Healthy Walking Habits I Made Last Year

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Healthy Walking Habits I Made Last Year

Peters Canyon in Orange, CA

One of the things I achieved in 2023 was that to have weekend walking habit.

My husband and I have been trying to go hiking every weekends since last year. At the first, the reasons why we wanted go hiking were these.

Three Reasons Why We Wanted to Go Hiking

1. To Exercise More

Hiking is great form of aerobic exercise. It gets your heart pumping and help to improve your cardiovascular system. It also good way to built stronger muscles and bones.

➡Results: We also incorporated a daily 30-minute workout routine, including squats and sit-ups. At the start of 2023, after a hike, I still experienced intense muscle soreness. However, by maintaining my daily workouts and weekend hiking, I’ve gradually noticed that I’ve developed a toned body. Moreover, I no longer experience sore muscles after most hikes. Consistent hiking seems to have adapted my muscles to the activity.

Naples Canals Loop in Long Beach, CA

2. To Have More Positive Mind

Hiking is a good for your mental health because it boost serotonin and endorphin that can help to have positive impact on mental health. Being outside boosts serotonin, and exercise boosts endorphins. Hiking makes us happier.

➡Results: We’ve noticed that hiking soothes and clears the mind. Even when we were too busy on weekends, we made sure to do at least one hour of hiking. We were surprised by how much better it made us feel and how it helped keep our minds sharper. We’ve learned how important it is to walk outside for improving mental health. Typically, we go hiking on Saturday mornings, and in addition to that, we’ve also started walking around our neighborhood for one hour on Sunday mornings.

Black Star Canyon Falls Trail in Silverado, CA

3. To Earn Points

There are many fitness apps to track your healthy activities. The more I exercise, the more points I can earn from Evidation app. (This is my referral link for Evidation app.)

➡Results: I earned $50 in total on Evidation app in 2023. It's not a lot of money but it is good enough to stay motivated to exercise. My husband has been participating in research study on Evidation app and earned hundreds of dollars.

Salt Creek to Dana Point, CA

Billy Goat Trail in Foothill Ranch, CA

Indeed, we explored many hiking areas every weekend in 2023. Surprisingly, we hadn’t realized that there were so many trails in Southern California.

Red Rock Canyon in Foothill Ranch, CA

Yosemite National Park in CA

We also went to Yosemite National Park and thoroughly enjoyed hiking amidst its stunning views. If we hadn't made hiking a weekend habit, we probably wouldn’t have appreciated it as much. We’re eager to explore more National Parks for hiking in the future.

Yosemite National Park in CA

One of the things we were surprised by during our weekend hiking habit was how much we enjoyed the sweaty exercise. I think it's because of the release of endorphins. We truly relished ascending steep trails and climbing stairs.

Hillcrest Park in Fullerton, CA

At my workplace, I eventually decided to walk up the stairs instead of taking an elevator. My coworker asked me why I stopped using the elevator. I told her that I wanted to improve my physical health and it's only 50 stairs I need to climb up to the workplace.

Treasure Island Park in Laguna Beach, CA

While hiking, we talked to each other a lot and took some photos. I used to think that time goes by so fast, but now I feel that time doesn’t fly fast when you create a lot of new memories.