9 Main Benefits of Trekking and Hiking

I have been trekking and hiking since a young age and I still enjoy doing it regularly. Trekking has a lot of benefits both for your mental and physical well-being. People who spend time in nature are generally happier and healthier. It also can be very beneficial for your social life because it can be a lot of fun to explore hiking trails with your friends and family or meet new like-minded people. If you don’t like to travel abroad and long flights, then hiking and trekking in your region can be a good option. Hopefully, with this blog post, I’ll be able to motivate you to enjoy nature and mountains as much as I do and share with you the main benefits of trekking.

Table of Contents

What is trekking ?
Why is trekking so popular ?
Improved sleep and reduced stress level
Improved metabolism and weight loss
Improved cognitive function
Improved immune function
Reduced risk of chronic diseases
Stronger bones and muscles
Increased creativity
Helps you be a better human
Social Benefits

What is trekking ?

Trekking is a fun outdoor activity which usually includes hiking long distances on uneven terrain, often in remote areas such as forests and mountains. It usually requires caution and an excellent level of fitness and can be on a trail, or off trail, depending on your experience level and the chosen track. The main purpose of trekking is to engage in physical activity while being in nature and enjoying beautiful surroundings. Trekking usually assumes being on the road for several days or even weeks. It is a great way to explore the surrounding flora and fauna and have some adventures!

Why is trekking so popular?

Trekking and hiking are two outdoor activities that are increasingly becoming more popular because more and more people are looking to get away from the stress and busyness of modern life by spending more time in nature and getting away from the digital world and constant stream of information. In the old days, there was not much infrastructure in the remote areas with beautiful landscapes and you had to be self-sufficient. You had to take enough food and drinks, the camping equipment, and carry it all with you. Nowadays, ecotourism is much more developed and accessible for everyone. You can stay in beautiful eco-lodges or hiking huts with all the necessary amenities even in the most remote areas no matter how difficult they are to reach.

What are the main benefits of trekking?

Trekking offers many benefits both for your physical and mental health. It can also be beneficial for your relationships. Let’s dive deep into the key benefits of trekking and why you should consider it as your new hobby and start going trekking or hiking more often. 

Improved sleep and reduced stress level

Being in nature has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can help to improve mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Moreover, trekking and hiking regularly helps your body to release endorphins, which help you to feel happier and reduce stress levels. The combination of fresh air, improved mood, and reduced anxiety is great for sleeping better and generally being more mindful. Spending time in nature is especially beneficial for people who are working the whole day in front of a computer or generally don’t move much.

Improved metabolism and weight loss

Cardio exercises such as trekking or jogging help your body to burn lots of calories. The longer the hiking track, the more calories will be burned which will help you to lose weight. Trekking also helps to improve your metabolism. It is a chemical reaction in your body that transforms the food you eat into energy. This energy serves as a fuel for your body to function properly. If your metabolism is slow, you will gain weight and accumulate fat no matter how much you eat. That’s why it’s important to improve your metabolism by trekking or exercising regularly.

Improved Cognitive Function

Trekking and hiking can improve cognitive function and general brain health. Cardio training increases blood flow to your brain which helps to improve memory, focus, and concentration. Reduced stress level also contributes to improving your cognitive function and helps to stay focused

Improved immune function

While trekking you usually spend a lot of time in nature under direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight helps your body to absorb vitamin D which is very important for your general health and immune system. While it’s possible to get some amount of vitamin D via food and supplements, it can’t replace the sunlight which is the main source of vitamin D that our body gets. Clean fresh air helps to clear your lungs, get enough oxygen to the blood, and stay energetic.

Reduced risk of chronic diseases

Trekking helps you to improve your immune system, reduces stress levels, and improves overall health. All this contributes to reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Physical activity helps to maintain healthy body weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improve cardiovascular health.

Stronger bones and muscles

Trekking and hiking help you to build endurance, and strengthen your muscles and bones. When constantly walking uphill or downhill, you put pressure on your body, especially your legs and lower body. This helps to make your joints and muscles stronger. Moreover, with age, our bones become weaker and trekking is a good way to prevent it and increase bone density. So if you want to stay young, go hiking or trekking 😉

Increased creativity

Being in nature can stimulate creativity and inspire new ideas. When you are hiking in remote areas where there are fewer people and destruction, you simply connect better to your inner world and release all the creative energy. Being less distracted by your mobile phone, computer or TV also plays a great role in increasing creativity.

Helps you be a better human

People who spend a lot of time in nature are usually kinder, they appreciate nature and help to protect it. They try to reduce their impact on the environment by using sustainable camping and trekking gear and leaving no trace. I like supporting local communities and staying in homestays or eco-lodges when trekking overnight.

Social Benefits

Believe it or not, trekking and hiking can help you to make new friends. I have met a few of my current best friends via hiking. There are many hiking groups and clubs where you can get a membership and enjoy great trails with other people. Hiking in a group is more fun and generally much safer than hiking alone. Each country and region usually has its hiking groups. They are usually easy to find on social media or local websites. I usually recommend groups that are not too large, up to 10 people, to get to know the people you are hiking with better. It is also important to choose the group and trail according to your fitness level. This means if you are a beginner and not so fit, don’t join an experienced hiking group which usually picks more challenging routes. 

Trekking and hiking can also be a great way to spend quality time with your family and friends. Spending quality time together in a natural setting, away from the distractions of everyday life, helps to improve relationships and strengthen bonds.

Conclusion

As we have learned previously, trekking offers many benefits such as better sleep, reduced stress levels, improved metabolism and weight loss, and much more. We also learned that trekking can be a fun way to spend time with your friends or become a more creative person. Hopefully, I accomplished my mission to motivate you to start a new great hobby called trekking and spend more time in nature. To get more motivation to start hiking, check out inspirational hiking quotes I have collected for you.  I am convinced that people who are connected to nature are kinder and make our world a little bit better. Happy hiking!

Please follow and like us: