It is well known that walking outdoors has a direct positive impact on health and well-being. But what about the visible effects on our body?
We know that regular physical activity helps our body function properly. On the other hand, the idea of a small outdoor walk or a real hike seems immediately more attractive … and these outdoor walks are especially much easier challenges to undertake for the majority of us.
The benefits of hiking on our mental health
Hiking in a nature enhances our feeling of well-being, and the effects are much more valuable than a simple walk in the city.
The virtues of walking on our health are many, but you must know that being in touch with the nature is also good for our brains!
Indeed, hiking in the wilderness increases the immediate positive effects on the mind, leading to an improvement of our happiness, which is not the case for walking in urban areas. Walking in nature has a direct impact on the part of our brain that affects our mood, especially sadness, anxiety and depression.
Boost the brain activity
No need to suffer from mental health disorders to be able to immediately feel the benefits of hiking on our brain!
Studies show that performance of tasks requiring creative thinking and complex problem solving increased by 50% in subjects spending more time in contact with nature and less time in contact with new technologies. In addition, it was found that people walking regularly and hikers had better memory than those who spend less time outdoors.
Regular contact with nature stimulates our brain and contributes to the restoration of cognitive functions, such as memory and concentration.
Open your perspectives
Some people tend to focus on negative thoughts or experiences. The hike will allow to let you escape and thus reduce this type of negative and obsessive thoughts. Training on a treadmill is a very good exercise to improve the overall mental state, but hiking in nature is even better to fight against the symptoms of stress or depression.
The diversity of forest landscapes, mountains, trails or beaches is much more fascinating than contemplating the walls of a gym. It is not difficult to imagine that walking in the wilderness – or even in a park – greatly increases our level of happiness.
Get off from the world
hiking can really disconnect you.
We are all constantly watching our screens or our phones. We are always connected to different networks through new technologies. And this continuous flow of information is exhausting for the body.
Walking in places without WiFi helps to reduce the effects of mental fatigue that involves the use of all these connected objects.
