Healthy hiking happiness

June 1, 5:38 AMFemale Friendship ExaminerDebbie Puente

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I like the gym, but a gym can't compare to nature. Hiking is great with your friends because you can solve problems and improve your cardio health, but did you know that hiking increases brain function?

I didn't know this until hiking yesterday with my buddy, Tony. Tony had heard this on the radio and I had to investigate this a little more.

It’s common sense that walking up and down hills makes your body work more efficiently. It’s less well-known how good it can be for your mental state, says John McKinney, former Los Angeles Times hiking columnist, in this article at Miller-McCune.com.

A study commissioned by the leading British mental health charity MIND, suggests hiking contributes to improved mental and emotional health. Focusing on people affected by depression, researchers from the University of Essex compared the benefits of hiking a trail through the woods, and around a lake in a nature park, to walking in an indoor shopping center. The researchers found that the hikers realized far greater benefits than the mall walkers. In fact, they found that taking a hike in the countryside reduces depression, whereas walking in a shopping center increases depression.

Personally, I find an evening hike starting at 6:00 and ending somewhere around 7:45 to be the perfect cure for my munching witching hour. So what are you waiting for? Start a hiking group! (Or join mine!)

Happy trails!