Morning Hikes to Clear Your Mind

If you are lucky enough to live in a place with hiking trails, it really is one of my favorite ways to get some exercise.

I’ve said before in a previous post that I don’t really enjoy working out. But one of the things I like to do is go for a nice hike.

In Los Angeles, there is a place called Runyon Canyon. It actually is kind of scene-y so I really don’t like going on weekends or later in the day when it is packed or full of people.

But my favorite time to go is right when the sun rises, it is cool, empty and best of all I can find parking.

I really enjoy going, because there are so many benefits to this and when I go at 6am it really clears my mind.

• Because hiking is a weight-bearing exercise — you’re moving against gravity while staying upright — it boosts bone density and helps combat osteoporosis
• Hiking is also good for muscle strength. The activity targets your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower leg muscles
• It works your shoulders, strengthens your core, and improves balance.
• And hiking can help you control your weight
• It’s also a powerful mood booster. “Research shows that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety,” says Gregory A. Miller, PhD, president of the American Hiking Society

You can see on the Nike+ app the route that I walk. Now I walk, not run, when I go here. I take my time and it takes me about an hour to do 3.5-4 miles. Here I am using the Nike+ app, you can download it and it tracks your workouts using GPS. 

I walk up the left side first and go all the way to the top. Then I come back down and where it splits, I go down the other way, not the way that I came up. So when I’m finished, I’ve pretty much done an entire circle plus some.

If you don’t hike or think it is too hard, there is an easy route to take. When you head there, take a look at the map and just pace yourself. There are elderly and pregnant people walking it all the time, if they can do it you can too.

You get in about an hour of cardio while toning your legs because you are walking at an incline and some points are pretty steep. The next day I can totally feel it in my legs. Plus it is a great alternative to working out indoors or running in place.

If you are in Los Angeles or visiting I would try this out. It is fun to go with friends to talk it makes the time pass by but for me, I prefer to go alone. It really makes me feel good after and the view from the top is beautiful.