The numerous health benefits of hiking make it an excellent exercise choice for many people. Not only can hiking contribute to weight loss, but it supports total body health and mental wellness, too. For women in perimenopause, the health benefits of hiking can help temper some of the unpleasant symptoms of hormonal change. And because hiking is relatively accessible and inexpensive, almost everyone can participate!

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Let’s explore some of the health benefits of hiking:

Hiking Helps With Your Cardiovascular Health

Much like walking, hiking is going to make your heart and lungs healthier. But there’s a bonus: hiking is going to improve your cardiovascular health even quicker than walking will. Because your body is being challenged by more difficult terrain, your heart and lungs have to work harder to keep up. Over the course of weeks and months of consistent hiking, you will notice you are more fit to handle challenging hikes.

Along with better cardiovascular capacity, hiking helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, too.  Improved cardiovascular health helps to avoid heart disease and other major issues like stroke. These are big contributors to living a longer, more vital life. And because heart disease is the number one killer of women in perimenopause and beyond, women 40+ should consider the heart health benefits of hiking.

You Become Fitter and Leaner

You will also notice that aside from feeling more fit in your heart and lungs, hiking can also help contribute to weight loss. You may notice muscles start appearing up on your arms, legs, and abdominals. Hiking is an excellent way to tone your muscles without any equipment or a gym.

When you are hiking, you are using muscles all throughout your body. The more difficult a hiking trail is, the more muscle power it is going to use. Because of the work your small muscles have to do to stabilize your body while hiking, you might notice that you get sore in new places. Another great health benefit of hiking is that both large muscle groups and small muscles are used, making it an effective total body workout.

Hiking Boosts Your Mental Health

Hiking is an excellent activity for your mental wellness. Hiking is great for releasing endorphins, the happy chemicals in your brain. You will notice that your mood is boosted when you go on a hike, helping you to feel happier and less stressed.

It can help with anxiety and depression, too. Like any physical exercise, there are links between more movement and lowered anxiety and depression. Organizations like HIKE for Mental Health promote hiking as a way to share the joys of hiking with those who battle mental illness.

Futhermore, being outside will also boost your vitamin D, which is also really important for balanced mental health. If you struggle with depression or high amounts of stress, it might be time to reap the health benefits of hiking.

Being in nature delivers benefits for your spiritual wellness, too. Hiking is an easy way to take a short escape from your regular busy life. It can give you time and space to think. Also, reconnecting with nature has a soothing effect on your nervous system, helping to lower stress.

Hiking is a fantastic option for women in perimenopause, whose lowering levels of estrogen make them want to run off to the woods anyway. Listen to your hormones, ladies! They’re telling you that getting out into nature can help bring balance back into your busy life. Hiking is a type of stress relief in perimenopause that can help bring your body back into balance.

Hiking Can Help You Sleep Better

There are a few ways hiking can contribute to better sleep. An obvious one is that the extra energy exerted through hiking tires you out! Sun exposure is another factor, though. Sun exposure can do a lot for you by cuing your body to its natural circadian day-night rhythms. Add that in with the physical fatigue induced by a great workout, and you’ll find yourself falling asleep more quickly when bedtime comes around.

If you still find yourself struggling with sleep even after a great hike, perhaps a bedtime routine would help?

Are You Ready to Reap the Health Benefits of Hiking?

Your overall fitness routine will benefit if you add in some regular hikes. Here are some tips for adding hiking to your regular, everyday fitness routine.

Grab Some Good Gear

Good news! When you’re just starting with hiking for weight loss, you don’t need a ton of gear. But having a quality pair of shoes and long wool socks are a good investment. You want to make sure your feet are well supported while out on the trails. And anything you can do to avoid getting blisters will help you build consistency with your hiking.

Wearing a high-quality, supportive sports bra will increase your comfort level during your workout. To make sure your body stays happy and healthy, take along a water bottle so you can rehydrate on the go. These are all basics, but when you’ve got them covered, you’re ready to hit the trails.

If you have a happy hiker on your gift-giving list, the HikeWize subscription box is packed with all kinds of treats to encourage their love of outdoors and the trails.

Don’t Rush Into Hiking

A really important thing to remember before you add hiking to your fitness routine is that it is not something you will master right away. Just like you can’t run 10 miles after never running before, you won’t be able to go on 10-mile hikes on the first day either.

As you start organizing your fitness schedule, make sure you allow yourself time to adjust to hiking. Start with short hikes of just a mile or less in distance. Then when you get used to those, gradually increase the length, time, and difficulty level of the hikes.

This smooth transition makes it a lot easier to stick to the workouts. It will also reduce your risk of injury.

Get Friends or Family Involved

One of the most satisfying parts of adding hiking to your fitness routine is to include others. This doesn’t have to be something you do alone, and in fact, it is a lot more enjoyable (and safer!!) with a friend or family member. When you start hiking, ask a friend if they want to join you.

If you do choose to hike alone, please make sure someone knows where you are going and the time you expect to return. Safety first!

Why not share the health benefits of hiking with the whole family? It’s a great multi-generational activity. Read here about how three generations of my family had a blast hiking in Big Bend.

Have family members who aren’t quite up to that much work? There may be an easy hike nearby that everyone can enjoy.

Find New Trails

As you begin getting more advanced in your hiking adventures, add new trails to the mix. By exploring new hikes, you keep both your mind and your body engaged. New places can help you break through mental barriers as well as challenge your body.

Perhaps you want to try more incline at least one day a week. When you are putting together your fitness routine for the following week, find a trail that has more uphill. It might not be longer in distance, more hills will increase your workout effort.

By changing the terrain, you can increase the difficulty level of your workout. You’ll use more muscle groups and burn more calories.

Do you already enjoy the health benefits of hiking?

The Well Balanced Women blog is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please discuss your health issues with a licensed medical practitioner.