Hiking is good for your health!
The warm sun on your face, the sound of the wind passing over the trees and the feel of the trail under your boots. These experiences are not only enjoyable, they are also very healthy.
Countless studies and research have consistently shown that regular exercise not only improves our overall health and fitness, but also contributes greatly to extending and improving the quality of our lives.
Walking is an excellent way to improve our health!
It takes just 30 minutes a day to increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and increase muscle strength and endurance. It can also reduce the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
When walking, we burn calories, which helps to lose weight and lower blood sugar levels.
It helps protect joints, including the knees, as it lubricates and strengthens muscles.
Did you know that walking can even reduce your risk of developing a cold!? Did you know that taking a walk when you’re tired can increase your energy more effectively than drinking coffee!?
In addition to walking, if you walk at a higher pace, you can increase your level and life expectancy! Researchers concluded that walking at a medium pace, compared to a slow pace, resulted in a 20% reduction in the overall risk of death.
Walking and hiking also helps our mental health as it reduces anxiety, depression and a negative mood. It also helps to increase self-esteem and reduces symptoms of social isolation. Walking and hiking can help “clear” your head, organize your thinking and even help to develop your creativity. One study compared people who tried to come up with new ideas while walking and others who were sitting. It was concluded that the participants had better results when walking, especially outdoors and in nature.
Nature walking and hiking is so powerful for our health and well-being that some doctors have begun to prescribe it as an adjunct to other treatments for illnesses. As one group of researchers put it: “The synergistic effect of physical activity and time spent in nature make walking an ideal activity for increasing overall health and well-being.”
Walking and hiking is thus one of the physical activities with the least negative physiological impact that exists. This means that while we get all the cardiovascular benefits from other aerobic activities, with walking we can do so with minimal effort and impact to the body.
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Animactiva, based in Covilhã, We have local mountain guides who will guide you, with all the safety and knowledge, on a sensorial journey in the imposing Serra da Estrela.