Concerned about your health? Go take a hike.

I admit that I have a problem with stress. In fact I have for years, ever since Santa Clara Valley first became Silicon Valley.

I’m sure you can imagine. But I’ve learned to manage my stress with a regular balance of meditation, stretching, preventive chiropractic, healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and a regular devotion to walking and hiking. Oh, and at least one glass of red wine per evening if I can.

Ha! - you’d think that with all that going on, I wouldn’t have time for stress.

“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” ~Lee Iacocca.
Image source: Shane Conder, KF6NVR.

Stress always seems to find me, though, especially when I haven’t worked my bod - and most especially over the dark days of Winter. I know I’m hardly alone, which is why I find hiking - either by myself or with others - to be such a pleasurable and stress-free pursuit on more than just a physical level.

It’s been widely proven that regular exercise can increase a person’s physical and mental health which, it stands to reason, can be strong factors in support of one’s longevity. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that only 15 percent of the U.S. adult population engages in sufficient physical activity; perhaps that’s because the idea of sweating in a gym or running around the local city park seems daunting or unappealing to most people. However, vigorous exercise doesn’t have to be boring or painful. Hiking can help you lose weight, improve your physical well-being, reduce tension and enhance your mental health.

My experience has shown me that hiking can help with all of the above as well as stimulate appetite and thirst. “Hike to eat, eat to hike!” has been a common mantra in my cycling, backpacking, and hiking circles since who flung the chunk, though I might modify that sentiment to “Hike to eat, eat to drink!” on occasion. After all, hiking and food go together, as do food and wine. Certainly these are wondrous rewards for deeds well done.

By extension, I believe winehiking is its own reward.

But surely the mental health benefits of hiking are just as bountiful as the physical. Exposure to natural bright light, which you certainly can’t get in a gym, increases levels of serotonin, which is a naturally occuring mood-lifting chemical secreted in the brain. Because exercise also boosts serotonin production, the benefit is twofold.

For women, regular hiking can even help prevent osteoporosis. Working against the force of gravity helps increase bone density and slows calcium loss, thus strengthening bones and making them less susceptible to breaking. And take it from me: trails are gentler on the joints than pavement is.

I am of the mind that the greater San Francisco Bay Area has more miles of hiking trail per capita than nearly anywhere else on Earth. But almost everyone has a hiking trail near their home. The Appalachian Trail, for example, runs about 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine and is within a one- or two-hour drive from any city on the East Coast outside Florida. Even New York City has a number of groups that organize hiking trips every weekend. You have only to search Google to find a hiking club local to you that can help you find where the trails are.

Hiking is as easy as you want it to be. Plus, you most likely have everything you need to embark on a healthy hiking program. But if you don’t, I’ve put together a hiking checklist that can get you started.

The important point here is that you get out there on the trail. With a steady pace - and even a companion or two to support your hiking endeavors - not only will you be amazed at how quickly your stress will melt away, but you’ll feel relaxed and you’ll feel glad you made the crucial decision to hike in the first place. Done regularly enough, and at a level that you can manage, you will realize how favorably your body responds to hiking. Perhaps subsequent hiking experiences will lead you to the next chapter in your purposeful life: learning about the amazing variety of living things that surround you in your own backyard.

With Spring just around the corner, now’s a great time to get started. See you on the trail, my friend.

~winehiker

This entry was posted on Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm and is filed under grape squeezins, winehiker's trails. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.