Skip to main content

Featured Activity of the Month: Hiking

Hiking isn't just taking a short walk in the woods (well, it is if you want it to be). Taking a hike is an opportunity to escape the modern world and unplug. Along with providing a break from reality, hiking offers physical benefits that can improve health in individuals of all ages. 

·       Hiking on a regular basis can help lower your risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease can describe a range of conditions that affect your heart, such as: coronary artery disease, arrhythmias (heart rhythm abnormalities), and narrowed or blocked blood vessels. You heart is a muscle. Activity that increases heart rate will strengthen the cardiovascular system and will help improve overall wellness.

·       Improves blood pressure and blood sugar levels, particularly in individuals who have Type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes tends to occur in individuals who are overweight, sedentary, and have poor diets. By adding hiking to your routine, Type-2 diabetic patients will push glucose out of their blood and into surrounding cells, and will help to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels.

·       Hiking helps boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise. The impact of your feet hitting the ground during a prolonged hike can increase the bone density in your lower body. There will be even more impact when hiking uphill or downhill.

·       Builds strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs. Hiking also engages your abdomen and will result in strengthening your core. When hiking more difficult uphill terrain, using your arms to pull yourself up a trail will also increase upper body strength. It is possible to achieve a full-body workout during one hike. Over time, this can strengthen and tone your entire body without setting foot in a gym.


·       Improve balance by combining movements of multiple muscle groups at the same time. Synchronization paired with locomotion and adaptation to changing landscape requires lower body and core strength that will aid in balance. Balance is important to individuals of all ages, but most important in the aging populations. 

·       Hiking can help improve weight. There are many contributing factors to weight loss, but the pace and duration that you hike can lead to weight loss. If you consume fewer calories than are expended during physical activity, weight loss will occur. Hiking is essentially like hitting the fitness jackpot for your body. Cardiovascular and strength training combined creates a more efficient and beneficial workout. 

·       Hiking can have a positive impact on mood. Spending time in nature and breaking free from light cast by a television or computer screen, has been proven to improve overall mood. Surrounding yourself with nature and unplugging from technology will allow you to appreciate the natural beauty around you and create a more positive outlook on life.

           Take an opportunity to get out and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you. Who knows, you may find a new appreciation for something that you never noticed before! Sometimes you've just got to get out and live. 

  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8 Reasons Your Child should Play CP&R Baseball, Softball, or T-ball

Ball season is just around the coroner, which means fun nights at the ball park with families, friends, and your favorite fold-out lawn chair. It also means that kids are gearing up for the most fun, competitive time of year for them on the diamonds making new friends, learning new skills, and enjoying the crisp spring air outside. So what is so special about CP&R's baseball, softball, and t-ball programs that set it apart from anyone else's? Here are eight reasons your family will have a BLAST with us this spring at CP&R. 8. Facilities. CP&R features some of the most award wining facilities in the counrty at Heritage Park and the Field of Miracles. In fact, in 2013, Heritage Park and the Field of Miracles complex were recognized nationally by the United States Specialty Sports Association as the number one complex of the year amongst large and small cities alike all across America. The parks both feature state of the art fields that ar...
4 comments
Read more

28 Things to Do in Cullman

Nothing to Do in Cullman? So many times we hear the old adage that there is simply NOTHING to do in Cullman. Despite these rumors, there are in fact endless possibilities for things to do in Cullman, and we at CP&R alone offer hundreds of programs, activities, and events as well as dozens of spaces that offer plenty to do in the Cullman community. Let’s look at what there really IS to do in Cullman! 1. Take your dog to the dog park at Heritage Park The dog park is a great outing for you and your dog and you will both surely enjoy meeting some new friends and the fresh air. 2. Go for a hike at Hurricane Creek Park Featuring over 4 miles of hiking trails through the most pristine and gorgeous wilderness in Cullman County, the park also features favorites like Twilight Tunnel and Heaven’s Staircase 3. Take a fitness class at the Cullman Wellness & Aquatic Center Take your pick with over 60 classes offered each week including target, spin, yoga, cardio party, Zum...
1 comment
Read more

Heritage Park Outdoor Circuit Workout #2

The second circuit for our Heritage Park fitness equipment is here! Modify these exercises to meet your specific needs. If you wish to mix these exercises in with those that were featured in our first     post feel free to do so!  Warm-up: walk 1.5-mile loop or do Cardio Stepper for 5-10 minutes Assisted Row W: 2 sets/ 10 reps M: 2 sets/ 15 reps Squat Press W: 2 sets/10 reps M: 2 sets/ 15 reps Reverse Crunches/Leg Raises W: 2 sets/ 25 reps M: 2 sets/ 25 reps Cool down: walk 1.5-mile loop *Take a 60-90 second break between repetitions or walk to each different station as a “break” ** Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine. Read safety warnings and directions before using new equipment
Post a Comment
Read more