Need convincing to get your walking boots on? Here are six health benefits of trekking, curated by au online pokies – some will surpise you!
1) Live longer!
Research has shown that just walking 5 miles a week at a slow pace is enough to reduce your risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure by 31%. 5 miles is just 10,000 steps – so if you’re addicted to your Fitbit and find yourself pacing around at night to reach 10,000 steps, then well done – you are absolutely smashing that target! Being active is also one of the key ways to reduce your risk of cancer. Exercise lowers the estrogen in your blood stream which is believed to be the reason why active women are around 30% less likely to develop breast cancer.
2) Boost your mood
Doctors are increasingly prescribing exercise such as walking to combat depression and many clinical studies have showed that exercise can improve depressive symptoms to a comparable extent to the use of anti-depressant drugs. Trekking is an excellent mood booster because it combines the physiological benefits of exercise with the mental health benefits of being surrounded by nature and socialising with other people on the trail. More and more studies are showing a link between the amount of time that people spend in nature and their mental wellbeing. Some clinically proven benefits of spending time in nature include; reduction in stress and blood pressure and improved sleep and energy levels. In our increasingly fast paced society, reduction of stress and increased emotional well being is one of the most important health benefits of trekking!
3) Strengthen your heart
Walking becomes a cardio work out when you push yourself to the point that conversation becomes more difficult, courtesy of online casino real money Australia.
4) Increase your metabolism
Just spending 20 minutes in any fixed position leads to a decrease in our metabolism and 4 hours of inactivity almost completely shuts down enzymes that metabolise fats! When you’re at work, it’s important to take regular screen breaks to combat this. Trekking can also improve your metabolism by building muscle mass in your legs. The more muscle mass you have, the greater your resting metabolic rate – for every 4.5lbs of muscle mass your resting metabolic rate increase by 50Kcal per day.
5) Burn calories
For many people this is one of the most important health benefits of trekking! When you consider that taking your dog for a half an hour walk burns 100 calories, it’s easy to see the weight loss potential of trekking.
6) Heal chronic back pain
It’s a scary fact that the average American sits for 13 hours and sleeps for 8 hours a day, meaning they are active for just 3 hours. The sitting epidemic is one of the reasons why so many of us suffer with chronic back and joint pain daily. Bad posture and muscle weakness are two of the main reasons for chronic back pain. When we walk, our spine is placed into a more naturally aligned position than when we are sitting, and the movement strengthens postural muscles that waste away in front of the computer screen.