Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

When I’m exercising at the gym (or on my treadmill at home), it really feels like there is only one reward, the benefits of exercise. When I’m outside hiking, there are so many benefits that I can barely list them all. When I am hiking in the Wasatch Mountains, I forget that I’m exercising. Suddenly, the huge incline isn’t just a setting on my treadmill. It’s a mountain I have to conquer. Here are just a few of the rewards that hiking has to offer:

• Exercise seems less difficult: This can be a two-edged sword, because when I get back from my hike, I usually end up sore for a couple of days. I don’t feel the extra effort when I’m out hiking, but I certainly feel it the next day.

• There’s a reason for the exercise: All exercise has a reason, but when you’re hiking up a trail, there is a destination in mind, such as the end of the trail, or maybe you want to go as far as the waterfall. Whatever the destination, there usually is one, which makes exercise seem more important.

• It can be social: You can bring your family and have one of those family memories that last for years. It wasn’t just exercise, it was a reason to get together.

• You get to see pretty stuff: Instead of watching television or staring at the wall while I exercise, I see all sorts of beautiful and interesting things, when I’m hiking. For an example of this, read about Tom Mangan’s most recent hike: Two-Heel Drive: Latest hike: Portola Redwoods State Park.

• You feel like you went on an adventure: I don’t know about you, but I don’t go on the trails in my area very often. Even though they are only a few minutes’ drive, I tend to just exercise at home more often than not. When I do go on a hike, I end up feeling like I had an adventure, even though it only took me a couple minutes longer to drive there than to drive to the gym.

If you are feeling like you are bored with your exercise routine, plan a hiking trip next weekend. Find the trails that are near your town and take a hike. You’ll feel refreshed and come home with a camera full of interesting pictures. If you do, please share them here.