Hiking and Backpacking
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived"
--Henry David Throeau, Walden, "Where I lived, and What I Lived For"
In our tech saturated culture, it's easy to feel disconnected
Nature promotes healing. A typical hiking or backpacking excursion:
- Promotes a healthy lifestyle
- Burns an average of 4,000 calories per day
- Has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety
- Stimulates the release of endorphins which increase the body's threshold for pain and affects mood
- Assists in the prevention of osteoporosis due to its weight bearing activity
- Fosters better cardiovascular health
- Increases awareness of the natural environment
- Improves team building skills and fosters therapeutic alliance
- Allows for an emotional cleansing from the artificiality of the world
- Offers opportunities to connect socially with others
Tags: mental health, stress coping, adventure, backpacking, benefits, nature deficit disorder
