Hiking Makes You Happier and Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Is there anything more relaxing than a hike alone or with a group of people who are close to you? There isn’t much, that’s for sure. Being out with nature and spending time exploring it is a relaxing and very beneficial form of exercise. In fact, it can even lower your blood pressure.

Hiking is a great way to improve both your mental and physical health, something we are set on demonstrating in this quick guide.

This is a guest post for highbloodpressurebegone.com by Gemma Tyler.

 

How Hiking Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Hiking and Physical Health

Hiking is a form of cardio, especially when you are partaking in a brisk walk (around 3-4 miles per hour) through the wilderness. It gets all of your muscles working, and it can lower your blood pressure by up to 10 points – reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and strokes. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t out of breath when you are heading back either, because you have still worked your body hard.

Hiking downhill (such as on the way back) has also been shown to be twice as effective at removing blood sugars and improving your glucose tolerance when compared to uphill hikes. A hiker can easily burn 500 calories in an hour (or more), depending on the incline and the weight of their backpack , but either way, it is an impressive amount.

It doesn’t put as much pressure on your joints either due to the soft trails, and because it works a whole range of muscles, you are less likely to suffer from specific injuries from doing too much, particularly if you stretch afterwards.

 

Hiking and Mental Health

Hiking has been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety, while also helping the brain to produce more serotonin – leading to you feeling happier by the end of the hike. Being out with nature allows you to reconnect with the earth, something which many find exceedingly calming and also ensures that they return home with a clear and fresh mind.

Many studies have also found that it leads to enhanced creativity, especially when hikers unplug themselves from technology and the world while they are out. On their return, they are often better at creative problem solving and have more creative trains of thought. So, the next time you find yourself in need of inspiration, you might want to head out for a hike.

If you go with others, it can improve your relationship as well – regardless of whether you are friends, lovers, or family. It gives you time to spend together, with nothing to separate you so that you are able to talk, get to know each other more, and generally catch up. Socialising with those you love is known to boost your overall happiness levels.

 

To Conclude

Now that you have read this guide on how hiking can make you happier and healthier, perhaps you will start taking it up. A hike doesn’t have to be through mountains and forests, there are plenty of urban areas that offer shorter hikes that are still very beneficial. It’s the perfect way to get out there and start improving your life, and your health. You’ll be happy that you started.

 

About the Author

Gemma Tyler is a freelance writer and blogger. You can keep up to date by following Gemma on Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest.

If you are interested in more information on outdoor fun, such as camping and hiking then check out her Ultimate Info Guides for more details.

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More Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

Hiking can lower your blood pressure in two ways. Hiking lowers blood pressure directly through the beneficial effect of exercise on the cardiovascular system. But hiking can lower blood pressure through reducing your stress levels too. As Gemma points out, hiking makes you happier.  With stress being a common cause of high blood pressure, being happier and more relaxed goes a long way to lowering your blood pressure.

As well as hiking, there are many other ways you can lower your blood pressure. There are loads of different kinds of activities to make you fitter and different ways to alleviate stress. What you eat and drink are also crucial. Just a few simple changes to your daily diet can have profound effects on your blood pressure.

If you’ve researched this a bit already, you’ll know that there’s a lot of information out there on lowering blood pressure naturally. However, to make it easy, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide:

Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally – The Complete 9 Step Guide

As the (highly imaginative) title suggests, the guide is arranged into nine steps which you can follow at your own pace. Each step is easy to follow and gives clear guidance on the different aspects of lowering blood pressure naturally.

There are tips on different kinds of exercise to lower blood pressure. (Even gentle walking can help, and there’s also a blood pressure-lowering exercise that you can do on your sofa.)

There’s loads of info on good foods and drinks for lowering blood pressure, along with a few recipes.

And we outline a host of techniques to de-stress.

The guide is designed to be easy to follow and to help you live a healthier and happier life. Lowering your blood pressure doesn’t have to be about denial. There are enough tasty foods, refreshing drinks, enjoyable activities and relaxing practices to keep you going – with lower blood pressure – for a lifetime…