Today's trendy trainers tout high-intensity workouts, but few are quick to admit that the fast and furious approach doesn't work for everyone.
"Unfortunately, in today's environment a lot of what we see in the media is about going as hard as you can, as quick as you can," said Anthony Wall, director of professional development for the American Council on Exercise.
All-in workouts surely have their place, but if it's not where you live, that doesn't mean you're a fitness failure. A recent study in the American Heart Association's journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found that moderate cardiovascular endurance exercises like walking, and vigorous exercises, like running or spinning, produce similar health benefits.
Have a sense of adventure? Kick it up a notch by taking your walks to parks and trails, and then you can call it hiking. Science and hikers agree that the activity provides health benefits, inside and out. Here are four research-backed reasons to hit the trail:
• Hiking lets you take control of your workout.
You can chart your own course: Is it a slowly inclining scenic trail or a steep trek up a mountain? And you set your own pace and distance, as well. Whether you decide on an afternoon hike, a weekend in the woods, or a long distance experience, you aren't listening to a bossy spin teacher nagging you to crank it up.
• Hiking tones everything.
Straight-up walking can get your gluteals, quadriceps and shins in better shape, but taking on sharp inclines, using trekking poles to propel you forward and clambering over rocks gives your body an all-over workout.
"Physiologically, you're going to work your whole body, and especially the lower body -- namely the quads, glutes and hamstrings," Wall said. "If you're carrying a pack, then you're going to challenge the strength and endurance of your upper body as well."
• Hiking with a buddy adds camaraderie to cardio.
A study published in Biology Letters found that group exercise heightened pain threshold, suggesting a surge in an athlete's best friend: brain chemicals associated with confident well-being.
Aside from in-the-moment happiness, hiking helps build long-term friendships that keep you accountable to your fitness. A regular weekend meet-up or a planned long-distance trek can help you forge bonds while you shape up. Even better, interaction with the larger hiking community encourages a hiker to engage with the workout as a lifestyle rather than a chore, which will make you more likely to stick with it for the long haul.
• Hiking improves mood.
According to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology, outdoor exercise is linked to "greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression, and increased energy."
For those with desk jobs and 40-hour work weeks, getting outside provides a mental reset. "The mental benefits of hiking will enhance the experience and can definitely have a tremendous benefit on your psyche when you come back -- back home, or back to the office," Wall said.
ActiveStyle on 09/01/2014