Friday 29th of April, the day Prince William married Katherine Middleton. What an eventful day. Full of ceremony, music, fashion and joy. The whole of the UK celebrated in unison for the future King of England and his bride to be.
Well after watching the event, which went on pretty much most of the day. I went for a walk with my partner Glenn, which turned out to be an hour long hike in a little copse near where he lives.
There was a little wood surrounding the fields which we ventured into. There was a lovely nature trail running through these woods which we followed taking in the beauty of nature, the plants and the peace and noises of nature.
Hiking or Rambling as it is also called here in the UK, is something that is great to burn of those calories, it does not have to be too strenuous as you can take this at your own pace. It is about walking in natural environments where there are proper trails. Always ensure you are with someone as it is not advisable for you to go out on your own in case of accidents.
There are various terms for Hiking other names include
Bushwhacking which specifically refers to difficult walking through dense forest, undergrowth, or bushes, where forward progress requires pushing vegetation aside. In extreme cases of bushwhacking where the vegetation is so dense that human passage is impeded, a
machete is used to clear a pathway.
Australians use the term
bushwalking for both on- and off-trail hiking.
New Zealanders use
tramping (particularly for overnight and longer trips),
walking or
bushwalking. Multi-day hiking in the mountainous regions of
India,
Nepal,
North America,
South America, and in the highlands of
East Africa is also called
trekking; the Dutch refer to trekking also. Hiking a
long-distance trail from end-to-end is also referred to as trekking and as
thru-hiking in some places.
Literally, anyone can put on a pair of walking shoes or cross trainers along with few necessary gears and equipments and start moving into the woods for a little fresh air—this is called hiking. The scenery, accessibility and diverse nature of hiking trails make this heart-healthy pastime attractive for people of all ages, fitness levels and income brackets.
Hiking or trekking allows us to maintain our body in good working condition by walking which is really a good exercise. It improves our physical as well as mental health and the list of benefits from hiking and trekking is infinite. Hiking is essentially walking that is considered to be one of the most perfect forms of exercise for your body. You can get a chance to spend some quality time together with the Mother Nature, so it also provides a mental health antidote. Everyone can find trails to suit their physical strengths. And unlike other activities or sports, it is a pursuit that allows people to determine their own limitations.
Many research findings and studies show that hiking is an excellent way to lose extra pounds and improve overall health. To improve overall health, we don’t necessarily need to do heavy and painful workouts, but just a short brisk walk of few minutes can be more than sufficient. According to the American Heart Association, it’s best to walk vigorously for 30 to 60 minutes 3-4 times per week. But even low- to moderate intensity walking can have both short- and long-term benefits. Similarly, According to Walking for Health, people "won’t find a better way to lose weight than walking." The results will be more permanent and pleasurable than any diet or weight loss scheme. (More info can be found here..
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-24-2006-91812.asp)
So there you go, walking is good for you.
It's National walk to work week. So what are you doing to improve your cardio exercises? 
