Camping for Better Health
With just some basic equipment and a positive attitude, you can camp your way to a healthier lifestyle – and have fun at the same time!
We all know how important cardiovascular exercise is for general health. Hiking is an excellent way to get your heart pumping, and camping near a trailhead makes it easy to increase your hiking mileage. Wake up, roll out of your tent, eat your breakfast, and hit the trail. Most campgrounds have easy access to trails of varying difficulty, so you can tailor your day hikes to your personal fitness level and goals.
What if you are more of a couch potato than a hiker? The great thing about camping is that you can trick yourself into getting a cardio workout! If you are staying at a developed campground, select a campsite that is furthest from the facilities. This ensures you will have to cover some ground on foot every day. Take routes that require you to walk uphill, maximizing your cardio workout. If you can, choose campsites that are “walk-in,” not “drive-up.” That way, you’ll get to walk back and forth to your vehicle several times as you set up.
Camping is good for your mental health, too. Many of us have stressful lives filled with busy schedules, traffic jams, and ringing telephones. The sights and sounds of nature are soothing and restorative. Sitting in a green forest grove or watching a flock of birds fly by helps your brain reset to a calmer, healthier state. Listening to a babbling brook can lull you into a deep, refreshing sleep. Worries about work fade away as you sit by the campfire and feel the warmth on your skin. Camping gives you a break from your day-to-day life and lets you really relax.
We all know that the better you feel, the better you look. The physical and mental health benefits of camping add up to make a more beautiful you. As you become more physically fit and less mentally stressed, it shows in your body. Camping can help give you that special glow.
Speaking of glow, don’t forget to bring adequate lighting when you set out to spend the night in the great outdoors. As part of your gear preparation, make sure you bring a variety of lights with you. A good flashlight is essential. A headlamp is worth its weight in gold when you need both hands free to rummage through your gear bag in the dark. And for sitting around the picnic table playing cards, a battery-powered fluorescent lantern is just the ticket. If you will be gone for an extended period, or camping in a particularly remote location, consider investing in a lantern that is powered by a hand crank. It is reassuring to have a light source that will work even if your batteries run out.
With proper preparation and a little planning ahead, camping can play an important role in improving your physical and mental health. So get out there and get camping – just don’t forget to turn off the light before you turn in for the night!