Top 10 Health Benefits of Trekking / Backpacking

  • Cardiovascular strength – Because backpacking requires covering large distances, usually by walking up and down hills and mountains, the heart has to pump more to keep up with the oxygen demand. Though trekking is not necessarily a highly intense sport, the heart rate does maintain a steady, increased speed, increasing blood flow to the muscles and the brain.

 

  • Weight loss – Climbing, dodging around boulders and lights runs, and sprints are familiar while trekking.  These physical activities eventually help shed unwanted fat and water weight. Twelve weeks of trekking at a moderate level of intensity regularly can lead to significant weight loss.

 

  • Builds a whole heart – Trekking is an excellent bet for those who wish to keep their hearts healthy and agile. While trekking, a person has to climb up and down, making the heart pump blood vigorously and build cardiac muscle.

 

  • Cleanses the lungs – For example, trekking tours are conducted in India to allow trekkers to inhale clean air. Most trekking tours are organized away from the human population, which automatically means that the flora bears minor effects of human activities. The extensive growth and vegetation found in nature preserves help ensure that the air is far cleaner than in metropolitan areas.

 

  • Builds strong bones – Trekking requires optimum effort from the human body, as it requires stretching, jumping, climbing, and dodging at several intervals.  Such a small burst of exercises at regular intervals during a trek help make bones stronger. Backpackers also have the added beneficial burden of carrying supplies, such as water, first aid kids, clothes, and even camping equipment such as tents (if they were camping) which would mean added weight on the shoulders and spine. If appropriately carried, this weight training can help add on bone density, thereby achieving overall fitness.

 

  • Agile muscles – The one thing that a trekker would surely achieve while on a trekking tour is excellent muscle strength. The energy and strain that a trekker requires while on a trekking tour – be it on the Himalayas or any other challenging topography would undoubtedly lead to exercising of each muscle in the body, from the core abdominal muscles to the quads and calves, thus making body flexible and muscles agile.

 

  • A calm mind and excellent focus – Trekking and backpacking often require the hiker to be focused on their activity. To do that, the hiker must clear his thoughts and prepare his mind to face topographical challenges. This is especially true for those trekkers that undertake India trekking tours, as spiritualism is one of India’s most potent touristic draws.  It also helps that most Indian adventure trekking tours have some connection with one religion or the other, thus allowing a trekker to feel that calm that comes with such places.

  • Interval training – Interval cardio involves short bursts of exertion, and trekking is an excellent example. Trekking involves walking up and down hills and possibly climbing. Walking uphill will bring your heart closer to a hiker’s target aerobic rate, while walking downhill will give your heart rate a chance to recover. Climbing can also bring your heart rate up to aerobic levels and work the leg, arm, and core muscles, providing the added benefit of strength training. Interval training helps the metabolism function better, burning more calories for a more extended period than steady cardio workouts.

 

  • New look on workout – Trekking can be as easy as walking in your neighborhood or as tricky as a mountain climb depending on one’s current physical activity level. Unlike the treadmill, trekking offers new scenery, different terrain and requires almost no equipment.

 

  • Mental benefits – Stress can disrupt your everyday life, causing health problems and depression. Trekking is a great way to reduce the stress in your life because of the release of endorphins, which make us happy! Taking in the fresh air and nature around you while trekking is a great way to help improve your mental health, and it is believed to improve memory and functionality of the brain. Breathing in the fresh air and seeing plants and animals can also give you a better appreciation of the world and a sense of calmness and joy.

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