In all of my outdoor adventures, I always learn new lessons. I find that exciting and it keeps me motivated! Hiking is no exception. Sometimes I learn practical things like how to prepare better before heading out. Other times I learn life lessons that give me a new perspective on the world in general. So I want to tell you about some things that occurred to me on our most recent hiking trip!
My husband and I recently went hiking in northern Minnesota on the SHT with another couple. It wasn’t just a hiking trip, but a 5-day 4-night tent camping and backpacking trip. “Backpacking” means we had to carry everything we needed for the entire time we were out in the woods…in our packs…on our backs.
One day while hiking, I was thinking about how the experience related to so many other journeys in life. That one week was like a condensed version of life in general. It’s amazing what you can learn while challenging yourself to be self-sufficient in nature!
So I want to share those life lessons I learned while hiking in Minnesota and maybe encourage you to try some hiking too. Then you can gain a little insight of your own!
Goals keep you moving forward when things get tough
One day on our trip, I was honestly thinking about how difficult it was and why we even did this sort of thing! The ups and downs of the terrain made my legs ache and made it difficult to breathe. The stones and roots we were constantly stepping over made my feet hurt. And the bugs were really annoying!
So why did we keep going? Mainly because once we got on the trail we had to keep going until we reached our destination…the next campground! There was no logical place to stop for the night between the beginning and the end of each route. So in that situation, we had no choice.
In life, we usually do have the choice to give up or move forward. But what I’ve learned from hiking is that having a destination, or a goal, makes you push yourself harder to reach it. You don’t stop and question the journey because you already know the destination is where you want to be. The work is worth the effort.
Hiking without a specific destination is just wandering in the woods. And you’ll quit much sooner because you’ve got no reason to keep going. Without an end goal, there’s no point to the work. So make sure you always have a destination or a goal to chase after.
Think about this with your health goals. What is it that you want and why is it important for you? If the destination matters, you’ll be less likely to give up when things get tough. You might have to slow down at times but as long as you just keep going you’ll eventually get there.
Related article: The importance of knowing your why.
Related article: Why you need a SMART health goal.
There’s always an unexpected reward right around the corner
The other motivating factor with hiking is that there’s always an unexpected reward waiting to surprise you. Especially in areas you’ve never been to before! Like when you finally get to the top of a hill and get an amazing view. The trees, foliage and wildflowers along the trail are enough to make me happy.
On this particular trip, I discovered some tasty berries I never knew existed. So when we got to the top of a hill or a sunny area, I knew I would be rewarded with those healthy little treats!
This is what makes hiking fun for my husband and I. We discover things along the way that we wouldn’t otherwise get to see, or don’t see very often. And it’s the same way in life. When you challenge yourself with something new, you’ll always get unexpected rewards.
I’ve always liked the saying “You don’t know what you don’t know”! Without trying new things you can’t possibly know what you’re missing. So have faith that even though the journey may be difficult, rewards along the way will make it worth the effort.
If you can handle hiking, you can handle anything!
As I’ve mentioned once or twice, when I hike I sometimes find myself thinking about how uncomfortable I am! It’s hard not to. But I’ve also learned that when you push yourself a little harder than usual you’re likely to rise to the challenge.
This is a great life lesson to learn and remember for all your future activities or ventures! When you accomplish something you weren’t sure you could, it’s very encouraging! It builds confidence and makes you want to do more! And that makes life so much richer.
Our little 5-day 30-mile hiking trip would’ve been easy for me had I not had to carry almost 25 lbs on my back every day! I hadn’t done that before and I was worried about being able to handle it. I had to just try it to know that I could do it. If I can handle that then I know I can handle most things life throws at me.
Having said that, I didn’t go on this trip without training for it ahead of time! Strength training is a must in order to be prepared for the endurance and extra weight of the backpack. You can read my article “My 3 best strength exercises for a full-body workout” to get a start on strength training.
Hiking outdoors takes away life’s worries
I’ve found out that when I’m outdoors hiking I forget about my worries. Studies have shown that nature has a way of easing anxiety and stress. If you don’t spend much time outdoors you really need to experiment with this idea!
Hiking is most definitely a workout involving plenty of cardio and strength training. So it’s obviously good for your body. And it’s a great way of enjoying exercise because you’re distracted by all the beauty around you.
But to be honest, the biggest benefit for me is the positive mental health boost from being outdoors. I have a hard time relaxing at home. There are just too many things on my “to-do” list when I’m there. But when I’m hiking, it’s all about being in the moment and enjoying the sights. And that’s great for relieving stress!
Related article: The many health benefits of meditation.
Staying occupied keeps you from eating
Finally, there was one basic and practical life lesson I learned while hiking. When you keep your body and mind occupied you don’t feel the need to eat as much! I already mentioned that we carried everything we needed for the week in our backpacks. So we took dehydrated food that doesn’t spoil.
I did a pretty good job of planning our food because we didn’t starve to death! But if I had packed more we definitely could’ve eaten it! I know when we’re at home we eat a lot more because it’s there and we can! I think the only reason we weren’t hungry on our trip was because we were so interested in what we were doing.
As you know, time flies when you’re having fun, but you also forget about everything else for a while. Including your stomach! I consider myself pretty food-focused in general, but out there I found myself concentrating on other things.
This is a great life lesson that you can take with you anywhere. If you focus on doing things that keep you occupied and bring you joy, you’ll be less tempted to eat every hour! I know this can be hard in real life because work isn’t always exciting. But it’s important to keep working on it so it gets better over time.
My final thoughts
I’m always looking for ways to motivate myself to move more and stay healthy. Hiking is an activity that gives me so much more than just exercise. Being outdoors is necessary for my mental health and it reminds me that there’s still a lot of beauty left in the world.
Hiking is a great metaphor for life! At home, it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday chores and stress of life and it can be hard to see all of life’s blessings. But being out in nature helps you to put that all aside and focus on just being alive and healthy.
Maybe this kind of hiking trip isn’t something you can ever see yourself enjoying. But I want to encourage you to try something new and challenge yourself to do more. It’s in those new experiences that we grow the most as people.
Have you had a new experience that was hard but ended up teaching you some new life lessons? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!