One of the best ways to share leisure time and sports with our family and friends, and also share their healthy benefits, is to go hiking : an enjoyable activity, which allows us to enjoy nature and is also suitable for all ages and all physical conditions, as long as we choose an appropriate route.

The benefits of this physical activity, both physically and mentally, are numerous. We talk about the benefits of hiking and we give you some tips so that your trips to the countryside or the mountains are perfect.

The benefits of hiking

Hiking ( trekking if we practice it on the mountain) is an aerobic activity that benefits our circulatory system . By practicing trekking we strengthen our heart, something that can help us to prevent possible cardiac pathologies and to keep our blood pressure at optimum values.

Our muscles and bones are also benefited by this activity. In the case of muscles, those who work most are those of the lower train with special emphasis on quadriceps and buttocks, especially if we include ups and downs in our route . The bones are also strengthened and increase their bone density, something especially important in the case of women in order to prevent osteoporosis.

Being an outdoor activity that is usually practiced in the countryside or in the mountains, hiking also encourages us to breathe air much purer than the city and avoid our many daily obligations, giving us a break (never better said) both physical and mental.

Some tips to make your outings a success

• Plan the departure in advance: it’s not about going out into the field and starting to see how far we get. It is necessary that we take into account who we are going to participate in the exit (especially if we have in the group with older people or with children) and that we choose a suitable route for all. It does not need to be too hard or too long, since the objective of this type of outings is, more than anything, to enjoy the moment.
• Take with you water and food: if we choose to make an established route, we will probably find fountains or streams along the way where we can get water. But it never hurts to carry our own provisions with us. To eat along the way, nuts such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts are very practical , which will give us energy and keep us sated for a long time.
• Protect yourself from the sun properly: the days of very hot weather begin to arrive and, if we go out to the countryside or to the mountain without sun protection, we can end up coming home with burns or sunstroke. Always protect your head with a hat or handkerchief and always do the same with children and elderly people. Apply sunscreen on all parts of the body that remain in the air with special emphasis on the shoulders, ears, nose and neckline, where the skin is delicate and is very exposed to the sun.
• Always carry a small kit with you: it does not take up much space in your backpack and can be very useful in the case of small wounds. Make sure that in a waterproof bag you carry strips, tape, sterile gauze and material to clean wounds such as hydrogen peroxide or betadine. It also does not hurt to put some glucose pills or gels or some salt pills .
• Do not forget your mobile phone: we always think that nothing can happen to us, but it is better to prevent than to cure. Always carry your mobile phone with you in order to call in case of emergency: if we get lost, if a partner or we suffer a fall or injury or any unforeseen event, it is best to notify the emergency services so they can tell us how to act . A fully charged spare battery is also convenient.

With all this, we can go out to enjoy the mountain or the countryside and spend a day of sport with our whole family.