Take a hike ... really

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I read and write too much, my daughter tells me: I need to get out of my head, off my backside and onto my feet a little more often. So at her prodding, and now that the outdoors has finally become inviting, I've decided to take what I preach a little more seriously and increase my activity from winter's indoor sit-ups and stretches. First on my list: hiking. Walking, but further and more briskly, regularly and adventurously, up and down hills.

Thanks to some friends in Devon, my first little trip a few weeks ago was about 10 km of Devon river valley complete with some nice hill-climbing that definitely got my still-hibernating heart working a little. Open spaces, fresh air, fresh green, warm sun and conversation are, I'd almost forgotten, a lovely way to work out the cobwebs. And uneven terrain such as dirt paths and hills can be as good as running they say, which I used to do, but which my knees no longer permit.

Hiking, besides burning more calories than does walking around the neighbourhood, is also infinitely more interesting—an important detail for the easily bored and those prone to letting exercise fall by the wayside in favour of the delicious addiction of cerebral activity.

On one of my hikes with my daughter this week, I was introduced to Geocaching by another hiker. For those as unfamiliar with the term as I was, it's a high-tech treasure hunting/hiking game played with GPS devices in which participants share experiences and successes online.

For those not much into games, Edmonton also has plenty of truly beautiful hiking trails. There's the river valley, of course, with miles of easily accessible trails complete with stairs and hills. And for those dying to get out of the city, there's the 309 km volunteer-managed wilderness Waskahegan Trail, running through the city, south along the Whitemud and Blackmud Creeks to the Battle River, east to Camrose, north to Elk Island and finally west to Fort Saskatchewan.

Walking—ages old and as familiar to us as breathing—encourages mental creativity, works hundreds of muscles, boosts metabolism and enzyme activity, improves cardiovascular health, preserves bone density and helps prevent insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. It can also, when it's sunny and our arms or legs are bare, finally bring our vitamin D levels back to normal again, vitamin D of course being something we in northern latitudes, living indoors and well-covered most of the year, desperately need for optimal immune function.

But then there's the feel-good endorphin-producing ability walking has. Endorphins—our bodies' natural opiates—relieve pain, improve sleep and mood, and stimulate the production of natural killer (NK) cells and other front-line defenses against viruses and cancer cells. (Epidemiological studies have repeatedly confirmed a reduced incidence of cancer in physically active groups.)

But, while moderate exercise decreases our risk of illness, prolonged high intensity exercise stimulating excessive stress hormone production can have a negative impact on immune function, depressing NK and other immune cell activity—very good news for fans of moderation.

Also good news for fans of moderation is new research reminding us that perfectionism is bad for our health. Those prone to all-or-nothing approaches are less healthy in the long run than those with reasonable expectations. Those striking a balance between being conscientiousness and relaxed, optimistic and realistic, enjoy greater longevity.

Spring is here, summer is around the corner, and balance and healthy pleasure in this part of the world are finally and thankfully now less out of reach. My quads and calves have been feeling the increased activity a little; I hope they're soon showing it. And of course I hope it means I'll continue to sleep like a baby to escape the stresses of midlife, duck the swine flu, keep my heart and bones strong, keep my hormone levels good and return my insulin production and weight back to levels I once took for granted. V

Take a hike ... really

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