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8 Reasons Hiking Is Healthy

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  • July 31, 2018
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Hiking Health Benefits
Hiking Health Benefits
Guest blogger, Elizabeth Mathu, gives you “8 Great Reasons to Get Out on Your Favorite Hiking Trail.”

Get Out On Your Favorite Hiking Trail TODAY

Health Benefits Accrued From Hiking

Text by Elizabeth Mathu, guest blogger for https://joanmatsuitravelwriter.com 
Edited by Joan Mead-Matsui, publisher

Beat Boredom and Refresh

There is nothing that gets the boredom and refreshes your mind more than a refreshingly cool time in the woods. The challenging trails, rough terrains, and frightening woodlands make you freak out while having fun. This is what you need to do when you feel like taking a breakaway from your rigorous daily activities. Maybe you wish to do so every day, but you cannot. Or can you? Depending on where you live and your threshold for heat and cold, even a daily trek to the top of your favorite mountain is a goal that’s attainable.

However, when you have some free moments to lighten your daily load, plan for fun and adventure and reap the mental and physical benefits of hiking. What are the benefits of trekking? They are immeasurable, so it’s up to you to have that energizing moment that propels you outside. Get off the couch or away from your computer.

Here are some of the health benefits of hiking.

  1. Improved Body Fitness

Hiking improves your health immensely. It doesn’t have to be rough and tough, no! The simple hiking you undertake helps build some maneuverability and strength. You are experiencing long challenging journeys in the wilderness, but you are walking for fitness. While having fun, you challenge your body’s stamina in a new environment. You’re building agility and strength as you exercise your body as much as possible.

Undeniably, the gym cannot beat the fitness and mental acuity accrued in the wilderness; You are hiking for health. The adrenaline rush tests your resilience and endurance and adds to the superfluous fitness.

  1. Reduced Stress

Stress Relief
Looking for ways to relieve stress in your life? Hiking can help.

Stress is one bad human health condition. If overeating or binging is your way of dealing with that overwhelmed feeling, you have to find a way to get healthy and get your weight under control. One of the most effective ways of doing away with stress is breaking away from the stressors. And the best way it is to embark on an adventure somewhere and have fun. If you have something that is weighing on your mind and resulting in sleepless nights, a hike is one way to effectively sort your problems.

Why let stress wreck your life and upset your “apple cart?” Have you heard of a “walking meditation?” Try it! Use your time wisely to deal with your issues. Find a meditation practice on the internet and download it to your smartphone before you leave home.

Thank you to 10revs.com for creating this infographic “cheat sheet” for you. Visit the website to read more about hiking and camping.

8 Hiking Health Benefits
Elizabeth and her team have provided you with a “Healthy Hiking” Cheat Sheet as a reminder to stay on track.

3. Cardiovascular Strength

‘Muscles and bones are the corner pillars of your body’ and they have to be strong at all times. Staying put all day in your job is the opposite of strong cardio; hiking outdoor is the solution. Yes, we are talking of strong bones and healthy muscles. When you hike, you’re using core muscles and giving your body overall fitness.

During this time when the body is on the move, the muscles stretch evenly and refresh. Besides, the tough get going when it’s difficult to endure. The outdoor expedition is therefore very useful to a person’s cardio.

  1. Weight Control

Hiking is the solution to the tummy or the “tires” that have been a nuisance to you. Every moment you stay indoors, fat and cholesterol gradually add up. Show the world and set an example for your friends. Excess body weight is daunting and you might be trying other exercises with no success. Try hiking!

On a normal hike, the body tends to lose about 400 calories per hour. At this rate, you tend to lose the unnecessary body weight without much difficulty. An extended hike on easy to rough terrain is enough to rid you of some excess body weight.

  1. Boosts Vitamin D in the Body

One of the health benefits of hiking is the Vitamin D boost. This vitamin is vital for building strong bones. Kids and adults need to supplement their Vitamin D by being outdoors. The morning sunshine is the perfect vitamin D source.

While hiking early in the morning, your vitamin D levels go up. You can also enjoy the benefits of a morning walk with kids to ensure they grow up healthy.

6. Boosts Your Creativity

Hiking outdoors raises your creativity levels. A mountaintop, spectacular vista, cascading waterfall, or a healthy picnic lunch alongside a creek, can create an adrenaline rush through your body. It boosts your self-confidence, gives you a brighter outlook, and can boost your management skills which are all vital to a person’s creativity.

When hiking, your mind adjusts enabling you to think better and make informed decisions. Without technology and media out there, you can focus on other things thus opening up the mind for new ideas and thoughts.

7. Better Perception Of The World

Bonding to the world is possible through hiking. Perhaps you’ve been having bad thoughts about life. Hiking can cure that malady. The outdoor is full of beauty that can alter your mood and leave you wanting more and more recreation time. So get out there on the trail and relieve your mind from all the negativities in your life and the world. It is a way of cleansing your body and rejuvenating for a better life.

