Go on a Hike ! It ' s Free !
Romina de la Garza
During the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic , stuck between the walls of my home , the temptation to leave my house was immense . But of course , no one could leave their houses , we were in a pandemic . Except I found a flaw in my parent ' s reasoning that allowed me to go outside my home safely . This is why I began going on hikes , where I would be surrounded by nature , alone and away from society . That day led to my current fascination with going on weekly hikes and here is why I got obsessed with them . First off , compared to workout facilities hiking is the safest regarding COVID-19 , the mountains are empty and you are always practicing social distancing , no one else is up there . Second , you are alone with your thoughts for hours . Hiking for me personally is a way of meditation , the best is when I get tired of listening to music , I take off my headphones and hear the sound of nature , birds chirping , plants swaying with the air , I feel the sun rays on my skin , I am one with nature . In a study where they tested two groups of 200 + people , they found out that those who walked in the forest “ experienced less anxiety , hostility , fatigue , confusion , and depressive symptoms , and more vigor ,” compared to those who walked in an urban setting . ( Song 2020 ). It has been proven that Hiking can improve people ' s health both physically and mentally ; for me personally , mentally it has made me happier , reduced my anxiety and stress , and made me reconnect with myself . Being on top of a mountain is very liberating and stress-free , looking down at the huge city makes me realize how small we are . Homework , school , and daily stressors are all forgotten up there .
Moreover , a study done on elderly Japanese citizens concluded that , after they visited forest areas their pulmonary disease decreased , and their breathing quality and immunity increased . Additionally , in another study , they found that walking around trees “ lowered people ’ s blood pressure , cortisol levels , pulse rates , and sympathetic nervous system activity ( related to stress ), while increasing their parasympathetic nervous system activity ( related to relaxation ).” ( Park 2010 ). All of which leads to better heart , pulmonary , cardiovascular function , and health in general . Personally , hiking has also brought many physical improvements , firstly , it improved my sleep quality , breathing quality , and heart rate . Since hikes can get to be a very difficult activity , with practice , I have gotten better at it , and my body has gotten stronger through the process and routes that used to take me two hours now take me one . And I am very proud of myself , not only am I doing something that I love , but I am getting better at it and getting stronger .
While waking up early offers the advantage of doing things before anyone else , it also sets the tone for the day , allowing you a stress-free morning in which nothing is left to the last minute . Research has shown that there is some evidence that early risers also experience higher productivity and a slew of other health benefits . For instance , in a 2008 survey , it was found that people who wake up early are more productive and fewer procrastinators . They have better academic performance and better sleep schedules . People who wake up early have a positive outlook towards the day , more energy , good sleep , more time to exercise , are more organized , eat healthier , have better-looking skin and have a routine . Hikes are the best way to start the day , especially when you start at 4 a . m . Waking up to see the sunrise from being pitch black where the stars and moon are the only ones awake to being warmed by the sun ’ s rays truly leaves me without words . Seeing the phases of the sunrise is the best thing a human could ever experience , it is beauty at its finest . Now of course I don ’ t always wake up that early , but overall morning hikes are the best way to start the day .
Hiking , though it may sound terrifying for some , being without wifi in an unknown place for so long , is not so terrifying when you go with a nice group of friends , who love to appreciate nature , work on themselves , and want to live in the moment . Hiking makes me face my fear of heights , it makes me challenge myself physically and mentally and it teaches me to be thankful for the beautiful earth we live in . Get a group of friends or a friend who is willing to wake up early with you and enjoy the beautiful benefits hiking can give you .
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