Yes, it’s that time of the year again. That time when we all pick ourselves up again after the odd bit of excess over the holiday season. Many of us will have inevitably created various New Year’s resolution lists in order to stave off feelings of post-revelry guilt. Yet what most of us don’t realise is that there’s one simple way to tick off many New Year’s resolutions at once – merely by heading off for a hike. So here are some of the reasons why hiking is a great and very healthy New Year’s Resolution.
The first and most common resolution obviously ticked off by taking a hike is none other than…
Getting fit and active
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has never had this one on their list straight after New Year’s Eve. Far more rewarding and affordable than a gym membership (which you might stop using come February anyway) is a regular plan of single and multi-day hikes. It’s no secret that one of the single most effective ways to increase your health and fitness is to put a pack on your back and use your own two legs to propel yourself onward and upward over the hills and mountains. Your thigh muscles are your largest after all.
Hiker on the West of Ireland / Connemara Walk – Photo credit www.nicholasgrundy.com
Mindfulness and Meditation
As you’ve most likely read before, reconnecting with the great outdoors has been proven to benefit our mental well-being. It’s a shorter drive than you think to your nearest trailhead, and from there you’ve got the perfect opportunity to find a quiet, secluded spot to practice some mindfulness. You can unwind in the woods, meditate perched atop a giant boulder, and become more self-aware as you feel alive again, boots pressing into the soft ground beneath your feet.
Learn Photography
This year, you may want to pick up a new skill or improve on an existing one. In our current Instagram generation it seems that everyone wants to be the next big photographer, and trekking through fantastic landscapes allows one ample opportunities to learn how to take better snaps. You can only see so much on a tour bus or in a rental car, so close yet so far from reaching that perfect shot. It’s on your own two feet that you have the true mobility and flexibility required to get the right angle, the best lighting, and that unique standpoint. And escaping the city on a multi-day hike provides a fresh perspective and ample time to hone your skills as a photographer.
Student on Galway Photo Walk – Photo credit www.galwayphotowalks.com
Get out of the house!
It was recently found that the stale, stuffy air within our homes can end up five times as polluted as that outside. We’re all too often stuck inside our comfortable houses and apartments, and in 2019 it’s time to get out of our comfort zone – literally and metaphorically. So put down that phone, switch off your artificial lighting, and go immerse yourself in some natural light by…
Getting back to nature
Allow your eyes to finally focus on the horizon again and not on your screens. Let the sunshine dowse you with some vitamin D as you tramp along well-worn trails. And you don’t need to wait for spring or summer either. Even in the darker winter months it only takes a short amount of time with even just our hands and face exposed to the sun to get our daily dose of vitamin D, keeping us healthy and sane.
We hope that you enjoyed this guide to why hiking is a healthy New Year’s Resolution. If you’re interested in going one step further and booking a self-guided hiking holiday, just get in touch.
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