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Works Your Legs From All Angles

Most hikes involve climbing up a big hill or even a mountain, then coming back down, a combo that's a great workout for your legs and one of the biggest benefits of hiking. "Trekking up a mountain is a lot like climbing the stairclimber or doing lunges over and over, which strengthens your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves," says Joel Martin, Ph.D., an assistant professor of exercise, fitness, and health promotion at George Mason University.

But traveling downhill is what really leaves your legs sore and strong. "To go downhill, your glutes and quads need to do a lot of slow, controlled work to stabilize your knees and hips so you don't fall," explains Martin. "These types of contractions [called eccentric contractions; the same kind your muscles experience when you slowly lower a weight at the gym] damage muscle fibers the most because you're resisting the force of gravity against weight, which in this case is the weight of your body," he explains. This means that while you probably won't huff and puff on the descent, your muscles aren't getting a second to slack.

Every Step Strengthens Your Core

Navigating tough terrain also requires your abs, obliques, and lower back to work to keep your body stabilized and upright — even more so if you're carrying a backpack. "A heavier bag — around eight to 10 pounds — makes you more unstable, so your core muscles need to work harder," notes Martin. Think of it like this: You're basically carrying a weight on your back, effectively combining cardio and strength training into one. (You get similar benefits from adding a weighted vest to your workouts, BTW.)

Counts As Killer Cross-Training

Whether you're prepping for a race or you just want to round out your cycling routine, scheduling some hikes can improve your fitness level in ways that up your running and biking game. "Cyclists tend to have strong quads but underdeveloped hamstrings, and runners tend to have weak hamstrings and glutes," notes Martin. "Hiking helps strengthen these muscles to eliminate those types of imbalances," he adds.

Plus, if you hike regularly at high altitudes (meaning 4,000 feet and up), you'll get used to exercising in a low-oxygen environment, points out Martin. Because of this, your body will adapt to using less oxygen, which could lead to improved performance the next time you do a race.

The proof is in the science: The journal Sports Medicine notes that the practice of altitude training has been used by athletes to improve speed and performance, while a study from the International Journal of Exercise Science concluded that there were significant improvements in endurance performance when runners completed a 10-day altitude training camp. One catch: "A single hike won't have much of an effect; consistency is key," says Martin. So start a habit and you might reap this benefit of hiking.

Gets You Moving Better Around the Clock

A lot of standard exercise — running, walking, lunging, squatting — moves you forward and backward or up and down. Hiking, on the other hand, forces you to move every which way, as you climb over fallen trees and sidestep slippery rocks. "By doing things that require you to move in multiple directions, you strengthen the stabilizing muscles that fire to prevent common injuries," says Martin.

Think about it: Most everyday injuries occur when people quickly shift from one plane of motion to another, such as when they reach over to pick up a heavy object and pull a back muscle. If you're not used to moving this way, other muscles will try to compensate for weak stabilizers, resulting in poor form and potentially a pull, pop, tear, or break.

Makes You Happier

Know that "mmm...ah!" feeling you get when you see a beautiful waterfall or gaze out from atop a mountain? Research shows that such experiences benefit your state of mind: People who spent 50 minutes walking through nature reported less anxiety and more happiness compared with those who walked near traffic, according to a study in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning. "We know that just looking at photos of nature reduces stress," says Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. (See every default desktop background ever.)

Even five minutes in nature can boost your mood and self-esteem, according to a review of studies by the University of Essex in England. And because exercise produces endorphins (known as the happiness hormone), actually moving through nature takes the feel-good benefits to a new level. "Hiking creates a wonderful combination of less stress and more happiness," notes Whitbourne.

Beats Bonding at the Bar

Working toward a unified goal — such as making your way through the woods with others — strengthens relationships and builds bonds. "Hiking usually involves solving little problems together ['Uh, did we make a wrong turn?'], which makes you feel more accomplished as a group," says Dustin Portzline, an American Mountain Guide Association–certified rock guide. "I always remember the people I hiked with more than anything else," he shares.

No hiking buddy? No problem. Check for a hiking group in your area at Meetup or sign up for a class or trip with REI to go with a pro and get this benefit of hiking.

Helps You Worry Less

A study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that adults who took a 90-minute walk in nature reported ruminating (aka brooding) less than those who had strolled through the city. In addition, they showed less blood flow to the region of the brain associated with rumination, while the city group was unchanged. Researchers hypothesized that nature provided a focus away from negative, self-referential thoughts. As observers look to pinpoint the specific attributes of nature that make it such a "positive distraction," the good news is that giving this green immersion a test drive (and getting those benefits of hiking) is as close as your local park path.

It Builds Endurance — Without Leaving You Breathless

As you no doubt know by this point, going for a hike will provide tons of physical benefits and make you stronger — but these benefits of hiking won't seem that sweaty. "Exercising outdoors has been found to be easier in that you feel less fatigue or pain and can go faster and longer than if you were indoors," says Eva Selhub, M.D., a co-author of Your Brain On Nature.

Meanwhile, the built-in balance challenges and added resistance of taking on inclines are making your body stronger for other pursuits. "Hiking is a great way to build up your endurance without putting such a hard load on your body," says Jax Mariash, a professional ultra runner who hikes as part of her cross-training. "The slow miles also help build your stamina, so when you do long, flat runs, your legs just adapt under you with added speed," she notes.

Helps Reduce Stress

Need to clear your head? Hiking is the ultimate solution. Research shows that exercise alone does wonders for your emotional balance, improving mental health and reducing stress. "You get double the benefit when exercising in nature," says Dr. Selhub. "Walking in the wild has been described as being like putting a drop of morphine in your brain, in which the stress response is turned down along with stress hormones, and feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins increase," she explains.

This benefit of hiking can be attributed at least in part to the awe that most people have in nature. A lower stress response also means less inflammation in the body, and "we know that inflammation is highly connected to a downward mood," notes Dr. Selhub. In short, get a green routine as a check on stress.