Mountaineering refers to any activity that involves ascending a mountain. This can include traditional mountain climbing and skiing as well as hill-walking or trekking, which is hiking on terrain that requires no special equipment.
Mountaineering is a physically and mentally challenging activity that confers considerable benefits in terms of health and wellness—even when it only consists of a deceptively simple activity like walking up a slope with no equipment. In this article, we look at how mountaineering in general, and trekking in particular, can boost physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
Studies show that walking and climbing confer significant health benefits.
Research shows that exercise has a positive impact on the cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, immune, and endocrine systems. Individuals who participate in physical activities on a daily basis report significantly improved general health compared with non-participants.
According to a review published by Scotland’s University of Stirling, moderate-to-rigorous physical activities not only build physical strength, but reduce risk factors for certain diseases. One 2005 study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention revealed that 30 minutes of vigorous daily activity or one hour of moderate daily activity reduces the risk of developing colon cancer. Mountaineering, including trekking, meets this criterion.
Walking reduces an individual’s risk of developing numerous chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension. Mountain walking is particularly beneficial to physical and mental health, presenting a low-cost, low-impact form of exercise for individuals of all ages and capabilities. In one study, scientists looked at the impact of taking a daily walk of up to 40 minutes. The results revealed that walking increases the body's ability to process oxygen efficiently (known as VO2 max); reduces an individual’s risk of developing certain cardiovascular conditions; reduces BMI; helps participants lose weight; and lowers blood pressure.
Walking and climbing improves physical strength and health.
Walking is known to improve circulation, elevate the heart rate, and lower blood pressure, warding off heart disease. Post-menopausal women can lower their blood pressure by up to 11 points in just 24 weeks by walking just one or two miles every day.
Walking for up to 30 minutes a day also reduces a woman’s risk of stroke by 20 percent. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, if women increase the pace, this figure rises to 40 percent. According to Michael Schwartz, managing director of New York-based Plancher Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, walking can help prevent osteoporosis-related bone loss. Taking a 30 minute walk every day can reduce a post-menopausal woman’s risk of hip fracture by as much as 40 percent.
Walking for 30 minutes at a brisk pace burns around 200 calories in the average person. Mountain walking can burn even more due to its difficulty. Walking and climbing also help to tone muscle, particularly in the legs and abdomen. They also increase range of movement, shifting weight and pressure from joints to muscles, alleviating the symptoms of conditions like arthritis.
Walking can even improve a person’s breath. It increases an individual’s breathing rate, distributing oxygen faster via the bloodstream. This helps the body to eliminate waste products more quickly, improving energy levels as well as healing abilities.
Regularly participating in activities like trekking can extend a person’s lifespan. Research shows that individuals in their 50s or 60s who take regular walks can reduce their likelihood of dying within the next eight years by up to 35 percent. For those individuals who have an underlying health condition, that figure rises to 45 percent.
Mountaineering has many psychological benefits.
Walking and climbing are not just beneficial to the body. They can also help improve mental health. According to a study by California State University, the more steps a person takes each day, the better their mood. Walking has also been shown to have a positive effect on sleep patterns. Research has established that women between 50 and 75 years of age who take hour-long morning walks are less likely to have insomnia.
One study conducted by the University of California assessed the impact of walking on age-related memory decline among 6,000 women aged 65 or older. According to the team, women who walked 2.5 miles per day experienced 8 percent less memory decline in women who walked less than half a mile per week. A study by the University of Virginia Health System assessing the health of males aged between 71 and 93 revealed that walking just a quarter of a mile each day reduces men’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by up to 50 percent.
One of the benefits of mountain walking or trekking over other forms of mountaineering is that not only does it not require special equipment, but the difficulty level and distance covered are easy to control. This makes it an accessible form of exercise for individuals of all ages, including individuals who are older and who may no longer feel comfortable with more strenuous forms of mountaineering such as mountain climbing. Thus, the benefits can be realized without endangering oneself.
Mountaineering improves mental agility, self-awareness, and self-esteem.
As well as providing a full body workout, the pastime is a great stressbuster. Climbing requires focus, problem-solving, and concentration, all of which help sharpen the mind. Many individuals use the activity to escape everyday problems, forcing them to concentrate on the moment and just focus on the climb.
Climbing can also provide a huge sense of achievement, making it the ideal antidote to anxiety and depression. Climbing is a highly sociable sport, with participants developing strong friendships and trust with their climbing partners through shared experiences and challenges.
For many, mountaineering instills respect in the natural environment, sparking the urge to protect it. Spending time in unspoiled mountain wildernesses reconnects participants with natural environments. Research reveals significant correlations between exposure to nature and anger and stress reduction. With 50 percent of the world’s population inhabiting urban environments, the call to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and get back to nature has never been greater.
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