Mental And Physical Health Benefits Of Walking Holidays
If you’re looking to reinvigorate your mental and physical health, then there are few better ways of doing it than with the help of a walking holiday. Of course, walking at any time is good for our health, especially walking in nature. But a walking holiday can take this to a whole new level. So, let’s take a look at a few health benefits of walking holidays and why this form of break is such a good option to choose.
Physical Health Benefits of Walking Holidays
Walking is great exercise for a number of reasons. To begin with, it will help to build your cardiovascular health. It will also help you to lose weight or tone-up, and to reduce your risk of injury – especially if you’re spending a lot of time doing another form of exercise.
If you’re overweight, then the benefits of walking are especially noteworthy. This is a low-intensity form of exercise that you can do every day. If you’re carrying a lot of extra weight, then you might feel short of breath after a few hundred paces – but this is just a sign that you’re getting a good workout.
Be consistent – since regular walking also confers another important benefit: it will help you to live longer by driving down the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
And just to stress at this stage, there are walking holidays available for people with all levels of fitness. When you book your first holiday, unless you are a regular walkwer, be sure to book one described as easy!
Mental Wellbeing and Stress Reduction
Walking, like all forms of exercise, also helps to improve your mood by releasing feel-good endorphins. It’s therefore a great antidote to long-term mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
What makes a walking holiday even more beneficial is the environment you’ll be walking through. A number of studies have demonstrated the power of time spent in nature when it comes to boosting clarity and emotional well-being.
Accessible Walking Holidays in the UK
Walking is something that just about everyone can get into, whatever your level of fitness. Plus, you can also choose between self-guided, guided walking or a guided group options.
Self-guided walking provided the greatest flexibility allowing you to choose where you want to go and what you want to see. And perhaps best of all, you travel when you want to. You’ll be provided with comprehensive route directions and detailed maps, and when you decide you want to move to your next hotel along the route, your luggage will be waiting for you.
Maybe a small group of friends and family fancy a walking holiday together. In this instance, you’ll get a local guide dedicated to supporting your private party. Or choose a group walking holiday if you are looking to meet new friends along the way.
Walking holidays in the UK might allow you to avoid the hassle of international travel. They also tend to be cost-effective, which means you can go for more of them in a given year. And, of course, UK walking holidays are one of the most sustainable holiday options you can choose.
Social Connections and Community Building
Going for a long hike in the countryside also confers an additional benefit: it allows you to build new relationships with those hiking alongside you. This might mean saying hello to the people you meet along the way, or strengthening a social bond with a friend or a family member. You might find that you naturally feel close to a person you’ve been walking with, even if you barely say a word to one another.
Since our social habits are so pivotal in shaping our mental health outcomes, this is a benefit of walking that’s difficult to discount!
Conclusion
There are numerous different types of walking holidays suitable for people of all abilities. And you’ll be walking in nature amongst some of the most beautiful scenery the UK has to offer.
It’s easy to see why there are so many health benefits of walking holidays!