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Hiking outdoors has plenty of perks: nice views, fresh air, and the sounds and smells of nature.

It's good for you, too. Hiking is a powerful cardio workout that can:

• Lower your risk of heart disease
• Improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels
• Boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise
• Build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs
• Strengthen your core
• Improve balance
• Help control your weight
• Boost your mood. "Research shows that hiking has a positive impact on combating the symptoms of stress and anxiety," says Gregory A. Miller, PhD, president of the American Hiking Society. "Being in nature is ingrained in our DNA, and we sometimes forget that.

"By Kara Mayer Robinson

Being in Nature is Good for Our Mental Health

According to recent research, people who live in cities have higher levels of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses than those who live outside urban areas. Notably, people who live in cities also spend less time outside.

A study published in 2015 found that walking in a tree-lined green space not only improved people’s self-reported mental health, but also decreased activity in the participants’ subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area that is associated with rumination, which can be a precursor to depression. This was compared to a control group who walked for the same amount of time in an urban environment and did not experience any significant improvements in mental health.

Further research has shown that regular hiking decreases stress and can even help improve memory. While walking in any environment has benefits, taking a hike in the quiet of a park or on a mountain takes those benefits to the next level.

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