Why Go Hiking
T.S. Eliot writes: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”
One of the increasingly popular ways of testing one’s limits is going on a hike. Those who are not yet into it may have questions about their friends who derive satisfaction from taking the longest possible route over a mountain. People who are fascinated to hiking can seem strange to those that aren’t.
But those who love hiking must have their good reasons for spending their weekends wandering through mountain passes and woods. The website www.campmor.com gives some of these reasons:
Hiking is healthy. For a long time, most people just assumed this was the case. Hikers felt good while doing it; they stayed in shape in between, and they reveled in the sagely nods of people twice their age coming down the mountain. But very little research had been conducted on the health benefits of hiking – until recently.
Science now affirms what most hikers have
suspected all along. A number of studies about walking and hiking suggest a direct correlation between hiking and a variety of health benefits. So far the list is impressive. Weight loss, prevention of heart disease, reduced hypertension (high blood pressure), improved mental health, and help preventing diabetes are just some of the benefits of regular walking and hiking.
Hiking is affordable. Compared to taking up any other sports; hiking is about as easy on the wallet as can be. Having a good pair of trail shoes or hiking boots along with a small backpack are useful but not necessary for short beginner hikes. Of course one should always have a water bottle (make it a reusable one in order to save money and the environment!) but that is hardly going to break the wallet.
Hiking is a life habit. Hiking has no age limit. Among the people at the base camp of Mt. Everest are those with hair that has turned gray with age. Like the young ones, they make their way up the side of the mighty mountain. Of course, eventually everyone slows down but that just lends credence to the old cliché: “more time to stop and smell the roses.”
Hiker parents can also start their little ones off early by popping them in a specially designed backpack. As the kids get older (and heavier), they can be eased onto the trail where they can walk some parts and be carried on other parts. Early exposure breeds a lifetime of habits.
Time for thinking. A growing body of research also suggests that walking and hiking have mental benefits as well as physical ones. Studies focusing on people who struggle with depression showed that people who went hiking coped with their depression much better than people who just went walking in shopping malls.
Hiking and walking are also anecdotally famous for helping people ponder complex ideas and work through difficult problems. Some say it is subconsciously observing the complexity of nature, others say that it lowers stress and allows a person to think clearer; still others suggest that hiking and thinking activate parts of the brain that aren’t as active in a lab or work setting. Whatever the cause, the number of “Aha!” moments that have floated into great minds while hiking is another great reason to get out and hike.
Despite all the obvious benefits, plenty of people still need just a bit more motivation to edge them off the couch and into their boots. Come on, is it possible to watch birds in their natural habitat, smell the sweet scent of the hills, and come to a vantage point to see one’s personal world if he or she just stays on the couch and watch TV?