A hiking vacation is an opportunity to get away from the daily grind and reconnect with the natural world. But hiking is much more than an escape; it offers some tangible health benefits for the body and mind. Here are just a few of the ways that a hiking vacation can support your health.

What Are the Health Advantages of Hiking?

1. Enhance Cardiovascular Health

Hiking is an excellent way to strengthen your heart. Getting your body moving on the trails increases your heart rate and gets the blood pumping. Choosing routes with hills will present more of a challenge and a better workout for your heart. 

Cardiovascular exercise helps the body use oxygen more efficiently, making you feel more energized and less prone to fatigue. Additional benefits of cardio include calorie burning, appetite control, pain relief, and prevention of high blood pressure and heart disease.

2. Build Muscle

Since many hikes take place on uneven terrain, your legs need to constantly adjust and stabilize the rest of your body. This can strengthen your core and build muscle. 

Hiking can exercise virtually every muscle group. For instance, hiking uphill works out the muscles in the legs, while hiking downhill strengthens the hips, feet, and core. For added muscle training, use a hiking staff or trekking pole to work the arms. 

At the start of your hiking vacation, consult guidebooks and locals to learn the degree of difficulty of various trails. This way, you can plan the intensity of your workouts, choosing different routes that gradually get more strenuous.

3. Boost Mood

Hiking is a natural mood booster. It quiets the part of the brain linked to mental illness and distress, and it minimizes negative thought patterns. 

It also leads to more pronounced feelings of positivity and contentment, with less inclination toward depression and anger. Time spent in nature also "resets" the brain, removing the temptation of electronic devices and attuning the mind to the ebb and flow of the natural world.

If you're planning a hiking vacation, stay at Jerico Bed/Breakfast & Pre-Civil War Log Cabins in Pocahontas County, WV. They provide two different lodging options, either a traditional bed and breakfast inn or cabin rentals for a more self-directed retreat. Their historical lodgings are equipped with modern conveniences and are the perfect getaway for you and your family. Call (304) 799-6241 or visit them online to make a reservation.