Hiking is one of those things that just has countless benefits and I wish more people would take advantage of that, especially people who live in an area where the opportunity is right in their back yard. The endless health benefits alone should get people interested! Hiking lowers your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, improves fitness, improves the health of your heart and lungs, lowers your risk of high cholesterol and various types of cancers, reduces depression and risk of early death, helps with weight loss improves your quality of sleep...the list goes on. Hiking is cheap! All you really need is some suitable clothing which you likely already own, a good pair of hiking boots (or even just decent shoes, depending on the hike), and at most, a day pass to hike the area. However, the most important reasons aren't because it's affordable or because it's healthy because honestly, there are other things that are cheap and good for your health.
There are other things that hiking can offer you that most activities can't. Each time I go on a hike I experience a unique perspective. When you're at the summit or at a lookout, you see things from a perspective that you likely haven't before. Sometimes you can see places you've been that you've never seen from above, buildings that seemed huge now seem miniscule. But most importantly, being at the top always makes me realize how tiny I am. It makes me realize how beautiful and vast the world is, and how I'm but a tiny speck. Another benefit is that it simply builds your confidence. If you set out to reach the summit of a particular hike and you get to the top, it's one of the most rewarding feelings. You accomplished what you set out to do and you get to drop your pack, take a seat, and soak in an incredible view in the company of your friends, or what's even better sometimes, soak it in by yourself.
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