March 15, 2022
I like hiking. It’s good for me.
It’s always good to get exercise, which is why I enjoy running and rowing. But there’s something special about hiking in Nature. Sure you’re getting your daily requirement of steps (if you’re counting). But going hiking elevates the benefits a few notches more.
Think about it: what else can you do that improves your body, calms your mind, gets you some fresh air AND lets you see all kinds of animals in the wild?
My favorite hiking is walking along quiet dirt trails, listening for the far-off call of a bird or the rapid tapping of a woodpecker looking for bugs in an old tree. If you’re lucky, you get to walk along a meandering creek or look out over a small lake as the herons and ducks float on the water’s surface. You get to hear deer running through thickets, the buzz of bees, the call of geese flying overhead. And that’s just for starters.
Next time you get a chance to go for a walk, don’t just hurry around a few blocks in your neighborhood. Go to a park in your town, a state park, a trail along the river running through your city. Listen for the nature sounds and make list of what you hear and see.
Then take a deep breath and enjoy that fresh air. And repeat it soon.