The Benefits of Moving Your Body Outside in Nature

My wife and I recently returned from a trip that included seven days backpacking/hiking and tent sleeping in the mountains. What made that a little unusual is that neither one of us are campers, and we’ve never done a multi-day backpacking trip. We walk a lot, run a bit, and get regular vigorous gym exercise – but this was different. 

1. Walking along narrow, rocky, tree-rooty, twisting, steep up and down trails over 10-20 km per day with weight on your back is really challenging.

2. Once committed to and started, there is really only one option – to keep going. We had campsites at specific locations each night – we had to get there. 

3. The shared experience, with people met along the trail, was as fulfilling as the physical achievement of reaching camp each day. That made it really fun. 

In a Canadians and the Outdoors StatsCan review, of the seven out of 10 who participated in outdoor activities, 44% stated hiking or backpacking were their first choice. Even 41% those who self-reported poor health participated in regular outdoor or wilderness activities. 

In this article, I want to drill down into why this very accessible, low cost, personal and social activity is SO valuable for health maintenance and longevity. 

Hiking on trails is far different than regular walking – the dog, to work, or to the corner store. With the added weight of a pack or knapsack, you have to stay focused on every step. Walking on uneven ground, especially if there are also roots, rocks, puddles or streams requires many millions, maybe billions of decisions. While most reports highlight the benefits to the heart, lungs, muscles, and joints, I think there is another system that is forgotten. Let me explain. 

Walking, but more so hiking, requires intense coordination of the feeling (sensory) and action (motor) parts of the nervous system. Remember, your brain is in a closed box – it depends on information from many sources to help it make decisions. Sensory inputs include your eyes, balance, ears, skin for temperature, and pressure from various parts of the body (especially your lower limbs and feet.) When activating your legs, arms, and trunk and other muscles to walk and watch where you are going, certain muscles are contracted while others are relaxed – all smoothly. That requires billions of electrical messages to be sent and received as you move. 

Every time a nerve or connection is used, it needs to consume energy to recharge, to be ready for the next signal. In order for muscles to relax, they consume energy pumping chemicals inside and outside cells and fibers. If you slip on loose ground, reflexes need to rapidly respond to the sensation by contracting extra muscle to prevent falling. 

When using hiking poles for stability and balance, you need to also include the shoulders and arms in the same processes. Each pole plant requires decisions. In addition, your trunk muscles are constantly adjusting to keep you balanced and upright. You will do all this for one, two or many more hours. Hiking is a whole-body activity. 

I have not mentioned the bones, joints, heart, blood vessels, lungs, and the benefits for all those, as well as the rest of the body. Depending on body and backpack weight, hiking speed and grade of trails, you can expect to use 300 – 500 calories per hour. That’s A LOT of energy. 

The brain requires 20% of our blood volume every time the heart beats, despite being only 2% of our body weight. Exercise increases that proportion. Considering the very busy brain and spinal cord activity orchestrating safe movement along a hiking trail, that level of energy usage makes sense. There are many studies that show that increased blood flow and increased whole brain use may reduce the incidence of dementia and rate of other cognitive changes. Hiking is an excellent way to ‘use it or lose it.’ 

Other than some good shoes or boots, poles, and a backpack that can distribute weight to your waist and shoulders, hiking can be very low cost, is a whole body and brain activity, and can be done anywhere, but ideally in a natural setting along trails that are uneven. Be prepared to focus only on what you are doing – mindfully, in the moment – as there will be little extra brain capacity to be worrying about other issues. It is a fun social outing, and connects you with Nature, which is another ‘natural’ health benefit.