I’m a hiker—“born to hike,” as my husband likes to joke. It does my heart and soul good to strap on a pack and head out on a trail, especially when I’m alone and can let my mind wander where it will.
Here is what science is saying about the benefits of hiking.
1. Hiking Keeps Your Mind Sharp
Being a professional writer, I sometimes have trouble justifying taking the time to hike in the middle of my workday. But research suggests that hiking doesn’t just feel good, it might also keep my brain in top shape.
All exercise is good for us. Whether it’s using an elliptical trainer, riding a stationary bike, or walking on a treadmill, getting your heart rate up and working your lungs can keep you feeling younger and stronger. Exercise also helps your brain thanks to the extra oxygen that exercise delivers to it.
But hiking involves something many other forms of exercise don’t: trails. That means it requires navigating in a world that’s not totally predictable. Slippery dirt, uneven terrain, overhanging branches, trail markers, and wild animals crossing your path—all of the things you might encounter on a trail require micro- and macro-adjustments to your route, which is good for your brain.
2. Hiking Can Keep You Calm and Happy
Exercise, in general, can be a great stress-buster. But what sets hiking apart from other forms of exercise is that it’s done outdoors in a natural setting. While other physical activities also rely on nature—for example, river rafting or backpacking—those often require more time and commitment than a simple hike and are therefore less accessible to many people. Hiking can happen almost anywhere—from a city park or public garden to a mountain trail—and give you that dose of nature you need to stay happy.
3. Hiking Helps Your Relationships
It may be obvious that hiking is good for our physical and emotional health. But there is mounting evidence that it helps our relationships, too.
One reason is that many of us hike with other people, and exercising together can produce special feelings of closeness—and a sense of safety. I’m sure when a friend of mine recently fell on a trail and severely fractured her ankle, she was glad to have company to help her hobble down the mountain. But, even in less dire circumstances, having a friend along can be a lovely way to connect with another person in a setting free of other distractions.
What about hiking alone? Personally, I’ve often found that hiking alone helps me in my relationships, likely for all of the reasons above—it helps me reduce my stress, refreshes my depleted attention, and produces awe. And, when I’m feeling good, those effects spill over into my interactions with others once I return from the hike.
For anyone who spends a lot of time caregiving for other people, it can be rejuvenating to let go of that responsibility for a bit and take to a trail. After all, it can’t help but refresh you when you give yourself a break, making you more emotionally available to others afterward.
4. Hiking Can Increase Our Creativity
I’m sure I’m not alone in finding that walks in nature let my mind wander freely in creative directions. In fact, I’ve written many songs while hiking on a trail, lyric ideas bubbling up from some unconscious place when I’m not deliberately thinking.
5. Hiking Builds Positive Relationships With Nature
Besides being good for us, hiking may also help the world around us. After all, if we have the stamina to walk places and cover longer distances, we could use cars less and reduce our carbon footprint.
Conclusion
This all goes to show that hiking may be one of the best ways to move your body. These points have helped me recommit to hiking regularly. Instead of spending all day every day in front of a computer, I’m taking time to walk outside—even if it’s just for 15 minutes. And I’m definitely noticing improvements in my mood, creativity, and relationships, as well as a growing sense of spiritual connection to the natural world.
So, grab a water bottle, a backpack, and, if you want, a friend, and head out on the trail. You will be glad you did.