View Full Version : Health and Psychological Benefits of Hiking
Hey guys,
I'm working on a paper about the health and psychological benefits of hiking. The most common points I've found so far are about weight loss and stress relief. Anyone got any other good points I could talk about?
THANKS!
My wife's health and psychological well being improves when I am away from home on my hikes.
lol bc
I love it becuz of the personal freedom, challenges, beauty, solitude, friendships,endurance... the list is endless.
When I hiked the long trail my triglicerides went down 120 points.
Clyde
Jan LiteShoe
12-15-2008, 15:36
When I hiked the long trail my triglicerides went down 120 points.
Clyde
And with all that braunschweiger and goat cheese!?!
Amazing.
Jan LiteShoe
12-15-2008, 15:38
Hey guys,
I'm working on a paper about the health and psychological benefits of hiking. The most common points I've found so far are about weight loss and stress relief. Anyone got any other good points I could talk about?
THANKS!
I'll add that my chronic back problems vanished while backpacking.
I think chair-sitting is one of the hardest tasks we ask the body to do on a regular basis.
in fact, think I'll get up and stretch!
bloodmountainman
12-15-2008, 15:49
My bad heath habits go WAY DOWN while hiking and camping. A lot less smoking, drinking, and eating junk food. If I could stay out on the trail, all these bad habits would probably go away.
Slo-go'en
12-15-2008, 16:40
Short hiking trips on a regular bases should have the same types of positive benefits as would any regular exercise program.
garlic08
12-15-2008, 16:57
Long hikes are kind of a detox program for me, too, in addition to all the above. I don't use caffeine, alcohol, or any recreational drugs on the trail, just because I choose not to and it's easier to stay away from temptations.
Cabin Fever
12-15-2008, 17:00
I would add spiritual advantages. Without getting too much into an off limits subject, I would say that hiking brings me a lot of peace from being in harmony with the Creator.
Cookerhiker
12-15-2008, 17:04
When I hiked the long trail my triglicerides went down 120 points.
Clyde
Similarly, my HDL (good) Chloresterol reached its hightest level (over 60) after my longest backpack, hiking from Gorham to Katahdin in '05.
I've got to think long-distance hiking's good for your heart and cardio-vascular system.
Despite all of its challenges, dangers, and unknowns, getting into the woods/wilderness is going to place one in a less toxic environment...
Plodderman
12-16-2008, 08:45
Hiking helps to develop a healthy mindset. There is nothing like taking the time to plan a long hike each year and then seeing it come to pass.
Weight loss, fresh air, slower pace, release of pressure form work, the excitement and adventure is truly a gateway to good mental health.
As others have noted, there are lots of benefits: a change of scene, big improvements in endurance and strength, weight loss, tranquility, wildlife encounters, beautiful sunsets, meeting interesting folks, confidence, problem solving, simplification, freedom from distraction, tranquility. When you hike for a period of time (I'm a section hiker, not a thru), you effectively defrag your brain.
Thank you everyone. I am finally getting this paper underway and I have a feeling it's going to turn out great!
superman
01-02-2009, 19:03
The fact of the matter is that all hikers are nuts. The good thing about hiking is that it gets the crazy people out of polite society. Folks don't care if those crazy hikers go to a trail so long as they go away. A lot of hikers think that their people want them to stay connected when they insist on a cell phone but it's only that the folks back home want some warning before their stinken, hiker, nut bag comes home. Since all the hikers are nuts none of them realize it because it is the norm on the trail. :welcome
Thank you everyone. I am finally getting this paper underway and I have a feeling it's going to turn out great!Good luck with your paper. You might want to touch on something beyond physiological and psycological. Without getting into dangerous territory here, it does get into theological and perhaps even primordial territory. Something about nature, or the nature of nature, whether or not we are part of it, and so on. One way of considering the matter is that all of our senses are naturally suited for the sights and sounds and smells of nature, so we are likely to get more from a natural experience than from mass media, or the internet, although we are also highly evolved social animals also, and so influences of civilization, such as government and religion and school and entertainment are also very powerful.
johnnybgood
01-02-2009, 19:53
Druggies have their drugs , Alcoholics have alcohol , Smokers have their cigs , Hikers have their trails.....WE'RE ALL ADDICTS !
l0ngterm
01-02-2009, 20:05
Perhaps the most important thing for me is that when I'm hiking, my life (described as the day to day of now) gets very simplified and broken down into the simplest possible function of meeting basic needs. I have to eat, sleep, work stress free at something I enjoy and socialize with somewhat like-minded people if I choose. No outside distractions or demands to even worry about.
This existence gets so simple and focuses us to the point that many who experience their first "Break" from modern society on a Thru-Hike, have a hard time re-integrating with modern society. More of us need to figure out how to simplify our lives normally and not just have to escape to do so. Life was meant to be much simpler. I hope to continue to simplify mine.
l0ngterm
That's an interesting subject in itself, why we are prone to various forms of addiction. I suppose all creatures tend to be creatures of habit. Perhaps the secret is in being able to take up good addictions, or neutral addictions, in order to give up bad addictions.
Wise Old Owl
01-02-2009, 20:13
Druggies have their drugs , Alcoholics have alcohol , Smokers have their cigs , Hikers have their trails.....WE'RE ALL ADDICTS !
I agree.
It's the one vice I can live with, spiritually and physically.
Worldwide
01-02-2009, 20:37
I think hikings greatest benefits are psychological in nature.
For example:
I used to get the "willies" walking through a spider web. Since I get up earlier than most people I walk through a metric crap load every morning in the Spring. No big deal now.
