Find out why hiking is the best hobby for all age groups, and why you should start hiking right away and feast your body and mind on the trail closest to you.

Just 5? Many hiking enthusiasts will sneer at this figure ’cause let’s face it – there are so many benefits to this unique activity that make it a popular hobby. One might argue that hiking is the perfect hobby for all ages, but let’s try and look at this activity from a couch potato point of view and discover what makes hiking so appealing and difficult to say no to, no matter how hard it may sometimes be to separate from our favorite chair.

Couch potato mood vs hiking – is it worth getting up?

All you want to do is relax, not move a muscle, guilt-free, watching your favorite show, stuffing your face with all those snacks you got during the weekend shopping just for this special moment. Sure, your back hurts a bit but you’ll switch sides in a minute.

It’s getting difficult to go anywhere on foot since you run easily out of breath but luckily you have your car and you don’t mind the exhaust fumes when the windows are closed and the air-conditioning’s on. 

Sometimes you wonder at how other people have so much energy and you reminisce about the days when you were young, even though you are in your early 30s.

Is it a state of mind or a state of your body, or perhaps both? 

You feel like you should do more but it all seems complicated and unnecessary after a hard week’s work, when you feel spent, mentally and physically. 

The perfect hobby – why you should start hiking today! 

What is the least difficult thing you could do to spice things up? What do you do at night when you feel hungry or really need to pee? You take a nice, short walk, or a stroll (depending on the urgency and the size of your apartment) to the desired destination. Now let’s imagine you were to take a risk every once in a while, and take that nice stroll in different scenery, with your friends, family, or perhaps even alone. Let’s discuss some of the reasons why such an endeavor may be just what you need and see if hiking is the best hobby for you.

The shortness of breath, the random ailments, the fatigue…all of these quirky symptoms will eventually disappear without you even noticing after a few hikes. We all know that walking is beneficial for your health, and hiking allows you to choose the trail that suits you best, based on the scenery you prefer or the difficulty of the hike you can handle. 

Choose a flat trail through the woods, get scared by unusual sounds of birds, bugs, and other wildlife that don’t live in your car and you’ll feel thankful for going on a hike as this healthy helper will make you breathe easier and tone the muscles you didn’t even know you had through a strength training you didn’t even notice.

Are you a loner, a party animal or a family person? 

Hiking can be a sociable activity, but you are also free to huff and puff on your own, and a hike can even help you avoid family gatherings since you have someplace important to be out of town for a day or two. 

Should you choose to go hiking alone, make sure people know where you’re going and that your spare battery is fully juiced so that you can get back nice and safe, no matter how experienced a hiker you are (yes, I am referring to the movie “127 hours” and if you haven’t seen it yet or heard the story at least, make sure you take the aforementioned precautions). 

It is always a good idea to rely on a knowledgeable guide to help you explore the surroundings and make sure you’re safe and you have everything you need to be able to relax and take it all in at your own pace.

If the physical and the sociable aspects of hiking as a hobby haven’t won you over, but you still feel like you are missing something in your free time, you should bear in mind that hiking, unlike other activities is easy, budget-friendly, and fully personalized activity. 

Wherever you go or travel, you are bound to come across an interesting trail that may be just what you need at that moment. Put on a pair of comfortable shoes/boots/sneakers/sandals and you can choose to go for a hike and come back whenever you have a spare moment or whenever you feel like it. 

A power bar and some water are recommended as they will make your hike more comfortable, but all you really need to take up this amazing hobby is the will to get up and go out from time to time. 

Apart from improving your physical well-being and giving you the opportunity to meet new people, bond with friends, and spark up your daily routine, hiking as the best hobby also takes care of your mental health. Just like any physical activity helps release endorphins, hiking will inevitably make you happy and instantly lift your mood. Science says so!

You will also have some time to unwind and think about nothing if that is what you want. Clear your mind and let the stress melt away as your body pulls you forward to the goal that you’ve set. 

If, on the other hand, you need ideas or a new perspective on a burning issue, hiking is known to boost creative thinking as it elevates your senses in a natural surrounding and gives you a new outlook in a refreshing environment.

Remember seeing that breathtaking photo of the magnificent sunset behind golden autumn forest leaves on Instagram? And envying the people who enjoyed this special moment? 

Now you can be one of them!

We constantly admire such photos and the experiences of the people behind the camera when that same view maybe just an hour away from your home. You no longer need to be a bystander and wistfully look at that sunset charm, asking yourself what it would feel like to visit such an amazing place for once. 

Nature leaves no one indifferent, and you cannot escape its charms once you start exploring it. It will pull you in, make you come back for more and it will keep all its promises. 

It’s love at first sight that grows stronger after each date and hike.     

 The best hobby reflects who you are.

The best hobby doesn’t make you adapt – it adapts to your needs, and you will change and grow with every single step if you decide to take up hiking. Change the pace and challenge yourself with each new hike until that show you enjoyed so much from the comfort of your couch becomes bleak and boring compared to the new memories and experience you have gained. 

Are you ready to start hiking? 

Are you at least thinking about it?

💙