps to relieve stress to a greater extent.

Hiking aids in combating stress in your life by engaging in the calm outdoor environment and makes you understand all the benefits of staying away from the hurry burry life! There are studies which have proved that 40 minutes of walking in outdoors (minimum of 3 times a week) will lower anxiety more when compared to that in the urban areas.

Another study which was conducted proved that 15 minutes of walking in fresh air, away from the city traffic will show a decrease of 16% or more in cortisol (stress hormone). The natural scenic beauty of nature will let your brain reset and be more focused.

This is a process which takes patience and routine, but the final reward will be worth it. If you do something which makes you really happy, it kills depression and anxiety. 

Even though walking sounds silly, it has a lot of health benefits! How frequently you walk and the time which you are choosing to do it for, will make a considerable difference in your capability to deal with difficult feelings!

2. Hiking is Good for Stress Relief and Focus

The effectiveness of hiking as a stress relief technique has a mix of factors. In between your aerobic workout, you are able to notice the natural surroundings around you which have a calming effect. You have the freedom to relax and think about life for longer hours. Hiking is considered as the best method for fighting against stress on regular basis! 

Recent research shows that getting exposed to nature can very well neutralize the effects of stress. When you are hiking, you have complete focus on your activity. Therefore hiking might be the meditation which you lack these days in your busy schedule!

3. Hikers Are Creative

Are your creative juices dried up?

Then try hiking:

This is the best way in which you can boost your happiness. Hiking is just another way through which you can make the mind more creative. A person who is walking will double their creative response when compared to someone who is stationary.

Another research study points to the fact that when exposed to nature for around 4 days, there is an increase of 50% in their problem solving skills. And of course, this will light up the creative spark!

4. Boost Your Mood

Research has stated that walking elevates your mood. The effect is seen to  increase if you are planning some outdoor activities like hiking. So, don’t waste time. Try getting yourself out in nature this week! 

Hiking plays an important role in your positive mood since it triggers the ‘feel good’ chemicals and the endorphins that are present in your brain. It is a proven fact that outdoor adventures like hiking will have more of a positive impact on your brain when compared to performing workout plans in the gym.

Hiking gives you the same fat-burning power which interval training offers. The only difference is that it is coupled with beautiful scenery and varied terrain. Staying away from the sounds, sights and busy schedules of the day and replacing them with the natural beauty of nature will wash away all your stress and help you to relax.

5. Increases Your Energy Level

As people are getting increasingly busy with their lives and lifestyles, they are finding themselves drained and tired. One such strongest methods to tackling this problem is planning a hike.

Even on days which you are not feeling up to it, try to engage in some physical activities to kick the feel-good endorphins into the highest gear! If you are not used to it, then set a goal and to start with, try for a minimum of 10 minutes per day and then slowly increase.

Hiking will gradually help to increase your overall energy levels and make you feel more alert and vibrant. Above all, all these factors will aid you in performing your everyday tasks with improved concentration and a new improved positive attitude!

About Arun Kumar
Arun Kumar T is an adventure traveller and backpacker. He is the co-founder of riderstrail.com where he writes about Hiking and Backpacking. Read his article on Beginners guide to Hiking.
http://www.riderstrail.com/beginners-guide-hiking/
Originally posted: http://www.riderstrail.com/hiking-benefits/