Why hiking is uniquely beneficial for your body and your brain

If you're among the nearly 60 million people participating in America's most popular recreational activity this summer, chances are you're getting a lot more out of the experience than quality family time, beautiful vistas, and a breath of fresh air. 

Hiking provides a host of mental and physical health advantages including improved cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, better balance and coordination, and mental health improvements unmatched by other forms of exercise. 

"Hiking is an amazing way to get outside and explore, reconnect with feelings of wonder and awe, and reap countless benefits such as decreased anxiety and depression and reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity," says Alyson Chun, assistant director of the Adventure Sports and Recreation Adventure programs at Stanford University. 

Such benefits are especially encouraging considering that hiking has been shown to be accessible to all and less dangerous than other popular mountain summer activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, or mountaineering.

"Whether it's a local path or a challenging mountain hike, there's a trail for everyone—each offering a customizable adventure for any fitness level and schedule," says Rami Hashish, a physical therapist and body performance consultant at the National Biomechanics Institute in Los Angeles. 

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Physical upsides worth climbing for

High on the list of physical benefits associated with hiking is better cardiovascular and respiratory health, provided, in part, by strengthened lung tissue and cardiac muscle.

"A stronger heart is able to pump more blood with less effort, which results in less pressure on the arteries and reduced hypertension," says Chun. 

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The activity also improves cholesterol levels by normalizing blood lipids and lipoproteins, which play crucial roles in removing excess cholesterol from the body and transporting the molecule to and from tissue. Such factors mean hiking can be effective in reducing one's risk of heart disease and cancer development, which improves longevity. 

Hiking can also help with healthy weight management, as it has been associated with up to four times greater weight loss than indoor exercises.

"When hiking on challenging terrain, the average person can burn around 400-550 calories per hour," says Chun. In this way, the activity plays a crucial role in avoiding chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. 

The weight-bearing nature of hiking can also help increase bone density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis, adds Hashish. 

Muscle growth and maintenance occurs as well since hiking targets multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, shins, calves, glutes, and core, says Joel Martin, a kinesiologist and associate professor at George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development. Using trekking poles can similarly engage upper-body muscles like arms and shoulders, "and steeper hikes can intensify the workout for many muscles," says Martin. "Some individuals will also choose to hike with additional loads such as a ruck sack or weight vest for an additional stimulus."

Frequent changes in terrain and navigating around rocks and other obstacles also means one is improving balance, posture and coordination.

"Hiking is really a three-in-one exercise that combines components of cardio, balance, and weightlifting—and this increased complexity creates a greater challenge for our bodies," says Joyce Gomes-Osman a physical therapist and neurologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Improved mental acuity 

The mental health benefits of hiking are no less compelling. "There is substantial research evidence of the benefits of hiking on mental health outcomes in a range of individuals including the old and young," says Martin. 

For one, hiking for only 30 minutes has been shown to reduce stress hormones by as much as 28 percent. Walking for longer bouts of time and more frequently has been further shown to improve physiological stress parameters associated with acute stress, "such as heart rate variability and cortisol levels," says Martin Niedermeier, a sports scientist at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and the lead author of supportive research. 

The activity also can reduce anxiety and depression, plus improve cognition, memory function, and problem-solving skills.  

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One of the ways it provides these benefits, explains James Ashton-Miller, mechanical engineer director of the biomechanics research laboratory at the University of Michigan, is that "hiking requires the frontal lobe of the brain to pay constant attention to process the ever-changing visual field to identify sequential trip and slip hazards as they appear on the hiking path."

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Another contributing factor, notes Gomes-Osman, is that hiking boosts neuroplasticity in the brain, which is the nervous system's ability to reorganize and establish new functional connections. "Neuroplasticity is vital to us as humans because it enables us to learn and evolve through life and it powers the thinking and memory centers in the brain," she says. 

Hiking with others has also been shown to be good for one's social life, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Benefits unique to nature

But many of the best mental health benefits associated with hiking stem from the rhythmic cadence of walking combined with the calming effects of the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

"Simply inhaling an organic compound called phytoncides that trees release has been found to improve immunity," says Suzanne Hackenmiller, an integrative medicine physician based in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

She says other related boosts to immune system health are still being fleshed out, but even older research shows that simply being able to view nature can help people recover faster after surgery. 

Another benefit of hiking is that the combination of physical activity and exposure to nature can promote endorphin release which, improves mood and reduces stress, says Hashish. He points to research that shows that the natural light of being outdoors can also help regulate circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality, in addition to the vitamin D provided by sunlight being good for bone health and staving off illness and disease. 

Studies also show that people walking in nature vs an urban setting experience less rumination, "which is that experience of stressful thoughts getting stuck in an infinite replay loop," says Hackenmiller. In a similar vein, she highlights other supportive research that shows how people hiking in nature also improve their attention spans by as much as 20 percent. 

Another compelling perspective builds on research surrounding Blue Zones—regions of the world where people live longer, healthier lives.

"Much of the research associated with these areas is aimed at pinning down the active ingredients," explains Gomes-Osman, "and it turns out living in a mountainous area is one such factor." 

Other meta-analysis shows how exercising in nature can lead to greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy, and "decreases in tension, confusion, and anger,” notes Hackenmiller.

Hiking can even improve one's attitude towards exercise generally. "This is likely why hikers expel more energy than runners or walkers as they tend to spend longer periods of activity than if they exercised in a different environment," says Ayelet Dunsky, head of the School of Human Movement and Sport Sciences at the Levinsky-Wingate Academic College in Israel. 

 Getting started

Another plus is that there are few barriers for entry and beginning the recreational activity isn't hard to do.

"Hiking is an activity that requires little expense in terms of gear, plus no training or certification requirements," says Hackenmiller.

When getting started, she recommends hiking with others—or at least making sure someone knows where you're going and when you expect to return.

"Don't neglect wearing proper hiking shoes with good grip," advises Martin, "and be sure to dress in layers suitable for the weather and to bring plenty of nutritious snacks and water." The American Hiking Society recommends bringing between half a quart and a quart of water per hour of hiking, depending on the intensity of the hike and how hot it is.

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Hackenmiller suggests bringing a small first aid kit and making sure you have a cell phone or other trackable electronic device, "ideally on silent mode, but with you for emergencies." 

When choosing hikes, Hashish recommends starting with trails that match your fitness level before progressing to more challenging ones. When searching out such trail options, Chun suggests looking at things like accessibility, rated difficulty, nearby sources of drinking water, any expected changes in elevation, and to "always check the weather and trail conditions before you leave."