That's an interesting subject in itself, why we are prone to various forms of addiction. I suppose all creatures tend to be creatures of habit. Perhaps the secret is in being able to take up good addictions, or neutral addictions, in order to give up bad addictions.
Certain addictions are actually physical addictions. For instance, drugs like Ecstasy release serotonin. If you became addicted and then stop taking Ecstasy, your body will not have enough serotonin deposits and you will often feel depressed. Many drugs have similar physical reactions.
Other drugs and addictives are simply mental, such as alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana.
Good luck with your paper. You might want to touch on something beyond physiological and psycological. Without getting into dangerous territory here, it does get into theological and perhaps even primordial territory. Something about nature, or the nature of nature, whether or not we are part of it, and so on. One way of considering the matter is that all of our senses are naturally suited for the sights and sounds and smells of nature, so we are likely to get more from a natural experience than from mass media, or the internet, although we are also highly evolved social animals also, and so influences of civilization, such as government and religion and school and entertainment are also very powerful.
My main topics are the physical benefits as in staying in shape, stress relief, and the spirituality involved in nature.
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6892
Here ya go, a study done by the University of Michigan shows that memory improves by 20 percent when you spend time in nature.
IMO hiking helps relieve depression
That was an interesting paper Lilred. I thought it was particularly interesting that it didn't have to be fun. Perhaps we should get out and hike, or at least walk, even when it isn't fun. My problem is that its never not fun, even in freezing rain, but I still can't motivated myself to go as often as I know I should. Its also been my experience than hiking helps with depression. It's been my experience also that it relieves it and keeps it at bay, once your dealing with it. I'm working on that basis with a friend now also, short day hikes for now, perhaps longer later. I am not sure if a lifestyle of outdoors activity might reduce the incidence of onsets of depression in mid-life. That would be an interesting study. I am getting my daughter out as much as I can. She doesn't do much in school or in guides. Its all gym stuff mostly, especially in winter.
I am not sure about long hikes versus day hikes, but I'm sure its all good.
I visited a behavioral health services clinic called Graydon Manor for this job for a day program and they spoke about a wilderness program that takes patients fully submersed into nature for an extended amount of time to treat them. There are lots of similar programs around.
It amazing how much you can forget about RL when you dont have to worry bout emails, customers, phones, electricity. I truly get a kick out of having everything on my back and nothing but a trail in front of me.
I hit the trail to quit smoking, and it worked. However, I developed a very expensive gear habit.
I've found that hiking really helps with my depression. I'm a really happy golucky type of person in general, but I also have a strong genetic component that makes me very unhappy on a constant level even when I have nothing to be upset about. So...basically as a way to boost my endorphins I need a LOT of heavy exercise. Since I really dislike "artificial" exercise, things like hiking and horseback riding are great. After I've done a hard hike all day and I'm exhausted, I feel awesome. :)
When in the woods for long periods of time and away from vehicle traffic, you forget how to cross roads safely. Seriously, I got to where I had to stare at an oncoming vehicle for a longer time in order to judge its speed and whether or not I could make it across without getting ran over. And 4 lanes are even more dangerous. I thought this was just me until I started talking to Sinker one day about it, and he said he walked out in front of a car and almost got hit!! Has anyone else noticed this weird phenomonon?
So, I guess from this you gain a better respect for animals such as chickens, possums, armadillos, etc.
:sun
Lone Wolf
01-20-2009, 05:14
huh?:-?
TrippinBTM
01-26-2009, 10:55
Well it's like meditation. Western science knows it reduces stress, and thus blood pressure and stuff. But they've barely scratched the surface. Hiking is the same way, probably related.
Yeah, there's defiinitely stress reduction (and all the physical benefits of that), but so much more. I became less cynical, on account of being away from the super-negetive news media and society in general in the midst of beauty, meeting people and realizing how good most people are most of the time. Clean air, non-chlorinated, non-flouridated water, exercise, less pollution in general mean better health in general.
The sense of freedom is huge psychologically and spiritually. There's a huge Zen aspect to hiking: when hungry, eat. When tired, sleep. There are no outside demands on you. No boss, no cops, no clocks, no schedules. You get in touch with something more basically human and real than we're used to. You get a glimpse of how jacked society is in many aspects, while you also come to better appreciate other aspects of it.
I mean, Americans always go on and on about freedom, while being completely regimented. Hiking gives you a real taste as to what freedom really means. It's more than the ability to go out and shop.
Tipi Walter
01-26-2009, 13:12
Hey guys,
I'm working on a paper about the health and psychological benefits of hiking. The most common points I've found so far are about weight loss and stress relief. Anyone got any other good points I could talk about?
THANKS!
I do most of my backpacking along the TN/NC state line and near the heavily polluted Smokies and adjacent to the foul east TN valley. Many days the weather pinheads call for questionable air quality days and encourage people to stay indoors, so you might want to look at how being outdoors in such pollution affects backpackers as they hump up steep mountains sucking in a bunch of this air. I think there is some info on foreign chemicals in the bloodstream and this being linked to certain cancers, bladder/liver/etc.
take-a-knee
01-26-2009, 14:49
And with all that braunschweiger and goat cheese!?!
Amazing.
No, it isn't amazing at all, those food types don't elevate triglycerides, carbohydrates, in particular refined carbohydrates, are the primary factor in elevating triglycerides.
take-a-knee
01-26-2009, 14:50
I hit the trail to quit smoking, and it worked. However, I developed a very expensive gear habit.
That's funny! Expensive but healthier, until the little woman sees the bills.