{"id":7835,"date":"2015-05-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/five-great-trail-activities-and-their-health-benefits\/"},"modified":"2015-05-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-05-21T00:00:00","slug":"five-great-trail-activities-and-their-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/five-great-trail-activities-and-their-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Great Trail Activities and Their Health Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on Jan. 17, 2015, on Rails-to-Trails Conservancy\u2019s national <\/em>TrailBlog<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you are looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle, consider the old belief that it takes 21 days to form a habit. While some hold it to be true, research shows that it takes consistent work and commitment to form great habits.<\/p>\n

When it comes to being physically active, trails provide a wide range of outdoor activities to keep us motivated year-round, and as a member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, we appreciate year-round motivation. Each activity has unique pluses; the key is to find one that’s right for you (and of course, mix it up, too)!<\/p>\n

Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\n

Walk It Off<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/a>: Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low- to moderate-impact exercise like walking. Brisk walking burns as many calories as jogging for the same distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone. Also, low impact means it\u2019s easier on joints and tendons.<\/p>\n

Run for Your Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/a><\/span>: Did you know that running helps lower your blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of your arteries? It also maximizes your lungs\u2019 potential and keeps them strong and powerful, strengthens your heart and helps prevent heart attacks. Fun fact: The heart of an inactive person beats 36,000 more times each day than that of a runner.<\/p>\n

Healthy Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/a>: No surprise here that biking is great for strengthening and toning muscles\u2014especially our legs and backside! It can also be an effective way to prevent and manage various conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, while increasing our energy levels and helping us manage stress and pain. And did you know? It\u2019s good for the prevention and reduction of arthritis.<\/p>\n

Get Inline, and Let’s Roll<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/a>: When compared with walking and biking, inline skating and rollerblading sometimes fly under the radar, but they do offer some unique health benefits. For example, they are better for developing specific hip and thigh muscles\u2014and they\u2019re more effective than biking, in particular, for targeting the hamstrings. Also, these low-impact activities have been found to cause less than 50 percent of the impact shock to joints than running. They have also been found to provide a better aerobic workout than biking, because with biking, it\u2019s easier to coast.<\/p>\n

Pole Position<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits<\/a><\/span>: Cross-country skiing requires us to use a large number of muscle groups at one time, depending on the type of technique used (diagonal stride vs. double-pole technique, for example), making it a great strengthening and endurance activity. The use of ski poles to propel oneself down the trail also means that naturally, it\u2019s a much more intense upper-body workout than walking or running. Of course, you\u2019ve got to have snow. But \u201cweather permitting,\u201d it\u2019s a great calorie burner.<\/p>\n

For just a moment, let’s assume that the 21-day habit does exist. The good news is that if you have a bad day on say, day 20, it won\u2019t set you back to day 1! It\u2019s okay to fall off the wagon now and again. We all do. Just get back on it and keep going. Don\u2019t focus on your failures and self-criticism; instead, celebrate each and every success (no matter how small) and continue on the path to a healthier you!<\/p>\n

Elissa Southward is <\/em>Rails-to-Trails<\/em><\/a><\/span> Conservancy\u2019s Healthy Communities Manager. She is originally from California and has a Ph.D. in Exercise and Health Sciences from the University of Bristol in England.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to read more about fun ways to balance your energy out, take a gander at these other Together Counts articles!<\/strong><\/p>\n