Why Everyone Should Hike At Least Once In Their Life

I won’t pretend to know your life story. I don’t know how you’ve ended up on this page. But whether you hate hiking, nature, exercise, the outdoors, or think something else is holding you back, I’m here to ask you to try hiking. Just once. At least once. Even if you have a physical handicap, you can hike (there are accessible trails!), so there’s almost no excuse*.

Maybe you are already an avid hiker, and you’ve still ended up here – fantastic! Share this post with the hiking partner you’ve always wanted to have but could never convince 😉 Heck, even if you don’t want someone for a hiking partner, share it with them anyway! It’ll be good for their journey.

Oh, another thing I’d like to preface with – this list isn’t your average “why hiking is good for you” post. It’s much better. It has ten solid reasons for a one-time hiker that can also be translated to repeat hikers. There are also pretty darn unique if I do say so myself (maybe because I’m not afraid of talking about bodily functions!). So do please read on for some serious benefits you’ll notice of you hike, and why everyone should hike at least once in their life.

*Obviously, being bed-bound or something is different, and I am not shaming anyone who can’t hike for any unmentioned reason. This post and claim is very generalized!

Why You Should Hike: It Gives You an Incredible Sense of Accomplishment

I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures of people standing victoriously on top of a mountain – there’s a reason for that! People who summit a mountain, or even finish a nearly level hike, are incredibly proud of themselves! As they should be, because out bodies allow us to do incredible things. So, if for no other reason, you should hike at least once because you’ll understand the sense of accomplishment completing a hike fosters.

This effect can be especially profound if you’ve been teetering on hiking – or doing any sort of movement – because you’ve gotten out and done! Maybe you’ve worked through the anxiety, self-doubt, or low motivation! Or maybe you’ve finally found a place or person to have the perfect hike with. Regardless, it’s a wonderful feeling to finish a hike – and if you decide to continue hiking, that feeling is magnified with each time you choose another trail.

Why You Should Hike: Bragging Rights

Building off the sense of accomplishment, you’ll have bragging rights forever with your friends who may or may not be hikers. When they talk about wanting to get out in nature or be athletic, you’ll always have that story of the time you finished that awesome hike. Trust me, in the right groups that can be seriously annoying but fun! It’s like the person who took a gap year and brings it up whenever they can ;).

If you choose to go on a particularly rigorous hike, you can boost your bragging rights that way too! Especially if your friend group is considerably made up of non-hikers.

Why You Should Hike: See the Waterfall from a Different Angle

This point is fairly self-explanatory, but some of you might not realize how different waterfalls look from the top vs the bottom – or that there are different hikes for each! It depends where you go hiking, but take Dill Falls near Brevard, NC for example.

Dill Falls lies two miles down a dirt road, which ends in an unmarked parking area. Luckily, this unmarked area has two distinct trails that go to two different areas of the Falls – Upper Dill Falls and Dill Falls. Each trail (while both short) lead to two different views of the Falls, but they are equally as beautiful. This hike is unique in how short it is to see both views, but for many others it’s a longer hike to get to the top of bottom!

Why You Should Hike: See the View from a New Perspective

This point is similar to seeing a waterfall differently. You should hike at least once in your life because you can also see the world from a different perspective! Whether you hike to a cliff overlook or a mountain-top, you may be surprised what you’ll find. An expanse of trees (Blue Ridge Parkway), a lake of blue (Blue Lakes in Colorado). Maybe both at the same time (nearly any mountain in Switzerland!)! Perhaps you prefer a city view – that’s possible too (think hiking to the Hollywood sign).

I mean, you could just drive somewhere and see the view. But then you lose out on the other benefits I’ve mentioned… And it’s often not the same view!

Why You Should Hike: Move Through Constipation

Yup, I went there. Movement is well-known and documented to help with bodily functions. So, if you are looking for an excuse to go on your first hike, ask yourself when the last time you went to the bathroom was! If it’s been a while (heck, even if it hasn’t), hiking can help… well, smooth things out?

Even if you aren’t having bathroom troubles, hiking can help stomach aches, cramps, too-full tummies, and more. Pretty incredible, right? Another great reason to try hiking.

Why You Should Hike: You Might Find a New Hobby

Seriously. You see all these reasons to go on an initial hike! Those benefits really build, and it can be a fabulously fun hobby. Perhaps you don’t have time for a new hobby? Maybe you can add a day of hiking in nature during your holiday! Anytime you can squeeze hiking in counts.

