Why Hiking Is My Favourite Form of Exercise

I’m not as active as I once was, but if there’s a hike or long nature walk involved– sign me up! This is my favourite form of exercise because it does not feel like exercise. I love the smells, sights and sounds of nature so much that I hardly notice my aching feet, thighs and calves until the walk is over. And by then, I would’ve met my 10,000+ step count for the day. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Regular exercise has so many benefits that it’s a shame how society has collectively chosen to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Machines make our lives easier but have also made us less healthy. Exercise is also monetized with gyms and fancy equipment, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I prefer to get my exercise in for free outdoors. The benefits of walking are endless, especially here in Jamaica which is 50% mountainous so majority of our trails have steep inclines with additional challenge and health benefit. Here are my top 5 favourite benefits of hiking, then enjoy my 5 favourite hikes to date (and their articles!).

My 5 Favourite Benefits of Hiking

Clarendon, Jamaica

Hiking offers numerous physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Here are 20 benefits of hiking:

1. Being in nature helps clear the mind, reducing mental fatigue and enhancing focus. The tranquility of nature and physical activity together help alleviate stress, depression and anxiety, and also promotes better sleep quality.
2. Hiking is a great way to improve heart health by increasing circulation, regulating blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease.
3. It strengthens various muscles, including those in the legs, core, and back. Navigating uneven terrain challenges your stability and improves coordination and balance.
4. Hiking burns calories, making it an effective way to manage or lose weight.
5. Hiking encourages mindfulness, allowing you to be present and aware of your surroundings. Studies suggest that regular hiking helps keep the brain sharp and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

My Favourite Hikes So Far

These five hikes have special meaning to me.

• Machu Picchu: my first trip abroad after the pandemic, and my first trip abroad with my partner. We’ve now had 3 trips abroad together and visited 4 countries. It is still the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen; pictures don’t do it justice.
• Blue Mountain Peak is Jamaica’s highest peak, and its trail through cloud forest and elfin woodland is breathtakingly beautiful. Read part 1 and 2 of this adventure, and check out my guide to the Jamaican Blue Mountains and Blue Mountain coffee.
• Bull Head Mountain in Clarendon, Jamaica marks the country’s geographic centre, and I still have a hard time convincing people I took those pictures in Jamaica, ha! They look like they were taken in a North American mountain park.
• Cunha Cunha Pass is a Jamaican Maroon trail which dates back to the 1600s, and was once used as an escape route from slavery and subsequently a trade route. Now, it’s only used by adventurers like you and I, but hiking it is a great way to pay homage to my ancestors and freedom fighters who made it possible for me to enjoy the privileges and freedom I have today.
• Kwame Falls is my most spontaneous hike ever, but I’m older and more careful now. That being said, I have fond memories of this trip from when life was simpler.

I hope you enjoyed my answer to today’s daily prompt, and that it’ll encourage you to get on the trails soon. Before you go, subscribe to my blog– new posts this and every Friday! 🙂

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