I picked up a copy of this article at the hike desk at Wilderness Wildlife Week In January. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Hiking Cures All Ailments
by Bruce Douglas, Rocky Top Trail Shop
I am one of those people who believe that hiking and backpacking in the mountains will cure any ailment or condition you may have. At first this may sound fanatical, but over the years, I have found that hiking on a regular basis can cure anything. My own experiences and those of fellow hikers have proven again and again that there is nothing that hiking cannot cure – mentally or physically.
I found out the hard way that backpacking is a 100% guaranteed weight loss plan. I have neglected to market backpacking this way for fear of overcrowding trails and campsites with hikers clad in spandex and warm-up suits. Have you ever heard, "Lose weight and still eat as much as you want?" Long distance hiking really does allow for this.
Most active people eat between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day. When backpacking, the body is burning between 4,000 and 5,000 calories per day. And when you are hiking, you don’t have many opportunities to stop and eat fried chicken and biscuits so your caloric intake is considerably less. I have found that men lose approximately one pound per day while on the trail. Women lose about one-half pound per day. This equation takes for granted that the person in question has a few pounds to lose and I’m sure there are a few of these people out there.
Hiking also does wonders for the back. I know hikers who have had multiple back surgeries and tell me that their back always feels better when they are hiking. One fellow hiker I know has five metal rods in his back and he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and never felt better! My lower back always feels better when I come home from a backpacking trip. Carrying a heavy pack on your back for several days strengthens the back tremendously and will keep your lower back in good shape. I do wish, however, that I could design a pack that would carry itself but why take all the fun out of hiking?
Many times I have stepped on the trail with a cold or a touch of the flu. Within a few hours I can feel the congestions leaving my body only to be replaced with good clean mountain freshness. It must have something to do with breathing clean air and drinking clean (filtered) spring water. If I could only bottle it and sell it, I would retire and be spending my days hiking in New Zealand.
There must be a lot of bad things floating in the air around the city. Or maybe it’s just the constant stress we’re under at work, or the frustrations we have when we sit in traffic. Whatever it is, I think they’re all factors as to why we get those dam headaches. To this day, I cannot ever remember developing a headache while hiking. If you have a really bad headache that no amount of aspirin seems to cure, then I suggest you head for your favorite trail. I promise the pain will be gone in a short while.
Ever wake up with a stiff neck? Try hiking it out. I used to try everything to get rid of a stiff neck. I tried stretching, walking, lying down, sitting up, heat, ice, hot showers and once had my wife walk on my back. One morning I woke up with one of the worst neck wrenches I have ever had. I was already committed to a morning hike with my family so I reluctantly rolled out of bed and was practically carried to the trail head. In one hour, I was able to look around in every direction and still keep an eye on the trail!
Backpacking will cure all your internal plumbing problems. Whether it’s colonitis or irregularity, the exercise and diet of backpacking will do wonders for your metabolism. If you are having problems with irregularity, try hiking in the rain or when the weather is cold and miserable. Nature always calls during the most inopportune moments.
I met a backpacker five years ago who had a spastic colon. The doctor told him that the condition would be with him forever and he would have to take medication for the rest of his life. The doctor also recommended exercise, a careful diet and stress reduction. He began hiking and that took care of the exercise and stress levels. To this day, he has never needed the medication.
Need to quit smoking? Try hiking up a 5,000 foot mountain on a day hike and see how well you can breathe. I guarantee you won’t be craving a cigarette. You’ll be craving for more air! You’ll have a new outlook on what smoking does to your lungs.
Do you suffer from insomnia? Try getting up at dawn, pack your pack, strike camp, cook breakfast, then head out on the trail. Carry a 45 pound backpack up and down the mountains for 8-10 hours. Then set up camp again, walk a half mile to get water and spend 20 minutes filtering the water. Walk another half mile each time you need to go to the outhouse. Then try ambling around at night trying to find a place 100 yards from camp to hang the bear bag. When you finally lie down to rest, think about doing it all again the next day. You’ll get a good night’s sleep.
In my opinion, backpacking is as good as the fountain of youth. I challenge you to hike with the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, the Gatlinburg Retired Hikers Club, or the famous Thursday Hikers Club. They will hike your socks off and then tell you they are twice your age! I am convinced that elderly hikers are more alert and twice as healthy as the rest of us. The best thing for senior citizens is an active lifestyle. The mind and body will deteriorate if it stays indoors on the couch. Grandma Gatewood hiked the entire Appalachian Trail when she was 70 and lived to be 100.
If you doubt my claims about his wonderful elixir called hiking, I dare you to prove me wrong. If there is a shred of doubt after you have tried my 100% guaranteed cure all, I will give you the phone numbers of my three college English teachers who failed me because I did not write well. I never had anything published before I started hiking.
Bruce Douglas
Rocky Top Trail Shop
Hiking nourishes my body and my soul. I hike every week and feel better after 3 hours on the trail than I do all week. I just melts the stress of my week away and afterward, I feel human again.