P. S. Did I mention the endorphins that are released when you go hiking? Hobbies help calm you and make you feel better overall, so hiking fits perfectly!

Why You Should Hike: It Can Clear Your Mind

Maybe you are stressed. Overwhelmed. Work deadlines, assignment deadlines, theses looming, racism, sexism… seriously. The world can be overwhelming. Sometimes, this manifests itself in small frustrations throughout the week – an angry reaction to a quick question, an ignored text, even a cleaning spree over a small spill.

With technology more prevalent and accessible than ever, these feeling are arguably closer to the surface than before. We have constant access to harrowing world and local news, which seems both too personal and intangible. Combined with our own personal lives, it’s understandable that our minds might get a little foggy.

Even if you don’t think any of the aforementioned situations apply to you, I’m willing to bet the small things in life get to you sometimes. Studying for a test. Creating a lesson plan. Even driving somewhere. All these things that contribute to fog can be remedied – or at least lightened – by hiking!

Hiking is an incredible form of self-care that combines staying in the present moment, movement, centering, nature, and connection. You can also avoid rumination by thinking about what your feet and body are doing or focusing on the breath or cadence of the hike.

Why You Should Hike: It Can Inspire You or Promote Creativity

All my creators out there – writers, artists, composers, designers, teachers, producers, developers, investors, builders, and all over masterminds of your craft. That infamous mental block is well-known amongst creatives. And most creatives known a few great ways to overcome that block, from just creating something no matter how bad (or what) it is to changing your environment.

But how about hiking? You’ll change your environment, get some blood moving, and can create something if you take a few photos. All the top tips in one! Where do you think the idea and half of these points came from – BINGO! Hiking.

This point also utilizes other benefits of hiking at least once in your life – a mood boost, refocus, and new perspectives can stimulate ideas for awesome output.

Why You Should Hike: It’s Cheap Travel

Okay, for someone who gets into hiking it might not be the cheapest thing – you may eventually buy special shoes, packs, bottles, clothes, or poles. But none of these are completely necessary when you hike, and it can be considerably cheaper travel than jetting off to different countries every week.

Things like food, lodging, gas or plane tickets, and fees for attractions quickly add up when you travel. However, many of these expenses can be cut or reduced when you choose hiking, especially if you hike locally.

You can easily take a few hour (or less) drive to a nearby trail in most places around the world, and these trails are often free. If you happen to live near a National Park, you can buy a yearly pass (America the Beautiful in the United States) that’s relatively inexpensive compared to flights and hotels. Plus, if you travel through your local area, you probably won’t have to spend much on lodging or food because you’ll be near home! If you do choose to go a little farther from home, you can camp near trails for cheaper than a hotel room. Some parks and forests even have free roadside camping if you don’t mind no shower or water (make sure to stop at a store before this option!).

This way of travel not only allows you to see the world, albeit in a different way than country hopping, it also doesn’t hurt your wallet too much.

Why You Should Hike: It’s Cheap Movement

Again, for someone who gets into hiking and buys all the gear may disagree with this statement, but when you think about it, it is an inexpensive form of exercise. $100 per month is the lower average of a gym membership (very general), which tallies in at $1200 per year (excluding any taxes, fees, or joining costs).

Hiking can be completely free! But even if you buy some equipment because I’ve thoroughly convinced you that everyone should go hiking at least once in their life (and continue after that), I guarantee it’s still cheaper.

I’ll use a combination of more expensive and average options for an example (basically, what I have purchased). I bought a more expensive pair of shoes because I have leg, knee, and thigh problems. That was about $200. I got two pairs of hiking socks to go with them, at about $30. A few months later, I invested in average hiking poles around $40 (although these can be hundreds). I already had plenty of exercise clothing, but if you feel you need to purchase specialty items, let’s round a few tops and bottoms to $200 (FYI, this cost would arguably be in the gym expense too!). Altogether, that’s considerably lower than a gym membership.

But again, most people don’t even need to input these costs! More advanced or experienced hikers choose to later in their journey for a variety of reasons, but a first-time hiker probably doesn’t need these expenses.

So, have I convinced you that you should hike at least once in your life? Let me know what the tipping point was, or what’s still holding you back in the comments! And if you already hike and love/hate it, tell me what your favorite point was! Or add one if you think of more 🙂 I look forward to hearing from you, and if you want more travel conversations, follow me on Instagram @rainbowtravellife or on Facebook by the same name (just click on one of the social media buttons!).

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