8. Great way of Controlling Diabetes

Controlling diabetes is one of the major hiking benefits. A study found that hiking is a therapy for diabetic people.

  1. It helps reduce your blood sugar levels  Walking for fitness is a great step towards recovery.
  2. The workout improves oxygen uptake and blood flow in the body, thereby reducing the blood sugar levels.

Conclusion:

We can conclude that the benefits of hiking are numerous and undeniable. Hiking improves both the body, soul, and mind and should be a regular practice. If you feel something in your life is causing you grief, try getting out and I BET things will start falling into place.

AUTHOR BIO

Elizabeth Mathu is a hiking enthusiast with more than five years of experience in composing articles, blogs, web and social media content in the outdoors’ niche.

Do you have questions for Elizabeth Mathu or the team at joanmatsuitravelwriter.com. Feel free to comment here. What do you love about this article? Where’s your favorite hike?

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BikeCarbondale

  • By
  • July 30, 2018
  • Sticky

BikeCarbondale: Along the History Trail

HOTEL ANTHRACITE GUESTS PEDAL BACK IN TIME

Up-Valley Trail System Connected

A NEW stretch of trail in Northeastern Pennsylvania offers residents and visitors one-and-a-half miles of compacted terrain that’s ideal for jogging, walking, and cycling. The Carbondale Riverwalk opened in May (2018) and on a late spring afternoon, adults and children of all ages spent their afternoon taking in the prolific greenery along the Lackawanna River, a 40-mile long river that’s known for extraordinary fly fishing.

BikeCarbondale Lackawanna River Heritage Trail
The BikeCarbondale program is managed by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley (LHV) in conjunction with two prominent Carbondale partners: Hotel Anthracite, 25 S. Main St. and the Greater Carbondale YMCA, 82 N. Main St.

On that day, couples strolled hand-in-hand, children pedaled diligently to keep up with their parents, and cyclists took advantage of the safe pedestrian-only pathway.

Partners

I imagine I was among the first-timers to participate in the bike loan program. While usage statistics are not available yet, it’s safe to say exercise and nature enthusiasts continue to discover and utilize the new pathway, partly because of “BikeCarbondale,” a free bike-share program that makes it possible for individuals to borrow a bicycle so they can take in the Carbondale’s Coal Mining History. The program is managed by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley (LHV) in conjunction with two prominent Carbondale partners: Hotel Anthracite, 25 S. Main St. and the Greater Carbondale YMCA, 82 N. Main St. The program is made possible with funds made available through the Northeast Pennsylvania Healthcare Foundation. Individuals age 18 years and older are eligible to loan one of the authority’s 10 bikes available at the hotel and YMCA. 

Cycling was my first activity after checking in at the Hotel Anthracite, Carbondale’s newly-renovated lodging (formerly known as Carbondale Grand Hotel). (You can read more about the hotel in an upcoming article on my website.) Chris Simpler, Hotel Anthracite general manager, was eager for me to test drive a bike and the new trail. I returned to the hotel revitalized after approximately two hours.

LHV projects stimulate the region’s economic development, enhance tourism, and strengthen community organizations with a goal to improve and increase the quality of life for area residents. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley trail system spans 70 miles from the confluence of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers in Pittston and continues north where it connects with the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail and the Carbondale Riverwalk.

BikeCarbondale Riverwalk Lackawanna Heritage Trail
Residents and visitors never know who they’ll meet along the trail. As I was rounding the bend, I stopped to chat with fellow artist Joe Kluck. Photo by Joe Kluck.

You will celebrate the sunshine and appreciate the shaded areas, too. When you stop for a break, take note of the established trees that provide a canopy and the shrubs and native plants alongside the banks that serve as a natural border. Venture into downtown Carbondale and admire the architecture.

BikeCarbondale Bike Loan Program
BikeCarbondale is a loaner bike program for adults 18 years and older. One of the highlights is a one-and-a-half-mile stretch of newly-opened trail in Pennsylvania that runs from the historic town of Carbondale to Simpson.
Since 2013, LHV has opened eight miles of well-maintained heritage trails that enhance and showcase the region’s striking beauty and diverse scenery. You can watch the videos of the grand openings of the Scranton to Taylor, D&H Extension Trail, and Archbald to Jermyn stretches, and learn more about the most recent, Carbondale to Simpson.

Trail project partners were the City of Carbondale, PennDOT, DCED (Department of Commerce and Economic Development) and DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources). FABCOR (Jessup) and Rutledge Excavating Inc (Tyler Hill) completed the trail with and QPI (Carbondale) constructed the wall near the junkyard. The Riverwalk section will connect to the D&H Rail Trail later this summer to form a 20-mile stretch of fully developed trail. 

Contact me via the form below if you have questions or comments.

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