More and more people are becoming interested in exercise and fitness, the industry has continued to expand, and a lot of individuals are now choosing to go on activity based vacations such as walking holidays. They offer a huge range of health benefits, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels. Here are some of the main associated health benefits of going on a walking holiday.
They help to promote positive mental health & wellbeing – A lot of people fail to realise the benefits of walking in relation to their mental health, it not only benefits your body physically, it also helps to improve your mood and boost the release of feel good hormones such as endorphins. Psychologists and mental health expert alike always recommend exercise as one of the best ways to improve your mental state, especially if it is done outdoors. After finishing a walking in Greece holiday, or a trek in Scotland, you’ll feel fully recharged, ready to face whatever comes your way in the future. Completing a difficult walking trail in a foreign country gives you a sense of accomplishment, achieving your goals is a great way to improve your mental health.
It helps individuals to control their weight – If you’ve just come through the busy holiday period around Christmas and New Year’s, chances are you’ve probably eaten a little more than you should, you may also have added a few inches to your waistline in the process. A great way to reduce your body weight is to embark on a walking holiday, the American College of Sports Medicine agrees that walking every day for at least 30 minutes helps to increase your metabolism, this results in your body burning more calories at an increased rate. The more calories you burn, the more weight you lose. Walking holidays allow you to enjoy some magnificent scenery and wildlife, it helps you to exercise without realising you are doing so.
Walking helps to maintain a healthy heart – Several people go to the gym and consistently do weight training, without concentrating too much on aerobic exercises. Aerobic workouts like walking are excellent for lowering your resting heart rate, a lowered heart rate means a stronger heart. Your heart is the most important organ in your body, it is also a muscle, which must be trained on a regular basis. Here are some of the top aerobic exercises for maintaining a healthy heart.
- Walking
- Hiking
- Running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Playing sports such as football, tennis, basketball etc.
Walking is not only good for your heart, it is also considered a low impact physical activity, meaning it doesn’t put a lot of strain on weight bearing joints such as your ankles and knees.
Some of the benefits mentioned above are only a small sample of the many associated with walking holidays, they help to improve your mental state, they are highly recommended by medical professionals, they help maintain a healthy heart and walking is great for regulating your body weight.
