Wellness & The Wilderness: How Hiking and Outdoor Adventure Supports Our Mental And Physical Health
There is an instinctual connection between humans and nature. There are many proven benefits to spending time in the great outdoors. Hiking is a wonderful way to explore and hang out with nature for a while. You can trundle at your own speed and allow the bounties of the outside environment to please the senses.
With that in mind, let’s explore some of the ways that even the shortest immersions into nature on foot can benefit our mind, body and soul.
Hello Sunshine
That blissful feeling of warm sunlight on your skin is more than just a dreamy sensation, it’s great for your wellbeing, too. Being outside in the daylight (even on cloudy days!) helps your body produce that all important Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to regulate a lot of internal functions, including maintaining a healthy immune system. Exposure to sunlight also helps your body to regulate the production of melatonin. This hormone influences your sleep cycle. Getting out in the sunlight means your body will have an easier time knowing when to sleep at night as it helps the regulation of this hormone. Melatonin also helps us lower our stress response. You don’t have to spend all day outside; it’s said that anywhere from ten to thirty minutes of daylight a day is plenty to top up your Vitamin D. Just remember your sunscreen!
Movement
In the broader world of exercise and activity, there can often be roadblocks that either physically or mentally prevent you from taking part or trying something new. Perhaps your mind is feeling too busy to take on a strenuous new activity? Or an injury or mobility challenge means you need a gentler type of movement. The greatest thing about hiking? It can be entirely what you want it to be. You can tailor your terrain, your pace and journey length. This diversity in hiking trails means almost anyone can try it, you don’t require any special skills; just a basic level of mobility.
Starting a new type of exercise can be daunting, so this low-impact type of movement can help you regain confidence in moving your body. We need to keep our bodies moving to maintain healthy joints, ensure good cardiovascular health and encourage the release of those stressbusting endorphins. Depending on the location you could be clambering and navigating through uneven ground, which is a great all over body workout.
You need basic equipment to get going and can spend as little as an afternoon out on the trail to receive benefits to your body. One piece of equipment that is worth choosing wisely is footwear. After all, your feet will be carrying you and you’ll want footwear that keeps them cool, comfortable and protected. LIZARD footwear creates sturdy walking sandals for women and sandals for men on the move. Lightweight, durable shoes for big and small adventures. The LIZARD TREK sandal is the ultimate shoe for comfort and breathability on your walks, wherever you may end up. The double Velcro closure keeps your feet firmly in place and the moulded footbed supports on the inside. The high-quality materials mean extra durable sandals that will accompany you on many adventures to come. Your feet will thank you later.
Tom and Amy (AKA Van Monkeys), have found that van life on the road means they spend way more time outdoors, and they feel all the better for it. The pair are more active since living in the van as their chosen destinations often factor in beautiful hiking routes. “We are much more physically active, every day we are keeping fit and living in a van helps that as we generally pick places that have somewhere lovely to walk. Having Frankie [our dog] helps with the motivation too. Whatever the weather we have to get outside! ... Nature is where we feel at home. We both grew up in countryside towns and so it's rooted in us. I think it is just where we feel comfort and in life that is key.”
Hiking as Meditation
Contrary to popular belief, meditation does not have to look like sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed for hours at a time. In fact, to meditate just means to narrow your focus on something with the aim of clearing your thoughts, training your awareness and calming and stabilising your mind. Now, how you do this is pretty much up to you. Hiking is a beautiful example of a meditative practice. A walking meditation, if you like. You can stay quiet, move at a slow and steady pace and focus on the breath; ensuring it is slow and deep. Then you can focus on the sensations as they greet your body. Notice the breeze on your cheeks, the bumps on the ground beneath your feet, the rustling of the leaves on the trees beside you. The aim isn’t necessarily to stop any thoughts, rather acknowledge passing notions and simply letting them go. No judgement, be kind to yourself. Meditation is mostly an observant practice.
It's Free!
No sign-up fee! Yep, aside from a good pair of (LIZARD) shoes and a water bottle, there's not many costs involved with going on a hike. Unlike many sports that require memberships, class fees or costly equipment, hiking is one that requires next to nothing. If you choose a route nearby where you live that also reduces any travel costs that may incur. This might encourage you to do it more often or give it a go as there's less financial investment. Bottom line – lower costs mean it's financially accessible for more people to try and reap the positives!
Blue & Green Mind
‘Blue Mind’ Theory is a term coined by Dr. Wallace Nichols, who is also an author on the subject. This term describes ‘a mildly meditative state characterised by calm, peace, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment’. This blissful state comes as a result of being in, or simply beside, any body of water. Rivers, lakes and oceans all are said to induce this feeling, whether you’re swimming, paddling or just gazing out to sea. Nichols explains that the tranquil nature of water, where movements are fluid and soft, provides low and slow stimulus for our brains. This allows our minds to rest. Our brain responds in a similar way to as if it were meditating, as we ease up on the information it is receiving and make space.
