As a fitness and performance coach with over 11 years experience, including both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the exercise science field, I have made health and fitness a way of life that I enjoy sharing with others. Currently, I organize and lead fitness and adventure trips to Costa Rica and other amazing locations throughout the world (www.ecoxfit.com). Many members of the gym that I own and operate join me, along with other fitness and adventure enthusiasts. I have been traveling and hiking in Costa Rica countless times throughout the past ten years. A large part of our trips include hiking through the beautiful mountains and amazing jungles of Costa Rica... Of course, there are many of the obvious health and fitness benefits of hiking including increased cardiovascular endurance, improved muscle strength, and improved muscular endurance. Hiking also improves your body’s ability to transport and utilize oxygen more efficiently- one of the reasons it improves our cardiovascular endurance. And since most hikes typically last upwards of 60 minutes or more, you start to tap into your fat reserves for energy, therefore, helping to burn and lose fat, which is great for weight loss and weight management.
One of the other great things about a hike is that you can make it as easy or as challenging as you’d like. Add a rucksack with supplies to increase the load and build more strength in your core and legs. If speeding up the pace to improve your stamina isn’t your thing, try slowing the pace down and take frequent breaks to lighten the intensity of your hike. Either way, you will be sure to enjoy the challenges of your hiking adventure. Not only do we experience the physique and fitness changes from hiking, but we also encounter the mental and spiritual benefits of being submersed in nature. Hiking can be considered a form of meditation as your mind gets lost in the wilderness and we begin to forget many of the issues we deal with in our day-to-day lives. Therefore, we are lowering our stress levels, and by doing so; limit the release of of cortisol (a hormone correlating to stress that can lead to greater fat storage and weight gain) into our blood stream. To summarize, there is nothing compared to the sense accomplishment from completing a mountain hike while experiencing the health and fitness benefits it provides, all while reaching the level of peace and tranquility that overcomes your mind and body when observing the colorful flora, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and watching the perfect sunset over the horizon.
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AboutCoach Chris has been helping elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts reach their goals for over the last ten years...read more Archives
August 2017
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