Similar findings and more were concluded from a study conducted into ‘Green Mind Theory’. A similar concept, this study used green spaces therapeutically (farms, gardens, allotments, wild spaces) and found short-term and long-term positives on all groups under mental stress and atrisk groups. Forest bathing, an ancient Japanese practice that involves intuitively and quietly moving through or sitting with trees. You simply observe your surroundings, breathing slowly and deeply. Taking note of each sense and the detail of your environment brings you to a present state of being. Paired with intentional, soothing breath is calming for the body and mind, boosts immunity and many comment they feel happier afterwards.
Keep these practices in mind when selecting your next hiking destination and perhaps pause for a little forest bathe along the way.
Become Part Of A Community
Outdoor activities like hiking can introduce us to whole new groups of people. Hike clubs, groups and organised trips give us the opportunity to meet communities of like-minded individuals for wild adventures. Social interaction is vital for human wellbeing. It is good for lightening your stress and creating feelings of happiness. Conversations and connections with people give us an important sense of inclusion and belonging and the opportunity to share how we feel with others. Whilst staving off the feelings of loneliness, socialising keeps our brains healthy, sharpens cognitive function and improves memory. The Van Monkeys collective, Tom and Amy have both stated that since joining the outdoor van-life community, they have made friends for life through their adventures. Commonality, a van and the great outdoors!
Digital Detox
Getting out in nature, whatever the activity, is a great opportunity to switch off your phone and take one of those much discussed ‘digital detoxes’. Now all this really means is turning off your mobile and other devices and keeping them off for a decided amount of time. No checking in on any social media or messages. This naturally goes hand in hand when heading out on the trails where you might not have a mobile signal anyway. Plus, you’ll be immersed in the wild world around you! Now, why the recent hype around taking a social media hiatus? The break can benefit us in a truly holistic way. Starting with the physical, it gives our bodies a rest from‘techneck’, stopping us hunching over our devices for a bit. The reduction in blue light exposure from the screens can also be beneficial to our sleep, as it can disturb your natural circadian rhythm. Van Monkeys express how “The windows are our TV screen and looking out and enjoying what we see helps us feel relaxed.”
Heavy social media time can be detrimental to our mental health. There have been direct links found with increased social media usage and experience of stress. Turning away from our online selves gives our minds some well-deserved space and opportunity to gain a bit of mental clarity. So, consider switching off your phone for a bit next time you’re heading out and see how you feel.
Unplugged is a UK based company offering digital detox cabin stays in remote locations around the country. Your private cabin includes a lock box for your phone and is kitted out with all the essentials like a map and compass, instant camera and a cassette player, all to encourage you to keep your phone untouched for the trip. They highly value the benefits of being phone-free in nature, saying it increases productivity and reduces brain fog. They recommend a three-day detox which is claimed to be enough time to break the habit of reaching for your phone. “Just bring some great food and drink, comfy shoes and good intentions.” their website suggests.
Gratitude, Mental Clarity And Perspective
It’s true. Mother nature can teach us important lessons on gratitude. The feeling of gratitude isn’t a permanent state, it’s an emotion that flows in and out based on your environment, like most emotions. A state of being that’s also relative to what you have in that moment. For example, being out on the trail or in the wild, stripped back of home comforts and being exposed to the raw, unfiltered natural world can be a grounding reminder of our place in it. It can be a beautiful time to pay respect to the land and appreciate the pure beauty around you. It is also a great headspace to tap back into when day-to-day life feels overwhelming. Gaining the perspective on the daily privileges you have can also be humbling. It’s easy to take things for granted sometimes like our friendships, home and health. Nature can provide us the headspace to draw attention to this and renew our gratitude.
Connection To Self
Alongside all the other amazing benefits discussed, it’s important to note how spending time in nature can help you nurture your relationship with yourself. As you hike you will witness the ways in which your body moves you. The ways it protects you, pushes you and adapts through the environment. Accomplishments, big or small, are opportunities to witness our resilience and build on the trust we have of our physical body. Building this trust in ourselves can feel empowering and help to boost confidence.
This means you feel good. Feeling good in yourself is obviously blissful for you, but also can benefit your relationships. You’ll be in a better headspace to support those close to you by having more patience and an increased capacity to listen and be attentive. Your positive vibes will also ripple out to those around you. As the saying ‘fill your own cup first’ alludes to; refresh and rest yourself first, to allow you to help others more effectively.
There are so many wonderful benefits to sliding your feet into some great sandals and hitting the tracks. As we have explored, we live in a world becoming more digital and virtually connected than ever before, so it may be the most important time yet to adopt an outdoors practice. Find a buddy, fill up your water bottle and get out there for life on the move! You won’t regret it.